English Championship football club Bolton Wanderers played the first game at its rebranded home stadium on Saturday, picking up a point during the 2-2 draw with Bristol City.
The club recently revealed that it was to rename its home as the University of Bolton Stadium via a new rights deal with the local university.
The venue had been known as the Macron Stadium since July 2014 under a deal with Italian sportswear firm Macron.
New signage was in place ahead of Saturday’s game to mark the occasion, while a number of visitors from the University of Bolton were in attendance.
Bolton Wanderers chairman Ken Anderson said: “We are extremely proud of this strategic long-term partnership with the University of Bolton. Like us, they are at the heart of the community and play a vital role in flying the flag for our great town.
“We are honoured to display their brand on our stadium which will help them reach out to a wider audience.”
Professor George Holmes, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Bolton, added: “Both the football club and the University of Bolton are synonymous with our town and we felt now was the right time to extend our strategic partnership; that includes increased benefits for our sport students.
“The deal will enable students studying Sports Science to have an opportunity to help assess sportsmen and women in a professional environment which will greatly enhance their learning.
“They will have access to the state-of-the-art facilities and specialist expertise at the club with an opportunity to develop a real-world understanding of their subject in a professional environment; invaluable for our students as they seek employment further down the line.
“Given that we are a town centre campus, this partnership with Bolton Wanderers will immediately create an excellent sporting infrastructure for our students.”
Bolton has enjoyed a successful start to the 2018-19 Championship season. The draw with Bristol City followed a 2-1 win against West Brom on the opening day.
Image: University of Bolton Stadium
Share this