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2010-07-26 17:34

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Soccer City/National Stadium/FNB Stadium ??? (Gallo Images)

Johannesburg - The High Court in Johannesburg will rule next month on whether the iconic World Cup final stadium, Soccer City, would be renamed the FNB Stadium or National Stadium.

FNB, who held the sponsoring rights before the FIFA World Cup, applied for a court interdict against the changing of the name to National Stadium.

This was after current management decided to officially rename the stadium to National Stadium at the Springbok rugby team's Tri Nations Test against the All Blacks there on August 21.

FNB spokeswoman Vicky Trehaeven said on Monday the bank launched the application earlier this month.

"We have a contract and they [Stadium Management South Africa] have a contract and the court has to decide which contract is valid."

The case was postponed last week, and a ruling was expected to be made on August 3.

City of Johannesburg spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said the stadium was renamed from FNB Stadium to Soccer City for the duration of the World Cup as FIFA did not deal with private enterprises. Stadiums were not allowed to have corporate brand names.

Stadium Management SA, the company who got the contract to manage the stadium, was not immediately available for comment.

Your Comments

Shaun8/6/2010 7:44 AM: This is funny and twisted,why do u need NAMING RIGHTS to manage a STADIUM?It seems as always RUGBY just wont play on a stadium with a word SOCCER on it, but for many years soccer has played in RUGBY stadiums(wonder why?).Its tax payers money so why are we not voting for the name as citiziens of this country and not have names decided by PRIVATE COMPANY's or POLITICIAN'S with their own agenda.

mpho8/3/2010 3:50 PM: lol umshini wam stadium

claude scholtz8/3/2010 12:53 PM: Call it "RUGBY CITY" lol

N.E SQED7/29/2010 10:39 AM: Winnie Madikizela Stadium, Joe Slovo Stadium. F.W de Klek Stadium. RAINBOW NATION STADIUM. Ukhamba Stadium

Frustrated7/28/2010 3:04 PM: @SOUTHAFRICA, Get the chip off your shoulder! If you have not got a relevent comment don't comment at all. The rest of not interested in your dumb comments.

Buccaneer7/28/2010 2:05 PM: IT seems lyk anything tht's associated with blacks has to be tarnished. Be it history or innovation. Why double standards when we r claiming to be a rainbow nation? Soccer playd for years at rugby stadiums (Elis park; Loftus; kings park ) but no complains were made by soccer loving fans or the soccer body for that matter. FNB aka Soccer City has just made new history to add to it's accolades. But but bcos it is associated wth abantu abampisholo they care less about the history.

SouthAfrican7/27/2010 9:14 PM: this was all plannned, that when the stadium was finished, it will be a rugby stadium. how was it planned. first thing first to convince South Africans that when the name change it will be for "all South Africans", first take the rugby to Soweto, then Soccer City whn the world cup is finished, this all makes sense, that this was planned, as if we're uniting the nation, it was bull, all this people wanted was to turn Soccer City into a rugby stadium, why change it to National Stupid Stadium? are rugby stadiums changed? i dont think so, so why change a soccer stadium's name to accomodate other sports, or isnt it good enough to say, Springboks vs All Blacks at Soccer City? who ever thought of a name National Stadium is an idiot, that stadium is too fly 2 b named "National Stadium" atleast if its named Soweto Stadium, which i believe it will remain FNB Stadium or Soccer City to us anyway. its things like these that separates the nation. SOCCER CITY 4 LIFE

Amos7/27/2010 8:41 PM: First National Stadium

South African7/27/2010 8:35 PM: I guess the whites wont play in a stadium with a name SOCCER on it, why arent we changing stadiums with rugby on it? by d way which sport will major on this stadium? soccer or rugby, which will come first, changing the name will take us back b4 we were a united nation, cos things like these makes us think "race", lets face it, rugby its 4 whites, soccer for blacks. Soccer City will remain soccer city to us, change it or dont change it, it wont matter, cos its Soccer City to us.

EXQSMEPLEASE7/27/2010 7:17 PM: WELL...HOW ABOUT "NATIONAL SOCCER CITY" OR "FNB SOCCER CITY".....BUT HELL NO WAY MUST "SOCCER CITY" GO !!! COME ON FNB LET IT BE FOR HEAVENS SAKE...WE LOVE SOCCER CITY...US WHITEES CANNOT WAIT TO GET THERE...ITS A NATION BUILDER...KEEP IT THAT WAY !! THANK YOU !!

