Arnie's name removed from stadium

Officials in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Austrian hometown quietly removed his name from a football stadium overnight, complying with the California governor’s demand in a bitter dispute over his death penalty stance.

Authorities removed the large metal letters spelling out the action star-turned-politician’s name from the 15,300-seat stadium in the southern city of Graz, taking advantage of the Christmas lull to avoid attracting attention.

Schwarzenegger had written to the mayor of Graz a week ago asking that his name be removed after local activists called for the stadium to be renamed because of Schwarzenegger’s refusal to block the December 13 execution of killer Stanley Tookie Williams in California.

The governor, turning the tables on his critics, ordered his name removed and said he was returning a ring of honour that Graz officials gave him in 1999.

With the Hollywood star’s name gone, the sign atop the stadium in Graz, about 120 miles south of Vienna, read simply: “Stadium Graz Liebenau”.

Officials had renamed the arena in Schwarzenegger’s honour in 1997.