NAMING rights may be the new vogue in Premiership football, but the clubs signed up to host football matches during the 2012 Olympics will discover that they do not mix well with the IOC’s strict rules on “clean” stadiums.
Old Trafford is among the grounds scheduled to host Olympic events but could also carry a corporate sponsor’s name if the Glazer family succeed in selling “presenting rights” to the 67,000-seat venue. United executives are thought to be discussing the possibility of renaming their home ground “Old Trafford in association with” as a lucrative extra to the four-year shirt sponsorship deal they are seeking to replace the Vodafone contract.
Middle Eastern airlines are among the potential candidates. Such branding, however, would fall foul of IOC rules that dictate that all Olympic venues are logo-free. These rules apply not only to matches during the Games but all test events held in the previous year. The prospect of having brands covered during the 2011-12 season would reduce the value of any naming rights deal.
United have yet to sign a formal contract with the London Organising Committee of the Games to host Olympic football but have agreed in principle. The confirmed venues are Villa Park, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Hampden Park and the Millennium Stadium, while Windsor Park in Belfast remains a possibility.
“That is a good regional spread,” Lord Coe, the committee chairman, said. Whether Hampden Park would still host the opening game if a Great Britain team contained no Scots is unclear. The Scottish FA is refusing to be part of a unified team for fear of losing its independent status at the World Cup.