Southampton council has 'no plans' to change Itchen Bridge name

The bridge, which links Woolston to Southampton city centre, opened on 1 June 1977

A council has said it has no plans to rename a bridge in honour of a former football manager.

Southampton City Council was petitioned to change the name of the Itchen Bridge to The Lawrie McMenemy Bridge.

Mr McMenemy managed Southampton FC for 12 years and "put the football club on the map", according to one fan.

But a report for the council's cabinet said, despite being "respectful" of his achievements, the authority was not minded to rename the bridge.

It said the Itchen Bridge was named by an Act of Parliament and a new one would be required to rename it.

"It is also common practice not to name streets and highway structures such as bridges after living people," it added.

It comes two months after the city council's court leet - a civic tradition where the authority takes recommendations from residents.

Nick Illingsworth used the opportunity to campaign for the name change to honour the 87-year-old Mr McMenemy, who managed the club when it won the FA Cup in 1976.

He said: "Both as manager of Southampton FC and also other roles within the club, but also with his work on television and the media, he was the face of Southampton and never missed an opportunity to champion not only the football club itself.

"In 2007, he was made a Freeman of The City, a great honour, but as he celebrates 50 years in Southampton, it is surely a sad thing that there is nothing in the city itself commemorating a man who has done so much for the area."

The city council agreed to hear Mr Illingsworth's representation, as they did with several other residents who attended court leet on 3 October.