Does anyone call Lansdowne Rd, the Aviva Stadium?

Dr Leech

Does anyone actually refer to Lansdowne Rd as the Aviva Stadium? E.g., “Hey Ryle, are you heading down to the Aviva on Friday night?”

I don’t think corporations should be allowed to appropriate cultural landmarks. It always irks me when the media propagate this crap. I suppose, the people are just as guilty in their timid acquiescence/apathy.

Btw, I realise there are much bigger problems in the world at the moment, but this still pisses me off!

HeidiHeidi

Loads of people do, even the ones ( including me) who swore they wouldn't when it was first changed!

I try not to but it slips in every now and then.

Larbre34

The problem is, like all these nasty commercial exercises, they expire, and in another short while, the stadium is likely to be officially called something else. Canesten Eeeezzee Itch Stadium, or whatever.

So save yourself the bother, just call it Lansdowne Road, the Point Depot, the Grand Canal Theatre, Ravenhill, and at least you know where you stand.

Worst of all is The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Perfect fine as its own name for the first 20+ years of its life and next thing it gets named after a building society or whatever and everyone gets fierce confused.

Just don't entertain that pox.

Strumms

I wonder what the craic is with the naming rights ? If I remember rightly Aviva signed a ten year deal in 2010, ahh then an extension to 2025 I’m reading.

i call it both as I don’t think about it, probably the Aviva more.

probably become Eircom Park, Toyota Stadium, or whatever in a few years… Kearns Sausages Stadium, the KSS has a ring to it.

beertons

My kids call it the Aviva. I call it Landsdowne.

They'll fall in with me next year, when Tayto park is called something else.

El_Duderino 09

It depends onnwho you're talking to. If it's a long term fan then calling it LR is fine. But if its a new fan or a young person then they might only know it as the Aviva. So it's more about knowing your audience than anything else.

The IRFU are happy to call ot the Aviva because of the sponsorship money they get, and the media are obliged to call it the Aviva for the IRFU's sake. So if you're cross with anyone, be cross with the IRFU for accepting the sponsorship money and not just making that money by adding it the cost to your ticket.

I suspect this comes down to some kind of virtue signalling which could be paraphrased as "I'm oldschool. I'm so oldschool that I'm not comfortable with things changing".

IrishLad90

You mean the Bertie bowl..

I use both as I know a lot of people that work there and are clear about it being the Aviva but I seem to remember it more as Lansdowne

Dr Leech

The IRFU could accept some sponsorship money without having to sell their soul completely. And as for “virtue signalling”? It’s called having principles and not mutely prostrating oneself before the creeping corporatisation of our society. The people who call out others for virtue signalling are usually uncomfortable with someone else throwing their own lack of principles/collusion into stark relief.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821837#Comment_118821837

I said its virtue signalling and I've said I don't have a strong preference for what it's called. I'd use the name based on whining talking to.

What stark relief does it show my stance in?

Dr Leech

Look, tell me why expressing ones disdain for the corporate appropriation of a national stadium’s identity is “virtue signalling”? Is expressing a view on anything meaningful “virtue signalling”?

The fact that you “don’t have a strong preference for what it’s called” is how sporting associations/corporations get away with this kind of stunt. Making a point of demonstrating your lack of concern could also be construed as some kind of inverted “virtue signalling”.

stephen_n

It isn’t Lansdowne Road though. That stadium was knocked and replaced by the Aviva. There is nothing left of what was Lansdowne Road. So what you call it is completely irrelevant. I reckon though if the name changes in 2025, that they will have difficulty with people thinking of that stadium as anything but the Aviva.

KevRossi

It'll come and go.

The Point. The O2. The 3 Arena. Sponsors come and go, but for me the original name always usually sticks. I almost always call it Lansdowne Road. I mostly hear 'The Aviva' from much younger people and from the media.

maestroamado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058238465/does-anyone-call-landsdowne-rd-the-aviva-stadium

Is the national stadium still going on SCR...

is_that_so

Mostly stick with the old names of places, partly through habit, partly indifference to the newer corporate names. The Aviva is in Lansdowne Road so probably a bit of both. It's whatever you are most familiar with I suppose.

Dr Leech

I just checked and the stadium is still on Landsdowne Road.

Of course it’s relevant what you call it! It’s a part of the cultural history and continuity. Cities and towns razed to the ground during wars weren’t ordinarily renamed (rebranded) when they were rebuilt. It seems that many Irish people are fine with corporations rebranding national stadia.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821959#Comment_118821959

Maybe it is virtue signalling. I'm signalling that I haven't gotten cross about what the staduim is called. I don't own the stadium, I'm not a shareholder, im not in any way emotionally attached to the stadium. It's a relatively new brick and mortar building, of which I have no ownership, and I don't mind what it's called.

