Head Coach Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Aston Villa will not be looking to follow in the footsteps of Newcastle United and rename Villa Park with the idea of generating more money for the club.

Via DailyMail 

The Villa manager, who has been backed by club owner Randy Lerner, came out against rebranding the club’s home as the debate continued about whether the revenue- generating idea was a step too far.

Chelsea’s decision to seek sponsorship for Stamford Bridge follows Newcastle United renaming St James’ Park with the title of a sponsor, selling out the one tangible connection supporters have with their past.

But Lerner is determined to protect Villa’s heritage and O’Neill said: ‘I’d be very much against it. As far as renaming existing grounds, I don’t really understand it.

‘If you have a new stadium, like when Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates, because it had never been named before, fine.

‘Let’s say that sponsorship runs out in a few years, even though it has a short history, it would be strange to see it with another name. Now, if you talk about Villa Park, or Roker Park, where my own boyhood heroes played, then I don’t think people would have been too enamoured if they had just renamed it The Stadium of Light. Yet, as it stands, The Stadium of Light is pretty good because they have moved to a new stadium.

‘In terms of the shirt sponsorship, we have given that up already and Acorns have benefited. So, even if it meant giving up sponsorship - don’t tell the owner this - but I cannot see Villa Park being called something else.

‘Is it Darlington who have had eight names in 10 years? It must be very confusing, particularly if you are taking your youngster to a game, they’d be thinking they were going to a different place all the time.

‘My view is, for the old stadiums, it would be difficult for me, at my age, to think about a ground as something else.

‘It’s not my business for me to say to anyone that it’s a crying shame for other teams to raise money by doing it. But I can’t imagine calling Molineux or St Andrew’s anything but those names.