Chelsea FC

@ChelseaFC

, flying high in the Premier League this season, are next to grace the pitch at Portman Road. So, let's do them the honour and #GetTheBadgeIn.

Their first crest, adopted when the club was founded, featured a Chelsea Pensioner, symbolising the British Army veterans residing at the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea. This design, which inspired the club’s original nickname, “The Pensioners,” was used for 50 years but never appeared on the team’s shirts (most clubs didn't bother with a badge on their shirts at the time).

In 1952, manager Ted Drake sought to modernise the club and replaced the pensioner crest. In 1953, a new design was introduced: a blue lion holding an abbot's staff, adorned with red roses representing England and footballs. This crest, with some adaptations over the years, remains the badge used today.

Before we delve into its meaning, let’s salute the service of the pensioners who gave the team its first nickname:

The Chelsea Pensioners are British Army veterans residing at the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea, a historic institution founded in 1681 by King Charles II. The hospital building is another masterpiece by Sir Christopher Wren, who also designed St Paul’s Cathedral and rebuilt much of London after the Great Fire. The veterans themselves are instantly recognisable by their striking scarlet uniforms and tricorn hats (these should be brought back into the regular military - they are awesome). These Pensioners embody military tradition and British heritage and are often seen walking the local streets and are regular attendees at Chelsea’s games.

Returning to the current badge, the blue lion originates from the coat of arms for the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea. The arms include a crozier (bishop’s staff), a boar’s head, a stag’s head, and a lion. The lion, chosen for the badge, represents Earl Cadogan, the first mayor of Chelsea (why didn't they go for the boar!?).

The Cadogan family, with their noble heritage, still own much of Chelsea’s property through the Cadogan estate. Their ancestor, Sir Hans Sloane, was a renowned scientist and explorer who was President of the Royal Society (he was succeeded by some chap called Isaac Newton). He was a keen collector of scientific and cultural trinkets - he left over 71,000 items on his death that became the foundation for the British Library, The British Museum and the London Natural History Museum. His name remains prominent in landmarks like Sloane Square. However, most importantly, Hans is also credited with introducing chocolate milk to England - after seeing something like it on his travels in the Caribbean.

A sweet CV.

There is also a Suffolk link here, as the Chelsea squad make their way up the A12 they will come close to Culford Park, a mind-bogglingly impressive stately home near Bury St Edmunds - which was bought by the Cadogans in the 1800s. Today it is the home to Culford School, one of the most prestigious boarding schools in England.

Back to the badge:

The badge’s lion holding a staff symbolises the Abbots of Westminster, who historically controlled Chelsea and collected rents to fund their monastic operations. As such, I feel it represents a shift in power in England. The lion, representing a family of property, science, and innovation, firmly holds the power of the church in its paws. Henry VIII would be proud.

What initially seemed like a simple badge reveals some of the best aspects of England’s past, a nod to the former power of the church, a lion that symbolises exploration, science and hot chocolate - and a club with a tradition of honouring veterans. Very noble indeed — though let’s hope they have a poor day out in Suffolk!