Planet Swans ArchivesA current poll on this web-site shows (as near as damn it) a 50/50 split over whether the fans like the working name or not.
Last week, announcing the choice, Council leader Lawrence Bailey claimed the name was being promoted by a large number of fans.
However, initial reactions to the naming are stating otherwise with fans suggesting that maybe the stadium should reflect more it’s relevance to the City with many claiming that they were not aware of the relevance between White Rock and that area of the city. The name has come from the colour of the rocks which line the River Tawe along that stretch of the River. The name stretched back as far as the 18th century when there was a White Rock copper smelting works set up in 1737 by Coster Bros & Joseph Percival on land previously occupied by an old flour mill.
Commenting on the change, Ugo Vallerio from FOSCFA commented “White Rock is better than Morfa and fine for the moment. But it is pretty naff and I hope that’s not going to be the final name. It will need to be changed. I wouldn’t like the council to have the final say – it should be put to the public so the supporters can decide. I know it has an historical link but they may as well call it the Landore Steel Works Stadium. I don’t know why it just can;t be called the Swansea Stadium.”
Ugo’s views are echoed by many on the internet with fans calling for the council to allow them to decide the name of the stadium from a short list of potential names. Although commercial rights are undoubtedly going to be involved somewhere surely it could also have a name that has been chosen by those that are going to use it the most often?
Keith Haynes from the Midlands, Avon and Gloucester Swans commented “If you keep saying the name White Rock there is no doubt that it will grow on you. A few of us over this side of the bridge discussed this over a few beers last weekend and we have decided that maybe a more appropriate name would be ‘Dave’ ”
Umm, right Keith!
There are fans that are for this name of the stadium and claim that at least it keeps a link with the area and the history of the new stadium site.
The name came as something of a surprise to me when I first heard it and although I have no massive reservations against the name, I can see why it has not proved the success that maybe the council would have liked.
This is a stadium that will not only carry the Swans into the 21st century but the city as a whole. With both sporting sides playing their matches there and the promise of pop concerts and other events being attracted to the city through it then there is certainly an argument that maybe the stadium should carry the name of Swansea loud and proud to the rest of the country.
I certainly agree that the supporters of both clubs (Football and Rugby) should have a say in the naming of the new stadium although I do appreciate that there will be some commercialism involved in there somewhere (money talks usually)
I would be interested in Councillor Bailey’s comments about the large number of fans promoting the name already as it was certainly something that I had not heard ‘en masse’ before last week’s announcement.
Whichever way you look at it, it has generated some great discussion amongst the support and although some of the names have been unworkable I am now trying to imagine 20,000 people heading to watch an FA Cup tie at the Stadium Dave!
