Stratford Town FC launch competition for a new nickname

WHAT do you think should be the new nickname for Stratford Town?

That is the question from club chiefs as the search for a new alias starts today, Thursday, and entries are welcome from anyone in the community.

The deadline for submissions is Monday 22nd March and entries can be submitted to competition@stratfordtownfc.co.uk or sport@stratford-herald.com.

Submissions will then be reviewed by a select committee made up of club chairman Jed McCrory, directors Mark Bickley and Steve Shipway, commercial manager Steven Burge and Stratford Town Independent Supporters’ Association chairman Chris Simpson.

The club has always been affectionately known as “the Town” or “the Blues”. However, as part of a rebrand – which has seen the club kit revert to orange and navy blue – the Southern Premier Central side is looking for a new nickname.

Chairman McCrory told the Herald: “Since coming to the club, I’ve asked people what the official nickname was and got told it was ‘the Town’.

“When I spoke to the directors they said the club had never formally had one.

“The nickname ‘the Town’ was just put down, but with this new drive into the community, we wanted to reach out and put a competition out there to get a new nickname.

“At the moment we’re rebranding the club and having a new nickname is all part of us driving into the community.

“We are a community club that needs to be supported by the community. We want to reach out to the community with different initiatives to show that we’re here for you.”

As part of their efforts to reach out to the community and get as many youngsters involved in this competition, the club will be in contact with schools across the area asking their students to take part.

Commercial manager Burge said: “Asking all the local schools in our catchment area to partake in this nickname competition is about being proactive in the community.

“We’ve held Halloween nights for Bridgetown Primary School and Alveston Primary School in the past, but the children that play here are not all from those schools.

“So this is about trying to reach out to the schools in the long term to create a new Stratford Town fan. It’s all about making an association and, whether schools take part or not, it’s about reaching out as their local football club and building connections. If we can build those connections, those children will feel they’re more part of the club.

“We’re not just a football club, we’re here for the community and the nickname competition is all about engaging with the local community.”

The person with the winning nickname, announced on Thursday 25th March, will receive a commemorative gift from the club. In the event of a name being selected by multiple entries, Town will hold a live draw selecting the overall winner.

All other entries will receive recognition of their winning name entry.

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