Fans are left angry with Forest Green for ignoring the public stadium name poll, with the winner actually being picked by season ticket holders last week.
Supporters were asked to suggest titles online after Innocent Smoothies won a ground naming rights deal and insisted ‘Innocent’ be used in all suggestions.
The ground’s original name is The New Lawn, which most will no doubt remain to call it.
Then it changed to the ‘Innocent [insert name here] Stadium’, leaving many confused.
However following on from this poll, majority of over 4,000 voters opted to go for ‘Kevin’ to be in that gap.
It would have meant that the ground would be known as the ‘Innocent Kevin Stadium’, and Jeff Stelling already claimed it would get a mention on Soccer Saturday every weekend if it wins.
He tweeted: “If it is Kevin, it is guaranteed a mention every week!”
You: Have FGR fans voted for the @innocent stadium name yet?
Us: ?
Take it away, @JeffStelling!#WeAreFGR ? pic.twitter.com/7tdNEIFT3C
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) October 16, 2020
Kevin was well ahead with more than 60 per cent of the votes in a Twitter poll.
Forest Green’s search for a new stadium name got a mention on the BBC comedy TV quiz ‘Have I Got News For You’.
On Friday’s episode, guest host Stephen Mangan posed the question: “Why might Britain’s first vegan football team Forest Green Rovers be about to give their stadium an unusual name?”
One of the panelists, Helen Lewis, answered that maybe they were going to be sponsored by ‘ham’.
Mangan then told the panelists that FGR had handed the decision for naming the stadium over to a fan vote and asked if they had any idea what suggestions had been made.
Panelist Janey Godley, suggested “Footy McFootball”, which Mangan said would be better than what they had come up with: “Kevin”.
However, on Friday the 16th, the winner was revealed, but the final say went down to the club’s season ticket holders and NOT the online poll.
?????????
Right then, so it’s all official now. Rovers will now play at the newly, renamed @innocent New Lawn. Thanks for all of your weird and wonderful (mostly weird) suggestions!#WeAreFGR ?
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) October 16, 2020
The club statement read: “We can today announce that we have renamed our stadium, the innocent New Lawn – after putting the final four name choices to a season ticket holder vote.
“The name change is part of the club’s new partnership with sustainable smooth maker innocent drinks.
“Until today, the innocent New Lawn had adopted the temporary name innocent [insert name here] stadium. Football fans and innocent’s social media followers were encouraged to suggest names for the stadium.
“The shortlisted names ended up being innocent Sustadium, innocent New Lawn, innocent Fruit Bowl and Kevin. innocent’s social media followers named Kevin their overwhelming favourite, with 65% voting for it.
“The name ended up being a favourite of Sky’s Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling promising the stadium would get a mention on their popular show every week if it ended up with that name.
“Thankfully, Forest Green Rovers season ticket holders had the final say, and 86% of fans went with the innocent New Lawn.”
Fans were left angry with Forest Green for ignoring the viral stadium name poll’…
Sorry Kevin.
— innocent drinks (@innocent) October 16, 2020
asked for a new name for the new lawn then call it the new lawn ??
— david edwards (@davided78754139) October 17, 2020
Is it the innocent stadium
Innocent Kevin Stadium
I prefer Kevin is Innocent Stadium— noel shaw (@bedfordblue968) October 17, 2020
Disappointing to just name it the same thing after the competition :/
— Lawrence Ray (@Lawesomesauce) October 16, 2020
Nope, I’m gonna call it Kevin anyway
— Soy Boy (@SoyBoy54390176) October 17, 2020
All Kevins unite!
— TheFrood (@RoverdickD) October 16, 2020
Should of been kevin
— CPLWoodenSpoon (@CPLWoodenSpoon) October 16, 2020
this is awful guys
— Mick (@mocknickford) October 16, 2020
Come on @FGRFC_Official!!!! Kevin is a spectacular name for a stadium! https://t.co/5wXwoxKqmK
— Charlie Black Lives Matter Milburn (@charliemilburn) October 19, 2020
Ima still call it Kevin.
— Luke Calladine (@lukecalladine) October 16, 2020
Justice for Kevin
— Ayrton (@AyrtonFtGolding) October 16, 2020
Kevin robbed!
— Ryan Butler (@abaconbuttee) October 16, 2020
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