The IRFU has chosen to accept sponsorship money which they spend on the teams and rugby infrastructure. They get money, in exchange for calling it the Aviva or Tayto Park or 123.ie stadium. That's a great deal. Money for old rope.

Why get cross about it? Its just capitalism doing its thing. There are lots of aspects of capitalism which I think are genuinely harmful at the local and societal level, and this is such a trivial point that I could barely rise to a 'meh'.

It's all about what it was called when you were young. It's no different from the people who grew up when terms like 'retard' were OK and now can't cope with the fact that it's now become an insult. Things change. Whether its called LR or Aviva is not any kind of problem.

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821762#Comment_118821762

I'll still call it potato city

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821837#Comment_118821837

What exactly is the principle again?

"Corporations should not take sponsorship from other corporations"?

Dr Leech

I don’t think the Irish Rugby Football *Union* is a corporation (a non profit, actually) and anyway, since it’s now receiving taxpayer funding perhaps the government could supplant Aviva and restore Landsdowne Road as the definitive name of the stadium.

Flinty997

Younger people call it the new name.

KaneToad

I call it Lansdowne Road. It's not for any militant anti-capitalist reasons. It's where it is. And it is what it was called when I was a kid.

sydthebeat

Lansdowne road was never a "cultural landmark". A stadium named after the road its on doesn't exactly portray "sacred to the people".

The funds to redevelop the stadium came, partially, from the naming rights sponsorship paid, therefore, they pay it, they can call it what they want.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822262#Comment_118822262

Stadiums are named after the road they're on or the area they're in all over the world?

This is surely the most common naming format among stadiums built before naming rights was a thing.

Dr Leech

Who decides what is and isn’t “sacred to the people”? It has as much cultural significance as many other sites. It’s embarrassing that a national stadium is named after a corporation but I suppose it’s emblematic of what Ireland has become.

”[T]hey pay it, they can call it what they want.” Yes, of course, money can buy you anything.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822327#Comment_118822327

the AVIVA sells out all the time for Ireland rugby games.... (not so much for soccer games, even when giving away free tickets)

Seems like the people determine what is and isnt "sacred to the people"

I dont see any possibility of Croke Park (a proper cultural landmark) being renamed Hunky Dory Arena, do you?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822322#Comment_118822322

of course they are, but that doesnt automatically bestow "cultural landmark" status to them, does it?

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822360#Comment_118822360

The home of Irish Rugby for over 100 years?

I'd say it's a cultural landmark, yes. Like Twickenham, like Wembley, etc etc etc.

Yeah ever since they rebuilt it, I call it the Aviva

pickarooney

I call it by its proper name, the Royal Irish Parks Stadium, as I can't be having with this newfangled 'Lansdowne Road' nonsense and besides which I can't spell the latter.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822373#Comment_118822373

and will always be referred to as Lansdowne road when discussing those games from 100 years ago up to 2010

since then the stadium that we have isnt "Lansdowne road" its only ON Lansdowne road. Its a complete replacement, paid, as ive said, partially by the sponsorship rights for naming the stadium (€40 million is a hell of a lot of money)

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822184#Comment_118822184

The IRFU aren't the sole owners of the stadium. They're 50% partners of the FAI, who definitely do need the funding.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822452#Comment_118822452

AFAIK the IRFU do own the stadium (they certainly own the land it's on) - the FAI are there under some form of long term agreement.

I wonder is there any potential to develop the Havelock Sq end to the same capacity as the Lansdowne end? I thought I read somewhere that the IRFU owned a lot of the houses in the square. It would at least make the stadium look less like a bed-pan.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118822543#Comment_118822543

The IRFU own the land the stadium is built on, not the stadium. The stadium is owned and run by New Stadium Ltd, which is 50% owned by the IRFU and 50% by the FAI. The board of directors of the stadium management company has 3 members form each organisation.

crisco10

I flip between the two, having sworn to never call it the Aviva.

and I actually am ok with it too, looking at without sentimentality, if letting a company put their name on it allows us to keep more players on central contracts or pay for rugby clubs to get a new pitch etc I think it’s by far the lesser evil.

question, (and I acknowledge a slight false equivalence here), would we rather have POM, Furlong, Henderson playing in Ireland, sometimes in the “Aviva” or those 3 all in clubs in France while their lesser deputies play in “Lansdowne Road”?

