The Jessica Ennis Stand

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silverfox

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Golden girl Jessica Ennis will be wrapped up in red and white after her footballing heroes Sheffield United honoured the Olympic champion.

For the 26-year-old heptathlete – who won gold at this summer’s Olympics in London – will have her name emblazoned on the Bramall Lane stand at Sheffield United after Blades chiefs decided to rename it The Jessica Ennis Stand.

“It is an appropriate and fitting tribute to re-name our Bramall Lane double-tier stand after one of the finest athletes this country has ever produced,” said Sheffield United owner Kevin McCabe.

“Jessica and her family are Unitedites and after discussions with them we all agreed that renaming the Bramall Lane stand after her would provide an additional sporting legacy from the London games, a permanent reminder that will hopefully act as an inspiration to other youngsters to come forward and achieve their dreams through sport.”

He added: “I have been fortunate enough to meet Jessica and her family. They are wonderful ambassadors for this city and sport. I am delighted Sheffield United and our fans can support and recognise Jessica through the re-naming of the stand.”

Jessica, who will be represented by her sister Carmel at tomorrow’s League One game with Bournemouth, said: “Winning the gold medal at the Olympics was amazing, and to be honest still hasn’t really sunk in. It is also wonderful and totally unexpected to have further recognition from within Sheffield and from the football club.

“I met Kevin McCabe at the civic reception in Barker’s Pool and he mentioned that the club would like to recognise me winning the gold medal. I never expected when I started out in athletics in Sheffield all those years ago that I would have a football stand at Sheffield United named after me.

“I can’t be at the match on Saturday but look forward to coming down on a match day very soon when I can see for myself how the stand looks as well as being able to meet supporters.”
 



This one is really going to split Unitedites down the middle.

For me, it's a desperate and reactionary attempt for publicity and a way to tempt Jess to visit the Lane and therefore sell a few tickets. I personally think it demeans her stunning achievement. Fair enough, she supports Sheffield United. But she's said herself she's not that big a supporter. Meanwhile, genuine SUFC legends don't have a sodding thing named after them at the Lane. Her fella will have got a massive kick from it, but I imagine Jess couldn't give a flying one.

If I sigh and shake my head any more, I worry it will fall off. And joy of fucking joys, it's transfer deadline day.
 
This has to be a complete joke.

Disgusting publicity effort by McCabe as Houso says but also a terrible mistake by Ennis to associate herself with a property speculator and his joke of a football club.
 
Let's hope she doesn't change her name when she gets married next year!

Although I'm happy with it, where is the Brian Deane/Tony Agana/Tony Currie/Alan Kelly etc etc stand??

Have we ever named a stand after someone before?
 
Oh, thanks for that Mr McCabe. You've put on the Micalijo side of an argument!
 
I'm with Houso. I am very proud of what Jess has achieved and achieved on the back of the city's facilities and I think civic recognition of this is the way forward, not United re-naming a stand for someone who has little to do with the club. It just smacks of a cheap publicity stunt, playing on public feeling.

Mind you, don't know why I am worrying about a stand being named after her, we will be playing at the Jessica Ennis Stadium at the Don Valley in a few years anyway! ;)
 
Given she's never played for or managed United, I assume they also thought about giving her a statue.
 
shreds1975 said:
I'm with Houso. I am very proud of what Jess has achieved and achieved on the back of the city's facilities and I think civic recognition of this is the way forward, not United re-naming a stand for someone who has little to do with the club. It just smacks of a cheap publicity stunt, playing on public feeling.

Mind you, don't know why I am worrying about a stand being named after her, we will be playing at the Jessica Ennis Stadium at the Don Valley in a few years anyway! ;)
Click to expand...

You may be on to something there. This may well be McCabe's second step in turning BDTBL into an athletics stadium...
 
Where's the, 'Neil Shipperley' pie stand??

I'm with Houso on this one.
Jessica Ennis is an inspiration to a lot of people, and achieved unbelievable success at this years Olympics but, it is fairly derisory when you consider the players we've had at The Lane over the years who have been massive inspirations to so-many die hard Blades and never had the recognition of a stand being named after them.

