What's in a name? History, identity, tradition but, crucially, not a ha'penny. News of Rangers' plans to turn a barren Govan landscape into the architectural equivalent of the Millennium Falcon has been met with widespread excitement and enthusiasm. Until a scan of the small print uncovered the catch: Ibrox Stadium may be no more.

It's amazing what a bit of corporate branding can do to the blood pressure. Supporters' websites - those paragons of truth and decency - have been overburdened with indignant posts to the effect that Sir David Murray, in his 20th anniversary year, is selling out by contemplating a sponsorship tie-up that may necessitate a new name above the B-listed facade.

Football is the last bastion of such narrow-mindedness. Golf, American football, tennis and every other major sport in the world has embraced the world of commercialism. Heck, these days, boxers are as likely to have a sponsor's logo shaved into their head or an advertisement tattooed on to their back as they are of wearing trunks that would have the Marquess of Queensberry birling in his grave.

Football has been reluctant to have its integrity sullied by turning bricks and mortar into one big, profitable billboard; an ironic stance for a game mired in corruption allegations.

Of the £700m estimated to realise Murray's most ambitious plan yet, the vast majority will be generated with local council, lottery and private funding and tie-ins with various companies buying-in to the "Rangers Village" vision.

Murray is expected to hold a media conference in the next fortnight outlining in greater details his plans for redeveloping Ibrox and its surrounding area. Renaming the stadium is not a certainty but, in a wider context, it has proved to be a necessary evil.

Arsenal have overcome a cursed settling-in period at their new home, the Emirates Stadium, while Wigan Athletic, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers have sought to keep pace with the modern trends by lending a sports store, a crisp company and a sports retail brand to their stadium names.

The trend has become increasingly popular across Europe, not least in the former Soviet Union where gas and oil companies have reinvested their billions in football clubs.

Would it be such an inconvenience if Ibrox was to be prefixed by a popular brand name? Celtic have long considered the possibility of doing just that at Celtic Park but have yet to go ahead for fear of a backlash.

Murray's intention is to build a multi-event arena fit to stage rock concerts and large-scale boxing matches. By 2012 - the anticipated completion date for the project - Walter Smith, who will soon achieve wrinkly rocker status, is more likely to be in the mosh-pit than the Rangers dug-out but it was stretching the PR spin to suggest the Rolling Stones may still be around to open the new complex.

One Hearts supporting colleague has been indignant at the positive coverage of Rangers' expansion plans, not least because of the scorn and scepticism surrounding Vladimir Romanov's £50m refurbishment of Tynecastle. While the £700m figure may be beefed-up for effect, convincing the public that Govan is ready for a five-star hotel and conference facility and Vegas-style razzmatazz has an element of fantasy attached to it. At least Romanov has prime land in the capital with which to generate interest and income.

Given the successful reinvention of the former Millennium Dome by the telecommunications giant, O2, perhaps their rival network, Orange, might try to exploit a controversial marketing opportunity...