National Stadium???7/27/2010 6:59 PM: National stadium LOL. National stadium sounds like the name improverished countries or 3rd world one party countries give to the one big stadium they have. It's the stadium used for th ehonourable great leader's birthday party and his latest riveting speech on the greatness of his and his cronies rule. So is this stadium going to be used by whoever the incumbent great leaders are, in the hope of generating income?? LOL. RSA has a lot of large top quality national stadiums, no need to single one out as the national stadium. Imagine if OR Tambo was called the National Airport LOL.

Footballizer @ AL7/27/2010 4:09 PM: Unlike other people here, what i have said is the true facts and not opinion. This venue was first referred to as soccer city in 1995. We always new one day it would be called as such. FNB donated the stadium in good faith to SAFA in 2005. Having funded construction of it in 1987. SAFA then transfered ownership of the stadium to the City in 2005 to fund the upgrade from taxpayers. City of Joburg betrayed SAFA (along with the land that SAFA house is built on) and signed a ten year deal with www.stadiummanagement.co.za. Signing away ownership and naming rights as of 2009 to 2019. There's nothing anybody can do now. Not even FNB Big stuff up from Joburg. (Zumas ANC. Wouldn't happen under Mbeki)

AL @ Footballizer7/27/2010 3:37 PM: If it was up to you !diots it would be called Jacob Zuma stadium or some other `fighter` that only a small percentage of people actually knew.

Edit me out7/27/2010 3:04 PM: BULL, wake up people RUGBY WONT PLAY IN A STADIUM CALLED SOCCER CITY. Thats the reason for the change, nothing else. FNB ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. They rights will expire soon enough. Joburg mayor is the problem, he gave away ownership along with naming rights to the stadium management company. A company with no black directors and no interest in football. THEY THEN CHANGED THE NAME AND INVITED THE LIONS AND SPRINGBOKS TO MOVE FROM ELLIS PARK. SUBSEQUENTLY, KAIZER CHIEFS MOVED TO RAND STADIUM TO AVOID POLITICS. Chiefs was the original and default tenant of Soccer City as they are the biggest sporting brand in SA. So much for nation building.

Footballizer7/27/2010 3:00 PM: BULL, wake up people RUGBY WONT PLAY IN A STADIUM CALLED SOCCER CITY. Thats the reason for the change, nothing else. FNB ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. They rights will expire soon enough. Joburg mayor is the problem, he gave away ownership along with naming rights to the stadium management company. A company with no black directors and no interest in football. THEY THEN CHANGED THE NAME AND INVITED THE LIONS AND SPRINGBOKS TO MOVE FROM ELLIS PARK. SUBSEQUENTLY, KAIZER CHIEFS MOVED TO RAND STADIUM TO AVOID POLITICS. Chiefs was the original and default tenant of Soccer City as they are the biggest sporting brand in SA. So much for nation building.

Footballizer7/27/2010 2:41 PM: DONT YOU GET IT. RUGBY WONT PLAY IN A STADIUM CALLED SOCCER CITY. Soccer being the problem in the name. FNB have rights, but only for a while. They are not the enemy. The enemy is the stadium management, Mayor of Joburg and Rugby lions in general.

B.7/27/2010 1:42 PM: Let the architects decide

Bilaal7/27/2010 1:12 PM: I wouldnt mind if they call it afta me.

Shandawg7/27/2010 12:40 PM: Soccer City is awesome! National stadium is super boring, and FnB can go an get stuffed!!!

Pietbril7/27/2010 12:31 PM: National Stadium is a crap name, it has no character!! Go with the Calabash or Soccer City. That's the names us Saffers and the rest of the world use.

Malefactor7/27/2010 12:30 PM: Who built/owns the stadium?

Mike7/27/2010 12:12 PM: The Calabash Best name ever! NZ vs SA - The Clash at the Calabash!

Skhulu7/27/2010 10:18 AM: national stadium sounds more like a government building or institution leave it as FNB as we knew it.

Geoff7/27/2010 9:50 AM: We need to fit in with current trends guys - I say we call it DIEK EDS ROOL SA

Collitjies7/27/2010 9:37 AM: FNB stadium as it has been known for a long time, leave the name alone or some bright spark in the government might decide to change the name to "IDI AMIN" stadium or something stupid like that.

THE MAN7/27/2010 9:34 AM: lets change the name to the Freedom House Stadium

The Stig7/27/2010 9:20 AM: the stadium is known as FNB stadium to use sowetans why go to court for such things?

Soccer city7/27/2010 9:00 AM: Legally, FNB holds the naming rights for which they paid. Whether or not the stadium was renovated using our tax money is irrelevant. The stadium has always been FNB stadium aka Soccer city. Why change? Why name it the national stadium? Loftus was renovated using our tax monies but I hear no one saying we should change its name, What about Vodacom park in Bloem? What about Ellis park? Hell, leave the naming to the people/organisation that holds the rights. FNB should sue anyone that insunuated that the name is national stadium. There will be nothing national going on there the day the Springboks play. Remember the banning of vuvuzelas. Leave it as soccer city until FNB wins the court case.

