Glamorgan County Cricket club in Wales has revealed it is to rename its home stadium as Sophia Gardens Cardiff after a naming rights deal for the venue concluded earlier in the year.
Welsh energy company SWALEC had sponsored the stadium for the past 10 years in a deal reportedly worth in excess of £1.5m (€1.7m/$2.1m), a record amount for a country cricket team. The agreement was signed in March 2008.
The venue was renamed as the SSE SWALEC in June 2015 to reflect the Welsh company’s ownership by SSE.
However, the stadium will now be known as Sophia Gardens Cardiff, which is what the venue was called from its opening in 1967 up to 2007 before the sponsorship deal came into effect.
The facility is currently undergoing a rebranding process to reflect the name change.
Hugh Morris, chief executive at Glamorgan, said, “Our partnership with SSE has come to an end but I would like to thank them for being part of the Glamorgan family for the last 10 years and for helping to grow the game of cricket in Wales.
“We will instead use a name which connects Glamorgan back to its past and location within the beautiful Sophia Gardens grounds.
“Sophia Gardens Cardiff also strengthens our connection with our capital city, as well as our partner Cardiff Council who have been an incredible support to the club over the years.”
Despite the name change, Morris said that Glamorgan is seeking to work with a new “principal partner” at the stadium ahead of the start of the international calendar and new competition scheduled to begin in 2020.
Morris said: “We are already fielding interest from several parties and are excited about the opportunity to partner with an organisation that shares our values and ambitions as a club.”
Image: WeLiveCricket.com
Share this