Serbian

I'm finding the outrage from Dr. Leech pretty comical, especially the concept of selling the naming rights to our stadium being emblematic of what Ireland has become, whatever that means.

The reality is, we're a small country with limited streams of income for our rugby unions. Without money, the game is nothing, so you're just going to have to accept that selling naming rights to stadiums is a core part of what rugby is in Ireland.

It's not like we're leading the charge as some corporate shill, virtually every rugby playing country does it. Notable examples include Wales (The Principality Stadium), South Africa (The First National Bank Stadium), Scotland (BT Murrayfield Stadium), Australia (The Accor Stadium and The Optus Stadium), Japan (The Toyota Stadium) and New Zealand (The Sky Stadium). They have also previously sold the naming rights to Eden Park to ASB Bank, but don't currently have a named sponsor there. Even England, the richest rugby union in the world, have British Airways attached to the Twickenham, and has incorporated it into the logo.

France, Italy and Argentina are the only top teams that don't do it, and it's notable that in all three of their cases, the national stadium is owned by their football association and not their rugby union.

If you care about rugby in Ireland, you have to accept that we'll need to explore every revenue opportunity available to us. Naming deals like The Aviva Stadium are what allow us to compete with the salaries on offer in bigger nations like England and France, and allow you to enjoy seeing the best Irish players playing for both your province and your country.

You should be grateful that the Aviva Stadium exists.

Squeeonline

Aviva isn't the worst name. "Bord Gais energy theater" or some other brand name location would be worse.

Out of all the sponsors, it's really not so bad a name to give it.

arsebiscuits1

This feels like outrage just for the sake of it.

If something one claims to be "significant" to them can be cheapened just by the name of it then it clearly doesn't mean as much as they think of it.

The name of something in this sense doesn't mean even an iota of what the stadium or place represents in my memories.

I don't give a toss what that stadium is called be it Lansdowne, Aviva or Give me your Money stadium. I care about how many great games I got to see in there and how much enjoyment being in there has brought me

salmocab

Few days late to the party here, I suspect the useable of a name might be more or less successful depending on the name, I use the aviva but also say the point as both names flow easier than the other name.

El_Duderino 09

Do you think the type of company would have much of an impact on whether people use the name? Is an insurance company more likely to get people to rename the stadium than a betting company? Would the Betway Staduim stick in the craw more than the BOI Staduim?

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877156#Comment_118877156

Not sure if you were replying to me or the OP but if it was me what I meant was saying the aviva is easier than Landsdowne road whereas saying the point is easier than the o2 or 3 arena. It’s not so much which is the original as to how easy the words flow in a sentence.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877163#Comment_118877163

It was supposed to be a general question but started with 'so you think' instead of 'do you think' by accident. Edited now.

I would have thought 3 arena flows. What about Skips Staduim? That flows and even has alliteration. But I really doubt that those opposed to name changes would be more in favour of a crisp brand than a bank or insurance company, even if the name flows.

Are you more in favour of brevity than anything else.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877217#Comment_118877217

I don’t have strong feelings on it either way to be honest, I can see why people get itchy about it but as I said in my post really I just use whichever seems easier to use, if someone asks where the Leinster match is next week I’d certainly just reply ‘aviva’. Whereas with the point depot I’d always just say ‘the point’. Over time that will change anyway as there will be lots of people that never knew it as the point depot to begin with.

thefallingman

It's the Aviva, though it's beginning to look as bad and as rundown as it was in the Landsdowne road era

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821748#Comment_118821748

Exactly this. I used to call it Landsdowne but now more often than not Aviva. It maybe helps that it is an entirely new stadium. The problem comes as you say when it becomes Eircom Park or whatever. Stadia should probably keep some constant name as well for continuity, eg Aviva Stadium at Landsdowne. The same happened in Belfast to the Odyssey Arena which has become the SSE and I just can't get used to it.

Fr Tod Umptious

A quick search here reveals that since 01/07/2010 (close to when it opened) the word Aviva has appeared ~7,900 times in the Rugby board.

During the same period the word Lansdowne has appeared ~6,200 times.

Ergo people are more likely to call it Aviva.

pickarooney

Did you search for all the misspellings of Lansdowne and exclude any combination of Aviva and Premiership?

Dubinusa

I used to love going to the old stadium. I've never been in the Aviva. It does look pretty good. I was a frequent punter to Croker. Daly er and Lansdowne. Ahhhh, to be a wee nipper again.