20 Of The Best Obsolete English Football Club Badges

Chris Wright

3rd, April 2013

14 Comments

By Chris Wright

In what is more than likely going to be our ‘Football Crests from Around the World, etc ‘ bit, we’re having a butcher’s at 20 now-obsolete English football crest that have been, by and large, replaced by inferior designs over the years…

1. Newcastle United

Pure 70’s bubble letter magic from Newcastle…

2. Chelsea

Sod the “camp lion and volleyballs” of the current vintage, Chelsea’s pre-1900 crest was properly ugly…

3. Leeds United

Don Revie’s gimmicky “smiley badge” positively reeked of the 1970s…

4. Blackpool 

While it’s a clear knock-off of the Nottingham Forest badge, substituting the Major Oak for the Blackpool Tower, we kind of like Blackpool’s go at modernising their crest in 1979…

5. Sheffield United

The Blades’ 1960s badge featured two butch guys in loin cloths and not a lot else. Nothing wrong with that of course…

6. Arsenal

Arsenal’s handsome 1950s badge was more angular than Gervinho’s hairline…

7. Wimbledon

Whatever happened to these guys?

8. Huddersfield Town

The Terriers went all literal in the 1970s…

9. Swindon Town

Used during the club’s maiden foray into the Premier League, Swindon’s “dynamic” 1990s logo looked like something you’d find on photocopier paper…

10. Everton

Prince Rupert’s Tower never looked so good…

11. Barnsley

Actually, come to think of it, Barnsley’s 1990s “Toby Tyke” crest was a bit naff…

12. Notts County

As featured upon one of the coolest football kits ever produced, County’s 1978 Adidas home strip

13. Portsmouth

Ooh, hello sailor!

14. Sheffield Wednesday

Looks suspiciously like the owl from Meg & Mog to us…

15. Arsenal (again)

So much better than the tripe they’ve got at the moment…

16. Bristol City

When the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbin’ along…

17. Leeds United (again)

Who knew Leeds had an owl on their badge once upon a time too? 1965 to be precise…

18. Queens Park Rangers

Again, QPR’s former crest was a hullabajillion times better than the ‘designed by executive committee’ garbage they have now…

19. Aston Villa

Yet another superior 1970s offering…

20. Chester FC

Anything with seals on wins as far as we’re concerned…

More in Pies’ Club Logos series…

25 Of The Best From The Old NASL
25 Of The Best From South American Football
25 Of The Best From African Football
25 Of The Best From Asian Football
25 Of The Best From Australian Football
22 Of The Best From Scotland, Wales And The Two Irelands