Reading Owners Exploring Stadium Name Change

The iPro Stadium, Sports Direct Arena, and Whataburger Field. Just three stadiums that the Mad Stad could have something in common with in the coming months as the Royals look to sign up to a stadium naming rights sponsor. That is after shareholder Lady Sasima Srivikorn told BBC Berkshire that a name change is on the cards.

In confirming that several companies are in negotiations with the club, she said:

"I know to have the naming right on the stadium can fetch quite a lot of money."
"There are many companies that would like to have that naming right, so that is one way of making the money come in."

It's worth remembering, for those who are morally against this concept, that Madejski had originally planned for local businesses such as Hewlett Packard to conglomerate together for stadium sponsorship when the ground was being built. However, a lack of financial support for that idea and the will to give something back to SJM after years of running the club out of his own back pocket made the eventual ground name a popular idea.

However, football is a different beast in 2015, as we saw yesterday when Reading signed a loanee for £2.5 million with a £10m obligation to buy, and to maintain this competitiveness it is clear that money must come from somewhere. Hopefully the club can continue to honour Sir John, and this move could make it only a matter of time before a statue of the Royals icon takes pride of place outside the West Stand.

What do you make of the news? Is it something you're absolutely for or against? Comment below.