 | Mansfield face relegation from the Football League |
The Mayor of Mansfield has said a plan to rename the town's football club after a fictional team in a former Sky series would damage the local economy. Producers of the Dream Team programme confirmed John Batchelor, who is bidding to buy the Stags, had discussed using the name Harchester United. Mayor Tony Egginton said the idea was "absolutely bizarre". A Football League spokesman told BBC Radio Nottingham it would have to approve any change in name. Mr Egginton said: "If some of his ideas are to change the name of the football club to Harchester United, it's absolutely bizarre. "The benefit of a football club to a town is purely and simply the name which gets us represented through the media." 'Long tradition' Mr Batchelor has said supporters in general have to understand that "if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis". He added: "Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That's not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it's a club with a long tradition, but it's just a fact of life." | 606: DEBATE |
The businessman changed York City's name to York City Soccer Club when he was at Bootham Crescent in an attempt to attract American interest. Mansfield are currently second from bottom in the Football League.
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