An Open Letter To Swansea Council

It has been several weeks since the council took their political decision to remove the name White Rock from the Swans new stadium. Bollocks to all the reasons of 'easier to sell' this was a political decision to stamp their own authority on a stadium finally started by a previous regime.

Since that time, fans have signed the on-line petition and written to the Evening Post in numbers but the council have ignored the comments of the Swansea public and ratepayers and stuck to their guns on the pathetic reasons for the removal of White Rock.

Swans fans on the site have stated many a time that they will continue to refer to the stadium as White Rock and ignore the pleas from the council to stop referring to it.

Now is the time to keep the pressure on the council and make the views of you, the fans, as those people that will pay for the upkeep of the stadium, heard loud and clear. The name White Rock must remain as part of the stadium heritage.

With this in mind, I have tonight sent the following letter to the South Wales Evening Post in the hope that the council may respond. I am one fan with one voice and cannot do any more than make my own views known. If you wish to do the same, then you can e-mail your views to the Evening Post by sending them an e-mail by clicking here.

If the council won't listen to us via the local newspaper then we will e-mail them directly and keep the pressure. It is a battle we may not win but the stadium will play host to sporting teams from all over Britain and Europe and the name White Rock must be known throughout these areas.

"ONCE WHITE ROCK, ALWAYS WHITE ROCK"

The Letter:

It has been with great interest that I have read the letters and comments in your publication with regard to the council's ludicrous decision to drop the title White Rock from the stadium name because it makes its easier for them to attract a sponsor - allegedly. Would it be wrong to ask the question whether the stadium name was actually dropped because it was introduced by the previous council and although, admittedly, they did say it was a working title, the credibility of anything the council say was long taken away the moment they started erecting the road signs proudcly displaying the name "White Rock Stadium" for the Swansea public and the city's visitors to read. It is clear from the comments made in all forms of media that fans of all sporting clubs that will play there, and even those that aren't fans, want the title White Rock to remain in force. An on-line petition via www.jackarmy.net for the name to remain attracted over 350 signatures in a short period of time, some from all over the country who had read about this decision and have been watching the progress of the stadium via the same web site. The same people that elected the council to where they stand today are clearly voicing their opinions and it is time that the council stood, listened and decided that they go with the wishes of the public of Swansea and retain the name White Rock and attract a sponsor to place their name alongside such a proud title. If they want assistance then speak to the people who sold the rights to the BT Cellnet Riverside Stadium in Middlesborough or the Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium in Southampton. Here were two places with people who had the ability to sell the benefits of a name. Swansea Council were elected to listen to their voting public and on this occassion the message is loud and clear. The name White Rock lives on.

Phil Sumbler

Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site?