Football supporters can be really funny. The fact that this demonstration of wit can occur in a group setting is somewhat remarkable when you think about it.
Obviously there are normally one or two people leading the way, but the fact that the rest of the supporter base can soon cotton on to what’s being said or done is what makes it so special. For a time under Rafa Benítez, for example, Liverpool supporters would chant ‘Attack, attack, attack!’ in order to get their team to be more attacking. When a cat ran onto the pitch once, this changed to ‘A cat, a cat, a cat!’
That kind of witticism can be found up and down the country as supporters look to make an impression on what it is that is happening around them. It can be extended to coming up with amusing names for football stadiums that are a play on their original titles.
Some of these names can be well thought out and genuinely comedic, whilst other times they can simply be a bid silly or even crude. They are nicknames that are deserving of a special mention, which is what we’re doing here.
The Spaghettihad
In 1995, a joint venture between Meadowbank Thistle Football Club and the Livingston Development Corporation resulted in the building of Almondvale Stadium. As part of the deal, the football club change location and was renamed to become Livingston FC.
The football ground has boasted numerous different names over the years, even though most supporters have continued to refer to is as Almondvale rather than by one of its sponsored titles. One of the sponsors whose name did have at least some impact was Tony Macaroni.
I’m now an armchair fan of Livingston Football Club, after learning they play at the Tony Macaroni Arena, nicknamed ”The Spaghettihad”
— Jester mouse (@jestermouse.bsky.social) 2 September 2023 at 16:48
Tony Macaroni is a chain of restaurants based in Scotland, specialising in Italian cuisine. The company sponsored the Almondvale Stadium for nine season and the club’s shirts for 11 seasons, which came to an end ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.
The Italian link of the name resulted in supporters of Livingston referring to their stadium as the ‘Spaghettihad’, which was a play on the name of Manchester City’s stadium the Etihad. When the sponsorship deal with Tony Macaroni came to an end, supporters were devastated.
The Emptyhad
Speaking of Manchester City’s home ground, it is also one that has been given a nickname. Whereas the Livingston fans were very much in on the joke when it came to the idea of calling the club’s home ground ‘the Spaghettihad’, it is fair to say that Cityzens have never been as keen on the nickname given to their ground by rival supporters.
The name is in reference to the fact that the stadium is sponsored by Etihad Airways and is rarely full on match days, owing to the fact that it is bigger than Manchester City’s supporter base.
@football_fc255 #fypシ゚viral #viral #football #deadatmosphere ♬ original sound – Squickling
The club was bought by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates in 2008 as part of the country’s sports-washing project to cover for its poor human rights record. As a result, the club began to achieve success far beyond Manchester City’s previous abilities, meaning that the number of people wanting to attend matches is far outstripped by the size of the stadium.
During the vast majority of matches there are usually a wealth of empty seats inside the ground, hence the nickname of ‘the Emptyhad’.
Old Toilet
Some nicknames are really clever and funny, with the ‘Spaghettihad’ being an excellent example of that. It is witty and clever and makes use of the real sponsor as well as the name of another football ground elsewhere. Some nicknames are cutting, as we can see from the ‘Emptyhad’ name given to the home of Manchester City. After all, if the supporters of the team that play in the ground don’t like it being called that then it’s fair to say that you have touched a nerve.
Some nicknames, though, are just silly and immature.
Ready to destroy that useless club of Manchester at old toilet 🚽 pic.twitter.com/dDb3Ln0a75
— Spina kicks🥇 (@Spinaaaaa17) September 4, 2022
Step forward ‘Old Toilet’, the nickname given to the home ground of Manchester United by some rival fans. United are the country’s second-most successful club after their fierce rivals Liverpool, but that doesn’t stop some supporters of other clubs being quick to disrespect them and their achievements.
That is precisely what is done when Old Trafford is referred to as ‘Old Toilet’, using the kind of nickname that a five-year-old would come up with to cut the club to its core. Add in the fact that it is in a state of disrepair nowadays and that makes it even worse.