KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — In a powerful and symbolic tribute to a golden era of Caribbean cricket, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has officially renamed the iconic Double Decker Stand at Arnos Vale Stadium in honor of the West Indies Men’s Cricket Team that won the inaugural Cricket World Cup in 1975.
The renaming, unveiled during a celebratory ceremony on Sunday night, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the West Indies’ historic triumph at Lord’s and now forever rebrands the structure as “The Legends Stand.”
Cricket royalty gathers to celebrate the legacy
In a scene befitting the moment, several members of the legendary 1975 team were in attendance—Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Sir Andy Roberts, Deryck Murray, Alvin Kallicharan, and Collis King—all invited as honored guests by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
They graced the nation’s four-day Emancipation Cricket Festival, a vibrant celebration that featured a four-team T20 tournament, a commemorative ceremony, a panel discussion on “Cricket as a Public Good”, and mentorship interactions with aspiring male and female cricketers in the national pathway programme.
Gonsalves: “This team brought glory to us as a people”
In his address, Prime Minister Gonsalves underscored that this renaming was far more than ceremonial—it was a declaration of cultural pride and historical reverence.
“The Double Decker Stand will officially be named The Legends Stand, in honour of 1975,” Gonsalves declared to a rousing reception.
“Sir Clive Lloyd was a tremendous leader… he changed the way the game was played and set a standard so high that the world looked on and admired his brilliance and his cricket wisdom,” he continued.
“This team brought glory to us as a people, and we must always celebrate their achievements and their accomplishments.”
A lasting tribute in steel, soul, and stamps
More than a structure, The Legends Stand now stands as a permanent monument to Caribbean excellence, a towering reminder overlooking the pitch of what unity, skill, and belief can achieve on the world stage.
In addition to the renaming, the government conferred citizenship upon the attending cricket legends, and their legacies have been further immortalized on Eastern Caribbean $50 commemorative stamps—a first-of-its-kind honor for the team.
Inspiring the next generation of Caribbean champions
This is the first time a stadium stand has been named in honor of the 1975 West Indies team, and the selection of the largest and most popular stand at Arnos Vale reinforces its cultural significance.
Now known as The Legends Stand, it will forever echo with the cheers of the past and the aspirations of the future—fueling young cricketers across the Caribbean with dreams of once again conquering the cricketing world.
