EFL club changes its name for the first time in 149 years in a surprising move
Excitement is building as the EFL season gears up to kick off on August 14, and League Two’s Crewe Alexandra will be playing under a new name this weekend.
After the thrilling first round of the Carabao Cup, the Championship, League One, and League Two are back on TV this week, ready for another exciting EFL season.
Wolves will kick things off on Friday night at home against Blackburn Rovers, followed by 32 matches across the leagues on Saturday.
Crewe want to make a strong start to the 2026/27 season when they visit Crawley Town. Last season, they finished 11th and now, with three new players added, they’re eyeing a spot in the play-offs.
But the changes aren’t just on the field. For the first time in 149 years, Crewe Alexandra will be renamed for their game against Crawley.
To celebrate Compare the Market coming on board as the EFL’s official partner for the season, Crewe will be called “Crewe Aleksandr” — inspired by Compare the Market’s famous meerkat, who will also be the club’s mascot for the opening week.
A new “Crewe Aleksandr” sign has been put up at their Mornflake Stadium, and club legend Dean Ashton was spotted with Aleksandr the meerkat and some fans.
This partnership with Compare the Market shows how much EFL clubs and their fans matter, supporting local teams and the heart of football.
Ben Wright, Chief Commercial Officer at the EFL, shared his thoughts: “Compare the Market is a well-known and trusted brand in the UK, so we’re excited to have them as an Official Partner of the EFL. Changing Crewe Alexandra’s name to ‘Crewe Aleksandr’ is a fun way to start this partnership and gives fans a sneak peek of the creativity to come across all 72 clubs this season.”
It’s rare today to see a football club change its name, even just for a short time. Crewe, a founding member of the English Football League, has been called “Crewe Alexandra” for 149 years. So this name change is truly a special first, thanks to Compare the Market’s sponsorship.
Big sponsors have made headlines for lower-league clubs before. In 2005, Brighton fan Aaron Berry won Coca-Cola’s “Win a Player” contest, netting £250,000 for the club. Brighton used the money to sign 19-year-old forward Colin Kazim-Richards, who earned the nickname “The Coca-Cola Kid.” Coca-Cola also sponsored the Championship from 2004 to 2010.
Another fun example came in 2019, when League Two’s Stevenage teamed up with Burger King for two years. For just £50,000, Burger King sponsored the club and launched the ‘Stevenage Challenge’ on FIFA. Players were encouraged to score goals as Stevenage and share videos to win food prizes. In just two weeks, Stevenage became the most-played team in the game’s career mode, with over 25,000 goals shared online — showing how powerful clever marketing can be even for clubs lower down the leagues.