Who killed Regis Le Bridge? How did Sunderland’s new bridge end up with the name almost nobody wanted

The People’s Champion: Regis Le Bridge

Regis Le Bridge, a playful pun on Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris, was by far the funniest and most popular name put forward by the public. Thirty three people suggested naming the bridge after the celebrated Sunderland manager.

Keel Crossing, one of three names shortlisted and the eventual winner in a public vote, didn’t even feature in the top five. In fact, only five people thought it worthy of a suggestion.

Oddly, none of the three shortlisted names (Keel Crossing, Wear Crossing and Beacon Bridge) even cracked the top five most popular ideas.

In the case of Regis Le Bridge, it was coshed, weighted with bricks and deposited into the Wear with barely a ripple on the surface.

Here’s what you could have won...

So what other names met the same quiet garrotting behind closed doors? As Bullseye’s Jim Bowen used to tell losing contestants before revealing the star prize they’d just lost: ‘Here’s what you could have won…’

As well as Regis Le Bridge and the inevitable Bridgey McBridgeface, the public also suggested Bridge over the River Niall, The Wearwolf, The Catwalk, Sunder Wonder and even Wear the Wild Things Are. For the linguistic scholars Pons Bedae was put forward (that’s Latin for Bede’s Bridge apparently); for historians: the Australind Bridge, named after the last ship to be built in Sunderland. Clever and poignant? Yes. Shortlisted? No.

Too many Keels spoil the broth

Granted, the word Keel appears in the suggested bridge names 65 times, but Vaux - the famous old city brewery - has more than double that (it features 160 times) but somehow failed to make the shortlist.

Famous names also met a grisly fate at the hands of the shortlisting committee.

Joseph Swan, the Sunderland-born inventor of the light bulb, was there alongside naval hero Jack Crawford, royalty like King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth, shipbuilder William Pile, saintly Benedict Biscop, and even George Washington. All throttled at birth.

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising omission from the list (obtained from the city council after a Freedom of Information request) is one that goes to the heart of the community.

Bradley Lowery, the boy whose battle with cancer and affinity to the football club captured Wearside hearts, didn’t make the shortlist despite his name being put forward 28 times.

So how did we end up with Keel Crossing, a name so common in Sunderland it’s in danger of becoming a joke?

‘Where can I find Keel Crossing? Well, just go past the Keel Line, in Keel Square, you know, next to Keel Edge, as if you’re on your way down Keel Lane before heading to the Keel Tavern. Can’t miss it. You can see boats from there. Particularly the keel part of the boats.’

Too many Keels and suddenly it’s the Monty Python ‘Spam’ sketch - only everything’s Keel.

Strangled in the cul-de-sac

Would an original name be too much to ask? Apparently so.

There’s a famous quote that goes: ‘Committees are cul-de-sacs down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.’ In this case, it was practically a mission statement.

Regis Le Bridge was put in concrete boots and unceremoniously dumped into the Wear by council-appointed assassins - along with dozens of more popular and imaginative names.

Next time you’re near Keel Crossing, listen carefully - that faint wail from the depths? Those are ghosts of the people’s choices, still wondering what might have been.

For the record, here’s the Top 10 most popular name suggestions put forward by the public:

1. Regis Le Bridge — 33 suggestions

2. Bridge of Light — 28 suggestions

3. Bradley Lowery Bridge — 9 suggestions

4. Keel Bridge — 8 suggestions

5. Bede Bridge — 6 suggestions

6. Black Cat Walk — 5 suggestions

7. Bridgey McBridgeface — 5 suggestions

8. Keel Crossing — 5 suggestions

9. Beacon Bridge — 4 suggestions

10. Joseph Swan Bridge — 4 suggestions

Top 10 most featured words across all suggestions

(Excluding "Bridge," "Walk," "Way," and "Walkway." Compound uses like "Keelwalk" or "Keelman" also excluded. Words like "Wear," "Wearside," and "Wearmouth" are counted separately. )

1. Vaux — 160+ appearances
2. Light — 125+ appearances
3. Bradley / Lowery / Lowry — 95+ appearances combined
4. Wear — 55+ appearances
5. Regis — 35+ appearances
6. Keel (standalone only) — 34 appearances
7. Stadium — 32+ appearances
8. Wearside — 30+ appearances
9. Swan / Swann / Sir Joseph Swan — 28+ appearances
10. Shipwright — 18+ appearances

[Note: This article was created using AI to assist in evaluating and ranking the 1,700 entries, with oversight by a human editor. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, discrepancies or omissions may still occur. ]

Read more: Here’s what they should have named the bridge...