EFL club change name for first time in 149 years in unprecedented move

Excitement is building ahead of the EFL's big kick-off on August 14, and League Two side Crewe Alexandra will be sporting a completely different name when they take to the pitch this weekend.

Following an exciting first round of Carabao Cup action, the Championship, League One and League Two return to screens this week, as another thrilling EFL season is set to get underway.

Wolves kick off proceedings on Friday night with a home clash against Blackburn Rovers before 32 matches across the EFL take centre stage on Saturday.

Crewe are one of the teams looking to start the 2026/27 campaign with a bang when they travel to Crawley Town.

The Railwaymen have play-off ambitions on their mind after finishing in 11th place last term and have since added three players to their squad in a bid to gatecrash the top seven.

But it isn't just on the pitch where alterations have been made, as ahead of their clash against Crawley, their name will be changed for the first time in 149 years.

Crewe Aleksandr

To mark Compare the Market becoming the EFL's official partner for the 2026/27 season, Crewe Alexandra will be renamed to "Crewe Aleksandr", with Compare the Market’s famous meerkat becoming the face of the club for the opening week of the new EFL season.

A “Crewe Aleksandr” sign has been fitted at Crewe’s Mornflake Stadium, with club legend Dean Ashton pictured alongside Aleksandr (the meerkat) and fans of the club.

The EFL's partnership with Compare the Market celebrates what EFL fandom means to different clubs and communities across the pyramid, supporting local teams and fans who put the soul into football.

In response to this news, Ben Wright, Chief Commercial Officer at the EFL, said: "Compare the Market is one of the UK's most recognisable and trusted consumer brands, and we are delighted to welcome them as an Official Partner of the EFL.

"Their reach, profile and originality make them an excellent fit for our competitions and our Clubs.

“Renaming Crewe Alexandra as 'Crewe Aleksandr' is a light-hearted way to launch the partnership and gives supporters an early taste of the fun and creativity they can expect across all 72 Clubs throughout the season."

Other weird sponsorship stories in football

It's rare in the modern day to see a football club change its name, even if only temporarily.

Crewe are one of the founding members of the English Football League, and during their 149-year history, they have always been known as "Crewe Alexandra".

A name change is therefore unprecedented on the back of Compare the Market's sponsorship, but it isn't the only instance where a huge sponsor has stolen the headlines.

In 2005, Brighton fan Aaron Berry won Coca-Cola's "Win a Player" competition, securing £250,000 for the club.

Coca-Cola famously sponsored the Championship from 2004 to 2010, with the Seagulls using the £250,000 to sign then-19-year-old forward Colin Kazim Richards from Bury on a three-year contract, earning him the lasting nickname "The Coca-Cola Kid".

Stevenage also dominated the headlines when they began a two-year partnership with Burger King ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

The popular fast food chain paid just £50,000 to sponsor the League Two side before the 'Stevenage Challenge' was launched in October 2019, encouraging people to play as Stevenage on FIFA and upload their goals to social media to win food prizes.

During the two-week campaign, Stevenage were the most-played team on the game's career mode and more than 25,000 goals in the club's kit were shared online, showcasing the power of marketing at a team lower down the pyramid.