West Ham United have suffered another blow at the end of a disappointing season with the news that telecommunications giant Vodafone have pulled out of a £20M naming rights deal for the London Stadium. It had been expected that the company would sign a six-year agreement with the Hammers but in an eleventh hour change of heart, company chiefs have decided to pull the plug on the deal.
 

In a statement Vodafone explained that the reason for this was because they had to assess their whole marketing strategy and this had nothing to do with the East London club being involved in a tax irregularity scandal alongside Newcastle United. Indeed, Vodafone were at pains to say that they had already decided to pull out before these stories emerged.
 

Should they eventually find a new sponsor, West Ham will not be the sole beneficiaries from any naming rights deal; the club would have to share the money with London E20 Stadium who are the company responsible for running the ground.