/ 11 August 2010

Court allows FNB to keep naming right to Soccer City

A court has ruled in favour of letting First National Bank (FNB) keep the naming rights to the football stadium where the opening match and final of the Soccer World Cup were played.

FNB spokesperson Derek Carstens said on Wednesday the 94 000-seat Soccer City will revert to its pre-World Cup name of FNB stadium.

Carstens says the bank was granted the right to have full naming rights for a period of 10 years, till July 2014. In compliance with Fifa requirements, the bank agreed to change the name for the duration of the World Cup.

A legal battle ensued when a company managing the arena named it as the National Stadium after the tournament, but the South Gauteng High Court ruled in FNB’s favour on Wednesday. — Sapa-AP