UTB
COYRWW
 
What shreds1975 said

what a joke of a football club we have become :(
 



What Jess has done for Sport is remarkable, she was the face of the successful Team GB and she is a fantastic ambassador for this city and the country. I admire her sporting achievements immensely
How many times has she actually been to watch the Red and White wizzards.
She will now be a millionaire wonder if she will chuck a few quids worth of investment at the club.
Bet Sean Beans pissed off ha ha ha
 
Not really worth getting het up about, it'll change in a few years anyway, money talks and sponsors will always win. Could be worse, they're still ashamed around here of the 'Stanley Matthews Pricebusters Stand' Blackpool had a few seasons ago !

At the end of the day it'll always be the New Stand, Bramall Lane, Kop and John Street to most fans.
 
Let's just hope there's no vocal disagreement with this move when it's announced on Saturday.

What stunning PR for the club that would be...
 
How about a Mel Rees stand first?

If we're naming stands after people, I think it should be at the end of their career anyway, when their full list of achievements can therefore be honoured.
 
Oh for fuck's sake. And what happens if someone from Sheffield wins a gold medal in the future and they've been to a few games?

Name the Don Valley Stadium after her if you must - she trains there and it's a very dull name anyway, but the Bramall Lane stand?

I'm generally supportive of McCabe and I don't believe he deserves a lot of the shit that gets flung at him, but if the unsurpassably appalling idea of appointing Robson as manager hadn't existed, this would be at the top of his "stupid ideas" list.
 
Oh fucking hell!........ We're turning Wendy!

The Hodgy Stand sounds better to me.
 
Bath Blade said:
How about a Mel Rees stand first?
Click to expand...

Why ?

Don't agree with naming a stand after Ennis (apparantly it is only for the season...i assume because we couldn't get a sponsor) and I certainly wouldn't agree with naming a stand after a player who only played around 8 games for us.

Despite the sad way he left us,there are other players who would deserve that honour more should the club chose to move in that direction( i sincerely hope not). It still grates when some fans call the stands by the sponsors name but at least the club gets some money from it.
 
Crouchy said:
Oh for fuck's sake. And what happens if someone from Sheffield wins a gold medal in the future and they've been to a few games?

Name the Don Valley Stadium after her if you must - she trains there and it's a very dull name anyway, but the Bramall Lane stand?

I'm generally supportive of McCabe and I don't believe he deserves a lot of the shit that gets flung at him, but if the unsurpassably appalling idea of appointing Robson as manager hadn't existed, this would be at the top of his "stupid ideas" list.
Click to expand...

When I read the OP, I assumed it was a joke. Jessica Ennis was part of the best athletic's watching night of my life, and I'm proud of her being from Sheffield and that she's, nominally at least, a Blade, but this is completely over the top.
 
bartman said:
Why ?

Don't agree with naming a stand after Ennis (apparantly it is only for the season...i assume because we couldn't get a sponsor) and I certainly wouldn't agree with naming a stand after a player who only played around 8 games for us.

Despite the sad way he left us,there are other players who would deserve that honour more should the club chose to move in that direction( i sincerely hope not). It still grates when some fans call the stands by the sponsors name but at least the club gets some money from it.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, then it's not quite so bad.... but still massively cringeworthy.

Although...

"Jessica and her family are Unitedites and after discussions with them we all agreed that renaming the Bramall Lane stand after her would provide an additional sporting legacy from the London games, a permanent reminder that will hopefully act as an inspiration to other youngsters to come forward and achieve their dreams through sport.
Click to expand...
 
Why not just extend the hotel to the enterprise centre and make even more money, a brick wall at that end would look good we could paint a crowd scene on it with the local graffiti artists helping out.

Ahhh I forgot we DON'T make any money from the hotel, that goes to one of McCabe's companies
 
Trigger Blade said:
The word temporarily doesn't appear in the article, but I hope that is true.
Click to expand...

Toby Foster specifically asked the question to McCabe this morning .

McCabe indicated on Toby Foster this morning said they were looking for a different tribute within the stadium after this season ...i would guess one of the boxes or suites named after her and a new sponsor for the away end.

Foster also asked McCabe whether the PLC was now renting the ground to the football club,McCabe side-stepped the question and Foster didn't ask the question again
 



If it's only for a season my apoplexy has been reduced by a factor of 10
 
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