Southend United have come under fire for renaming one of their stands after serial killer Rose West - Credit: Southend United Football Club
National League side Southend United have come under fire for accidentally naming their stand after notorious serial killer Rose West.
Rose West, and her husband Fred, collaborated in the killing and torture of at least nine young women between 1973 and 1987.
But a massive blunder from Southend has seen the fifth-tier club caught in a mix-up, following the sale of the naming rights for Roots Hall’s West Stand.
Local estate agents Gilbert and Rose were announced as the sponsors for the western terrace, with the new name reading ‘Gilbert and Rose West Stand’.
The new Roots Hall stadium plan shows the 'Gilbert and Rose West Stand' - Credit: Southend United Football Club
It didn’t take long for eagle-eyed social media viewers to pick up on the gaffe, with the club now set to hold talks with the estate agents, as per a report from Sky News.
Things haven’t been easy for Southend in recent years, as they dropped out of the Football League following back-to-back relegations from League One and League Two.
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There had been concerns Southend would do the unthinkable and be relegated from the National League, after a disastrous start to the 2021/22 season saw them scratching around at the wrong end of the table.
A resurgence under new boss Kevin Maher helped ease the pressure, with Southend rocketing up the table.
Maher’s side kick off their 2022/23 National League campaign at home to Boreham Wood on Saturday afternoon, with many tipping the Shrimpers to have a successful season.
However, this mistake will no doubt cause an unwanted headache for Maher and his Southend players ahead of the opening weekend.
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