A businessman has told Beyond Radio how a conversation about socks led to Morecambe Football Club's ground being renamed.
Morecambe man Craig Smith, managing director at Mazuma Mobile, said he initially offered to sponsor the players' socks - but instead his company was given the chance to sponsor the stadium itself.
The Globe Arena has now been renamed the Mazuma Stadium and Craig could not be more proud.
The former West End Primary and Morecambe High School pupil spoke about his link to the football club during an in-depth interview with Beyond Radio about his life and career.
LISTEN TO OUR INTERVIEW with Craig Smith:
In Part 1 he talks about his early life and career, and how he moved up the ranks of business:
In Part 2 he talks about the Mazuma Stadium, current projects, how the companies came through the Covid lockdowns, and his love of the local area.
Craig was asked about the re-naming of Morecambe FC's ground.
"We've been involved with the football club on and off for years, I'm a football fan myself," he said.
"I went to see (co-chairman) Rod Taylor and a few of the guys, and said, we want to do something positive, we're a big employer.
"Jokingly I said, can we be on the socks?
"I remember them saying yeah, we could be on the socks, or we could be on the shorts, or the back of the shirt.
"Then somebody said you could sponsor the ground, we could change it from the Globe (Arena)!
"I remember saying wow, I literally did come in thinking we might get on the socks! Now we're suddenly going to change the stadium.
"When you drive down the road and see the football club, to see Mazuma on there, lit up at night, I think that's fantastic.
"We're really proud."
Mazuma Mobile, based in the Old Reebok building on the White Lund estate, is one of the UK’s best-rated and largest mobile phone recycling service providers.
It has recently been shortlisted in the Secondary Market Provider category of the Mobile News Awards.
Craig also runs ICT Reverse, a tech asset disposal and data erasure company, from the Old Reebok building.
ICT is currently working with Lancaster University on a bioleaching programme to extract precious metals from the components of products they receive for recycling.
Craig is pictured below on the ICT Reverse factory floor.
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