SAINTS have confirmed Langtree Park will be renamed the Totally Wicked Stadium after agreeing a five-year deal with the e-cigarette company.

Following much speculation, the change was confirmed by the club on Wednesday morning.

Saints said the “financial value of the sponsorship contract is the largest in the history of the club” but a largely negative response was emerging from dozens of supporters on social media as the Star went to press.

In confirming the change, chief executive Mike Rush said: “In modern day sport we all know that clubs can no longer survive on attendances and TV money, which people seem to think are the lifeblood of clubs.”

He added: “The stadium will sound quite young and a bit cool. To have a Totally Wicked Stadium, the kids will like it. It’s great for us. I think it shows the ambition of the club.”

Totally Wicked have sponsored the North Stand since 2013 and been a sponsor of the shirt since 2014.

The club said it is committed to supporting fans that wish to switch from smoking to vaping and has allowed fans to use e-cigarettes in the stadium following “government backed evidence which makes clear that vaping does not undermine the smoking ban”.

An independent review published by Public Health England last year concluded that e-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking and that there is no evidence that they act as a route into smoking.

However, the EU Tobacco Products Directive, which came into effect in May, placed advertising restrictions on e-cigs and stated all e-cigs and related packaging must be child proof.

