Could/should White Hart Lane station be renamed?

[Dr_Paul]

How about going further and using the various nicknames, so South Bermondsey could become The Den or Millwall Lions, and so forth? That would add to the fun.

 

[jon0844]

It does seem as if this is a move by TfL to make money in the future from renaming stations on more than a temporary basis. Why they would not seek to take money, especially if it was offered, this time is quite odd.

 

[AndyHudds]

How about going further and using the various nicknames, so South Bermondsey could become The Den or Millwall Lions, and so forth? That would add to the fun.

The New Den mate.

 

[6Gman]

Palace is a listed station so probably a non starter and CPFC don't regard it as an issue.

LB Croydon already wanted to rename Norwood Jn as North Croydon, to "reflect it heritage and area better" (or get the council more business rates!) then there was local campaign to keep the real area heritage including a faction for reverting to the original station name "Jolly Sailor" (the pub next to the station).

How would changing the station name "get the council more business rates"?

 

[DavidGrain]

Mudshute Station on the DLR was originally going to be named Millwall but at that time there were problems with hooliganism among Millwall FC fans and the locals in Millwall did not want visiting fans turning up there thinking that was where the Millwall ground was. So the name Mudshute was used as that became the name of the area where spoil from the building of Millwall docks was deposited.

 

[hwl]

How would changing the station name "get the council more business rates"?

They get higher rates in Croydon and reckoned rebranding the entire Norwood Jn area would enable some cheeky rises becuse It Croydon now (they got laughed at by everyone for suggesting it!)

 

[si404]

A strange one which might open the floodgates, Fulham Broadway could become Chelsea FC for example, while Charlton could become Charlton Athletic

St Johns Wood -> Middlesex, Oval -> Surrey, Stratford -> West Ham United, Canons Park -> Barnet

And, obviously, St John's Wood, Oval, Wembley Park and Twickenham could become England on a temporary basis when they host internationals. Wembley Park and Tottenham Hotspur could be named after the 'home' NFL team when gridiron visits in the 'fall'. North Greenwich could be named after whatever's on at the O2, etc, etc.

Tottenham Hotspur isn't a bad name for the station (unlike the ideas I list above) - it's in Tottenham, and it's the one for the football stadium - both are conveyed: area and main reason for it. Confusion with the terribly named 'Tottenham Court Road' station should be solved by renaming the central London station. However, there's a cost to change things - and the business that pays millions each month on wages for a team that lost to Southampton can clearly pay the relatively small amount to change things.

 

[IanD]

It does seem as if this is a move by TfL to make money in the future from renaming stations on more than a temporary basis. Why they would not seek to take money, especially if it was offered, this time is quite odd.

According to the article it's Spurs who are trying to get out of paying rather than TfL who are not seeking payment.

 

[Chris999999]

Palace is a listed station so probably a non starter and CPFC don't regard it as an issue.

LB Croydon already wanted to rename Norwood Jn as North Croydon, to "reflect it heritage and area better" (or get the council more business rates!) then there was local campaign to keep the real area heritage including a faction for reverting to the original station name "Jolly Sailor" (the pub next to the station).

This has great potential. Although Norwood Junction should be more correctly named North East Croydon, with Thornton Heath being renamed North Croydon and Selhurst being renamed North North East Croydon. This should eliminate a lot of confusion by passengers, as all they will need is a compass!

 

[hwl]

This has great potential. Although Norwood Junction should be more correctly named North East Croydon, with Thornton Heath being renamed North Croydon and Selhurst being renamed North North East Croydon. This should eliminate a lot of confusion by passengers, as all they will need is a compass!

And Sydenham Hill as South Dulwich if you want another complete round of Compass bingo locally

 

[Enthusiast]

Leaving aside the amusing banter, a name change with no contribution from (yet at the behest of) a very rich beneficiary frankly stinks a bit. The station already shares the name of the stadium FFS

If anything it's the other way round. The station is in White Hart Lane. The stadium is not. More than that, the station opened in 1872, some 27 years before the stadium was built. In fact nobody seems to know why the ground took the name of a road on the other side of Tottenham High Road.

 

[infobleep]

You already have both Tottenham Hale and South Tottenham stations which are obviously closer to the stadium than Tottenham Court Road too.

I think those would preclude it myself. I wasn't even studying the tube map when I made my comments.

