I asked TFL about Gillespie Rd Station...

[Mr-T]

I did this a little while ago but didn't get round to posting it til today. I know this issue irks some Spurs fans so after reading an article I saw on BBC where someone wanted Shoreditch renamed Banglatown, I thought it a good idea to remind TFL of the absurdity of 'arsenal' station.

Anyway, my email and the response are pasted below:

Dear TFL,
Following a BBC news article I saw at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7411512.stm I was pleased to see TFL's response to naming the forthcoming Shoreditch High St station 'Banglatown'. "It is important that a station name takes into account the street or the official name of its area, as recorded on official maps" was the response.
>
> Therefore can you tell me when Arsenal station will be reverted back to Gillespie Road? In line with your own station naming criteria, the area around Gillespie Road has never been officialy named Arsenal on any maps, and furthermore the football team whose name was given to the station (despite their name originating from Woolwich) have moved nearer to Holloway Road station.
>
> I'd also like to know that if/when Gillespie Rd gets its correct name back, will Holloway Rd station then be renamed Arsenal and if so, under what criteria?
>
> Thanks in advance...

Here's the response.

Dear Mr-T

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your enquiry about Arsenal Underground station. Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in replying to you.

In 1932 following significant pressure from the then Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman, the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) agreed to the renaming of Gillespie Road Underground station to the now well recognised Arsenal Underground station.

Since then, and the inception of London Underground Limited, policies have changed and the associated costs of renaming a station have also massively increased. While local features may have been a deciding factor in the naming of stations previously, we stand by the concept of naming stations by taking into account street name or geographical location.

To candidly answer your question, at this time we have no current plans to revert the name of Arsenal station back to Gillespie Road. You may be pleased to hear though, that as part of the station refurbishment, the original tiling on the platform which identifies the station as Gillespie Road has been fully restored.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Yours sincerely

---------------------------------------

So there we have it - TFL unwilling to practice what they preach - tossers!

 

[TheChosenOne]

Nice try though.

 

[wildheart]

I remember signing a petition for this when the Goons first moved.

Nowt was done about that either.

One day.

 

[General Levy]

Nice try though.

+1

 

[TheChosenOne]

The whole thing is a arse farce really.

1. Arsenal underground is now defunct.
2. Drayton Park is underneath the shadow of The Immigrants yet Health & Safety won't let them use it on matchdays
3. Holloway Rd - ditto 'cos of the lifts.
4. Highbury & Islington.... nice trek for Goons !

Well thought out and considerate to the neighbours too.

 

[michaelden]

Yeah but if Air Emirates pays 50mil they'll rename it Emirates Station in a flash.

money talks and bullshiters support arsenal ;-)

 

[General Levy]

The whole thing is a arse farce really.

1. Arsenal underground is now defunct.
2. Drayton Park is underneath the shadow of The Immigrants yet Health & Safety won't let them use it on matchdays
3. Holloway Rd - ditto 'cos of the lifts.
4. Highbury & Islington.... nice trek for Goons !

Well thought out and considerate to the neighbours too.

Have you heard of Finsbury Park?:shrug:

 

[nightgoat]

Er, who really cares?... It's a tube station... :shrug:

 

[craig4589]

Have you heard of Finsbury Park?:shrug:

Something to do with a dodgy mosque?

 

[General Levy]

Something to do with a dodgy mosque?

Religion_LOL

 

[craig4589]

I want to know how they make up that it costs £2million to rename a tube station........are they being serious?

Give me £1million and I bet I can do the job and have enough left over for a nice holiday, a spurs season ticket and a few good nights out to say the least.

 

[camaj]

They've got to redesign the map and reprint hundreds of things, not to mention the signs on the station

 

[craig4589]

Still £2million!

To me it stinks of this modern form of government where money is spent on silly things and everything is overpriced simply because it can be.

No doubt a good portion of the money is spent "consulting" in a big hotel with lots of cake and drink, just because....

 

[Adam456]

Whilst I do think that TFL, like virtually all government-run entities, are a bunch of lazy wasters I would say, on this occasion that there are a lot of things to do to re-name a station. Think about all of the Piccadilly Line station signs that have a list of the stops, train carriages with the Piccadilly Line in full, then the station itself, nearby road signs, tube maps of many varieties and you can see how it starts to add up.

They should still do it, however, to wipe the scum from the map. Of course, if they want to put another 20th century scandal right then they should also relegate them

 

[nightgoat]

I want to know how they make up that it costs £2million to rename a tube station........are they being serious?

Bureaucracy... And anything that involves top level people from TFL there'll be people being paid 6 figure sums for doing next to nothing...

 

[jleigh]

As expected then lol

 

[TheChosenOne]

Have you heard of Finsbury Park?:shrug:

Of course I have heard of Finsbury Park I used to live in North London many years ago. There is a Gooners shop and a mosque, I had my wedding reception in the now defunct Alexander Hotel way back in 1976. I saw a band called Queen and many other gigs at the Rainbow.

I'm only going by what Arsenal fans have told me.
The Arsenal site says H&I and FP are both approx 10 mins away.