Bid to rename Southampton Airport after footballer
25.05.08
A petition on social network website Facebook to rename Southampton Airport after the city's most famous footballer is gaining pace, with over 1100 fans backing a bid to change the airport's name to Matt Le Tissier International in honour of the former Saints midfielder.
The football fans have are so enthusiastic about the idea of renaming the airport that they have even mocked up motorway signs directing drivers to the newly named site. Despite airport bosses saying they have no plans to rename it, more than 300 fans have signed up to the petition in the last week.
The plan is the brainchild of Saints fan Jay Limburn. The 28-year-old software engineer said: ‘I can't believe how popular it is. Every time I look at the site, more and more people have joined it. It just goes to show how highly people in Southampton think of Le Tissier and what a great player he was.’
If the petition is successful, Le Tissier would join an exclusive list of celebrities to have airports named after them. They include John Lennon (Liverpool), George Best (Belfast City), Charles De Gaulle (Paris), John F Kennedy (New York) and even medieval folklore hero Robin Hood (Doncaster).
However Matt, who married last Monday, said of the plans: ‘I find it quite bizarre. I have been very honoured in this town. There is a block of flats named after me and, for a little while, a pub. I think the airport might be taking things a little far.’
A Southampton Airport spokeswoman said that there were no plans to rename the airport, but Jay said: ‘BAA don't seem to be interested, but so many people are backing the idea that they will have to listen to us sooner or later.’
You can see the campaign here, although you will need to register with Facebook first.
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