The renaming of the station would be subject to the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act, 1939 Ch. xcvii. 2&3 Geo.6.

Local Street Naming and Numbering policy would apply and as the station is in the London Borough of Haringey, it would be their policy which applies in this case.

 

[TommyL4]

Emmm, if we leave aside sports, changing station names in accordance with commercial interest doesn't seem to be an odd thing for London Underground. Wasn't Brent renamed Brent Cross, after the shopping centre, in 1976? That's only 40 years from now.
The case with Overground stations may be a bit different, though...

 

[gazr]

I think a compromise (which should be paid for), would be to do like Kingston or Chislehurst, where a separate sign under the station name is put up, e.g. "Home of Tottenham Hotspur" with logos, etc.

 

[pdeaves]

I think a compromise (which should be paid for), would be to do like Kingston or Chislehurst, where a separate sign under the station name is put up, e.g. "Home of Tottenham Hotspur" with logos, etc.

Like, for example, Altrincham on this page: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/stations/sponsoreda.shtm

 

[Wirewiper]

Renaming Gillespie Road to Arsenal was a special case, and was justified on the grounds of the club moving to a completely new location. Otherwise I don't think stations should be named after football/sports clubs, unless of course they are new stations.

 

[cjp]

No!

Like Syon Lane station, and others, it is on a highway of the same name

 

[BanburyBlue]

St Johns Wood -> Middlesex, Oval -> Surrey, Stratford -> West Ham United, Canons Park -> Barnet

And, obviously, St John's Wood, Oval, Wembley Park and Twickenham could become England on a temporary basis when they host internationals. Wembley Park and Tottenham Hotspur could be named after the 'home' NFL team when gridiron visits in the 'fall'. North Greenwich could be named after whatever's on at the O2, etc, etc.

Tottenham Hotspur isn't a bad name for the station (unlike the ideas I list above) - it's in Tottenham, and it's the one for the football stadium - both are conveyed: area and main reason for it. Confusion with the terribly named 'Tottenham Court Road' station should be solved by renaming the central London station. However, there's a cost to change things - and the business that pays millions each month on wages for a team that lost to Southampton can clearly pay the relatively small amount to change things.

It's the arrogance that gets me. There is more to White Hart Lane than Spurs!!

 

[si404]

Like Syon Lane station, and others, it is on a highway of the same name

Which is a terrible way to name stations (though there are worse examples than this). Where on White Hart Lane is it at? The middle? The High Road (A1010) end? or the High Road (A105) end? I don't want to go "7 White Hart Lane, that must be near the station" and take the train to White Hart Lane station, when the place I want to go to turns out to be a 40 minute/just shy of 2 mile walk away in Wood Green.

There is more to White Hart Lane than Spurs!!

Indeed - Wood Green!

And there's more to the area served by the station than one single road...

It could really do with a rename to something with 'Tottenham' in the name - both to be broad enough to include reference to a wider area than just one road, and to exclude parts of said road that aren't best served by the station. A less commercial differentiator like 'North' would be preferable to 'Hotspur', but 'Tottenham Hotspur' is a reasonable and usable name for the station that's better than the current one. If money can be extracted from Spurs, so much the better...

 

[adrock1976]

Has anyone thought about this hypothetical scenario that should if the station is renamed to Tottenham Hotspur and at some point in the future THFC had to go into liquidation (therefore becoming defunct), would that make the concept of naming stations after sports clubs a pointless exercise?

 

[si404]

Has anyone thought about this hypothetical scenario that should if the station is renamed to Tottenham Hotspur and at some point in the future THFC had to go into liquidation (therefore becoming defunct), would that make the concept of naming stations after sports clubs a pointless exercise?

It's more likely that the titular 'Bank' becomes defunct.

 

[DavidGrain]

We all know that sports clubs move over time. Arsenal used to play at Woolwich. Millwall no longer play at Millwall, Everton used to play at Anfield (and just to complicate matters Liverpool used to be called Everton FC). So naming stations after clubs could be a self defeating exercise.

Coventry Arena Station is next to the Ricoh Arena but I don't think trains stop there when there is a match on as single car 153s cannot handle the crowds.

 

[AndyHudds]

We all know that sports clubs move over time. Arsenal used to play at Woolwich. Millwall no longer play at Millwall, Everton used to play at Anfield (and just to complicate matters Liverpool used to be called Everton FC). So naming stations after clubs could be a self defeating exercise.