Matt7/27/2010 8:15 AM: Guys, FNB paid millions to have their branding there and did not put up a fight to keep they name for the world cup like they could have, if it is no longer the FNB stadium they must get their money back, just like you would like you money back if you paid for something but did not get it! Unfortunately in todays world you can't afford to have a world class stadium with out a Brand name, at least it isn't another Vodacom Park!

067/27/2010 7:36 AM: Oh goody! Let's change the name every two weeks! Can't these people leave names alone in this country?????

ray7/27/2010 7:17 AM: How about the Vuvuzela Stadium?

Soothsayer7/26/2010 10:19 PM: Is this another cinderella and the pumpkin story?

RD7/26/2010 10:09 PM: Who cares what the )_*)*(&&% they call the stadium. It should be used for sport and the fans can go and support their teams there. Thed worst part of this is that the court's time is taken up with a load of s^%$t like this and in the meantime the average Joe / Joey cases that really matter in their lives gets puched back all the time. This is not about a name, for a name does not make the (wo)man, but it makes the service delivery to the people who need it and don't have money pie in the sky. It just does not happen for them.

Garden 87/26/2010 8:45 PM: Yet we ponder why the change can't happen miraculously... hope they hear that 1 voice someday, oneday, when talk ain't cheapi!

Eddie7/26/2010 8:20 PM: Let the octopuss decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marco7/26/2010 8:17 PM: What's wrong with the name Soccercity or The Calabash isn't it the name we was having when they first renovated and built the new stadium for the worldcup? I kinda like these 2 names either way one or the other is fine by me.Better still England calls their national stadium Wembley cause of the area it is in--in Wembley,North London HA9 postcode.Ours is in Johannesburg near Soweto so name it Johannesburg Soccercity or Johannesburg National Stadium where the stadium is located.There are many stadiums the worldover that is name after the city it is in.Why don't the city council in Joburg do the same.

Mike@CapeT7/26/2010 8:11 PM: Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of all our stadiums being named after sponsors brand names....the sooner it ends, the better! Sponsors should get their moneys worth through other means. Where have all our traditional stadium names gone to?

NOXMAN7/26/2010 7:56 PM: I think the name FNB stadium is ok as it was named before.

PAOLA7/26/2010 7:48 PM: LET IT BE FIRST NATIONAL STADIUM. IT IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN FNB AND NATIONAL STADIUM.

Karl7/26/2010 7:18 PM: Did not see much development of the stadium when FNB was the "sponsor". They just paid for their name to be on it. In anycase they demolished the "FNB Stadium". IT DOES NOT EXIST. FNB did not get naming rights to the piece of ground. I think FNB is doing a Malema and trying to get a free ride out of tax payers money!!!

Swetsas7/26/2010 6:52 PM: The most appropriate and compromised name is "FNB Soccer City", finish and klaar.

Vic J7/26/2010 6:52 PM: @ J C, if it were your money sponsoring the stadium, would you not like a say as to promoting your brand.

MC27/26/2010 6:40 PM: Funny how these plonkers focus on the trivial stuff - like changing names instead of getting on with setting up the infra structure for the future. Do you remember where Bafana were going to train but then discovered the place was a wreck? Still the IQ sets the ability of tasks to tackle. Try something difficult chaps.

gcr7/26/2010 6:36 PM: Call it the Calabash and get done with it

Shorts7/26/2010 6:19 PM: Go FNB - enforce your rights and ensure that these guys honour their contractual obligations. Also don't be too surprised if, after a short while, they will soon be wanting to call it the Julius Malema stadium

KArl7/26/2010 6:14 PM: If FNB pay for the upkeep of the stadium then not a problem, if they paid for the rebuilding of the stadium not a problem but as I believe it the tax payer paid for the stadium therefore it should be The National Stadium. Oh yes the FNB stadium was demolished so their naming rights is in the rubble of the old stadium somewhere!!!

Maybe7/26/2010 6:13 PM: Maybe we should have referendum about the name, seeing the whole or all of south africa paid for it??????????????????

Julius Ceasar7/26/2010 6:06 PM: Rome is burning and the judges have to waste their time on BS like this!! FOr crying in a calabash! Don't our courts not have serious matters to attend to? Do they have to waste time deciding what to call sports stadiums and whether Shilowa or Lekota is in charge? What a sad bloody place we are in where people can't even reach an agreement about the simplest of things. BAH!!

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