tam watp 77 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3198-naming-rights-deal-closeCHARLES GREEN says Rangers are close to striking a deal to sell the naming rights to Ibrox – but only on terms the fans are comfortable with.The Light Blues chief executive met representatives from supporters clubs at the stadium last night to discuss the issue.While some object to the move, most understand the need to bring extra revenue into Gers and appreciate renaming the ground is one of the easier ways to do that.Green is currently in discussions with three external companies and is optimistic of agreeing terms sooner rather than later.He knows it is important to followers of the 54-times Scottish champions that that Ibrox moniker is included as part of a new name.And the Yorkshireman is striving to ensure that happens as he edges closer to a conclusion on that front.Green said: “It’s an emotive subject at every club and with Rangers being one of the biggest, it’s going to be a big subject here.“It’s healthy for us to have these discussions and I accept everyone has a view. Some people are completely against it and no amount of cash would get them to change their mind.“People are entitled to say that. My attitude to life is that if you believe in something, you should stand behind it and you shouldn’t waver so I have no problem with that.“Last night at the meeting, people were asking how we can make it work and I thought that was encouraging.“Some were sat firmly where I am, which is where we don’t denigrate the history to bring cash in. That is very important in terms of rebuilding and what we are trying to do here.“I wouldn’t say we are at the door, as it were. We’ve had problems where we can’t even tell a proposed sponsor what league we will be in and that has caused frustration.“But we have to get on and we’ve narrowed it down now to two or three people who I think can deliver what we and the fans want.“That is something we can all be comfortable with from a naming rights point of view and which brings income into the club.”Green spoke yesterday of being restricted to doing one-year sponsorship deals with other companies due to uncertainty about the club’s status within Scottish football going forward.But he hasn’t divulged either a contract length for naming rights nor revealed how much an agreement might be worth to Rangers.Indeed, he is adamant it isn’t certain the name of the stadium will change at all – even if a deal is done.Green added: “It’s not inevitable. What I said last night is that I personally am going to fight to get the Ibrox name in the new title.“Even from the short time I’ve been here, I’d never ask a taxi driver to take me to the Fred Bloggs Arena. I’d ask him to take me to Ibrox.“I’m sure people who have been associated with the club for longer than I have are still going to refer to its historical name.“However, it is that history that attracts a sponsor. That’s why people are prepared to pay for the naming rights of some stadia but not others.”Green is keen to illustrate what good a naming rights deal could do for the club and cited a recent example of business done by Newcastle United as a result of such an agreement.He said: “Mike Ashley is rich but he’s not stupid and they had a budget to adhere to so there was a period when the management and playing staff had got to their limit.“When they did the naming rights deal at St James’ Park, it brought cash in and that cash was used to acquire Demba Ba.“He scored loads of goals then they sold him for £7million so that shows what selling the naming rights can do. If you can use that money well, it’ll bring further money in.” Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marka1979 76 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Wasnt too happy at first but it will benefit the club and us in the long run. It would be good if they could keep ibrox in the name ie ibrox adidas stadium but we ll always call it ibrox. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allcinaye 336 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Would we be allowed to buy Demba Ba with this transfer embargo still in place? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marka1979 76 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Would we be allowed to buy Demba Ba with this transfer embargo still in place?They were only using an example of capital raised to buy players. But i think you knew that already. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allcinaye 336 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 They were only using an example of capital raised to buy players. But i think you knew that already. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRITNEY IS NOT FEELING IT 8,293 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Should approach the owners of ROX jewelers , they could sponsor our stadium ,cause their name is in IBROX , IBROX ROX STADIUM Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonb23 99 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Looks like it's going to happen then. Shame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elephants stoned 2,994 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 As soon as Ashley was named an investor this was on the cards, im sceptical that we would get a sponsorship deal for no name change whatsoever, why would a company do that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozblue 4,331 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 From a guy who has supported Rangers since I was a wee boy and remember walking into Ibrox Park for the first time in 1953 I would personally prefer to NOT see any name on our stadium,but then again, I would prefer that we didn't have sponsors names on our shirts either,but that is in a perfect world where tradition is more important than money.However, we live in the real world where without money our club would be forever going nowhere compared to other clubs who seek and gain avenues of finance to progress in todays avarice driven football landscape.If Charles Green can get a deal done that improves our clubs future whilst at the same time retaining our historical ground name, then I will agree with it no matter how reluctant I am,because no matter what is on the building, to me it will forever be Ibrox Park.Just for an example of how people view these name changes to stadiums, I'll relate a wee experiment I did a few weeks ago when this subject first came to light.I went to watch a very entertaining A-League game at the Sydney Football Stadium between Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC.Now this stadium was opened in 1998 and since then has been sponsored by Aussie Home Loans in 2002 with a 5 year deal that was supposed to see the stadium known as "Aussie Stadium"...It never happened,because to every man and his dog it was still the SFS, so Aussie Home Loans chief,John Symons decided to not renew the deal because the name of his company wasn't being spoken about as he was hoping for.Fast forward to 2012 and Allianz decided to do a naming rights deal, so by all intents and purposes, the SFS should now be known as "Allianz Stadium" so for a week or so after the game i watched I was talking football with several of my ex players and other sports people and I broached the subject about me going to watch football at Allianz Stadium. The universal reply ranged from; "You went to see Bayern play?" to; "Where the fuck is the Allianz Stadium?"When I explained where I had gone to, EVERY one virtually said; "Oh you were at the SFS, ya silly old cunt" It reminds me of that old saying; "The more things change the more they remain the same." Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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