Coventry Arena Station is next to the Ricoh Arena but I don't think trains stop there when there is a match on as single car 153s cannot handle the crowds.

There is also a good chance Coventry City could move away from the Ricoh.

 

[AndyHudds]

It's the arrogance that gets me. There is more to White Hart Lane than Spurs!!

Whereas you are correct but WHL is exclusively associated with Tottenham Hotspur whether you like it or not. Say WHL to anyone and most people will instantly think of Tottenham Hotspur.

 

[Lucan]

Whereas you are correct but WHL is exclusively associated with Tottenham Hotspur whether you like it or not.

Am I, as a non-football fan, the only one put off the station by this proposal? I just checked and see that WHL station is not exclusively associated with Tottenham Hotspurs, which would imply that the only station exit would be to their grounds.

Say WHL to anyone and most people will instantly think of Tottenham Hotspur.

In which case what is the point of renaming it? If it is just for the money, where does it stop? Naming every station after a wealthy local business? "Reading" becomes "Microsoft"? It is different for a station built specifically for a company, like Redcar British Steel and IBM.

 

[AndyHudds]

Am I, as a non-football fan, the only one put off the station by this proposal? I just checked and see that WHL station is not exclusively associated with Tottenham Hotspurs, which would imply that the only station exit would be to their grounds.
In which case what is the point of renaming it? If it is just for the money, where does it stop? Naming every station after a wealthy local business? "Reading" becomes "Microsoft"? It is different for a station built specifically for a company, like Redcar British Steel and IBM.

Not saying it should be and personally I don't agree with it but unfortunately WHL is exclusively linked to Tottenham Hotspur. If Tottenham Hotspur didn't exist WHL wouldn't have any significance whatsoever in the wider world.

 

[Mikey C]

Not saying it should be and personally I don't agree with it but unfortunately WHL is exclusively linked to Tottenham Hotspur. If Tottenham Hotspur didn't exist WHL wouldn't have any significance whatsoever in the wider world.

WHL station would still exist though without the football ground. I imagine it gets a reasonable number of commuter traffic

 

[tbtc]

In which case what is the point of renaming it? If it is just for the money, where does it stop?

To make public transport more attractive by having stations named after the things that people will want to travel there for? I'm surprised that this is such an alien concept on the thread.

For example, when a new station opened in Sheffield in 1990 it was named "Meadowhall" after the shopping centre - it's not a station exclusively for the shopping centre - you can use it without going into any shops.

To be pedantic it should probably have been called Wincobank or Tinsley (the traditional residential area of Meadowhall is over the other side of the M1 in Rotherham), but they named the station after what most people will be travelling there for (doesn't matter greatly to locals what you call their nearest station because they'll use it regardless, so makes sense to name it after the reason why people will be travelling *to* it).

Same goes for the "University" station in Birmingham - you don't have to be a Student to use it - but it makes more sense to name it after the reason why people would travel towards it than name it after the nearest residential area or a local road.

Plenty of stations have been named this way - e.g. Nelson in Lancashire was named after a pub - regardless of football affiliations I'm all for the idea of naming a station after the market that it serves (which is obviously very different to corporate sponsorship of things where the business suggested on this thread isn't the prime destination).

(I say all of this as a football fan - but not a Spurs fan - I just think that there will be thousands of football supporters potentially looking for the football ground - especially given the large number of "tourists" at Premier League games - why not make the station name more user-friendly?)

 

[AndyHudds]

WHL station would still exist though without the football ground. I imagine it gets a reasonable number of commuter traffic

Bit otherwise be an insignificant station with a lot less use. Let's be honest over 50 per cent of its weekly traffic August to May will be football related.

 

[DavidGrain]

University Station in Birmingham also serves the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and as a regular user of that station I have noticed that many passenger arriving there make an onward journey by bus as I used to do before I moved house.

The Hawthorns is named after the West Bromwich Albion ground which in turn was named after whatever garden centres were called back in those day which specialised in selling different species of hawthorn trees. The original station was a halt which was only served by trains when there was a match on. The present station was opened when the line north of Birmingham Snow Hill was reopened and now serves both the railway and the West Midlands Metro trams and is advertised as a Park and Ride station but does have local passengers for the surrounding residential and industrial area.