I'm tickled that Somerset and Gloucester fans are described as being 'not overly enamoured' by their Cardiff based team being called Welsh Fire. Perhaps they'd prefer the Cardiff based team to be called Scottish Shortbread's?
and this is the difficulty with the franchise model.... the Evening Standard article seems to want the existing county fans to associate with their 'local' franchise.... or assumes that they will......which of course they won't, so why the ES is commenting on their views regarding the name is beyond me. The ECB, have at least come clean and said that the 100 is not aimed at the existing cricket fans, so Somerset and Gloucester might be making a few quid from the 100 matches, but their fans won't give a stuff what the Cardiff based team is called, because their members will be watching Somerset seconds take on Gloucs seconds in the one day cup, if for no other reason than they get the tickets for it in their membership package
The Evening Standard may, similarly, expect me to declare an allegiance for the Leeds Superchargers....... but they'll be very disappointed if they do... why would I? My one association with Leeds is that I recently saw the Leeds based Opera North perform Aida at the Sage.