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Greenland. It’s been in the news a bit lately. But away from the rantings and ravings of unhinged world leaders, the local people – currently a population of 56,000 – have a fascinating past and, by the sounds of it, a pretty exciting future too. In and amongst all of this is the story of its national football team. While Greenland operates in a similar fashion to the Faroe Islands, in that it is an autonomous territory within Denmark, it is not – like the Faroe Islands are – registered with FIFA and therefore does not compete at national level. This is a bitter shame, and I feel if Gibraltar and co. can compete with the big boys, seeing Greenland in European qualifiers would do a lot to raise awareness of their nation and identity. Which may become more important going forward… So instead, they have had to make do with playing a series of unofficial friendlies against Danish and Swedish teams, and other nations without FIFA standing. In 2003 they pummeled the Channel Island of Sark 16–0, although the British Isles got their revenge in 2017 when the Isle of Man defeated the Greenlanders 6–0. But onto the badge – and their unfortunately named Football Association (Kalaallit Arsaattartut Kattuffiat) – or KAK for short… and perhaps more encouragingly, their absolute beauty of a home shirt made by Hummel. So, let’s give ourselves a bit of context. Greenland: 80% covered by (rapidly melting) ice sheets. It has seen various waves of migrants arrive on its shores and have a good go at eking out a living amongst the extreme cold and harsh climate – most failed. The earliest settlements date back four and a half thousand years. The more modern visitors came from the Vikings, when Gunnbjörn Ulfsson is said to have been blown off course while sailing back from Iceland and ended up on its shores. Greenland’s highest mountain is today called Gunnbjørn Fjeld in his honour. Upon returning to Norway he told tales of his discovery, and in 982 Erik the Red set off to settle the place. He tried several times, with dozens of ships being lost in the process. He is credited with coining the name “Greenland” in a bid to drum up interest in launching future journeys there – a nice bit of early boosterism for the island that has stuck. Erik’s son, Leif Erikson, would later go on to become the first European to set foot in the Americas when he established a settlement in what is today Newfoundland, Canada. Alas, the Vikings’ settlements did not last more than a few generations and in around 1200, peoples from North America arrived from the opposite direction and settled the island more permanently. These people, known as the Inuit, became the long-term residents of the island. They survived through small-scale farming and seasonal hunting parties into the north of the island. They would return with tusks and hides from caribou, narwhals and polar bears. Fats, meats, ivory and furs were exported from their growing capital, Nuuk. During this time, the Danish mostly forgot about their Greenland colony of Norsemen – who had largely died out by this point anyway. As the northern hemisphere entered its ‘Little Ice Age’ between roughly 1400–1800, the seas leading to Greenland became too littered with icebergs to make exploration safe. A fire in the Copenhagen record office also destroyed many of the records relating to Greenland, so their possessions there slipped into myth and folklore. Yet in the 1700s, the Danish sent out missions led by churchman Hans Egede to reconnect with their former colonists. Upon arrival, they were disappointed to find their Norse cousins had not survived and had been replaced by the Inuit. Not to be put off, the Danish stayed, converted the locals, and brought the island back into Denmark’s sphere of influence. So – with that brief run-down of Greenland’s history, let’s move onto that beautiful home shirt. The red and white flag of Greenland represents the island’s icy landscape and surrounding sea. The white stands for the ice cap, the red for the ocean, and the circle shows the sun over the horizon, while the colours also reflect Greenland’s historic link with Denmark. And so red is the colour of the Greenland national team. Etched into the fabric and sleeves is a pattern featuring three key elements of Greenland and Inuit culture: tupilaks, tuukkaqer spearheads and avittar patterns. The tupilaks – those slightly spooky, head-like figures – are small carvings made from bone, antler or driftwood. They were once created for spiritual or protective purposes, and today their bold designs still carry that sense of Arctic mystery. The tuukkaqer – the arrow-shaped forms – are traditional spearheads used by Inuit hunters in harsh Arctic conditions. Hunting walruses across shifting ice sheets is not for the faint-hearted, and having a tuukkaqer by your side would have been essential. The whole shirt takes these two icons and weaves them into a repeating avittar pattern, the name for the traditional woven designs found in Greenland’s national dress. It is, I think you’ll agree, a thing of rare beauty – and someone soon needs to give Greenland the funding it needs to build and maintain a FIFA-level playing surface to get this ancient, proud and hardy people competing with the big boys of Europe. Before they stick you with a tuukkaqer.

This one involves a Thai restaurant in Harwich and a caravan parked just outside Great Yarmouth… There is a football club from one of the most picturesque towns in England. Set in the rolling hillsides of the Cotswolds, it has Roman roots, medieval churches and the feel of an old mill town. It’s beautiful. And sometimes people still mock it. But they really shouldn’t. This club is, of course, Forest Green Rovers. And they’re the next #GetTheBadgeIn. So first — Harwich, Essex. 9 July. The Half Moon Inn (now a Thai restaurant called Thai up on the Quay ). Edward Peach is born. His father had served as an engineer on HMS Simoon , an iron-screw troop ship used during the Crimean War. Peach grows up, enters the Church and becomes a Congregational minister. He eventually settles in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. There, in 1889, he sets up a football team for local young men. He calls it Forest Green, after the area of Nailsworth where it is based. Early years are not glorious. In 1906–07 they finish on zero points (they did win a game, but lost two points for fielding an ineligible player). Progress comes slowly. There are local leagues, gradual improvements, and eventually real success: the FA Vase in 1981 and steady Conference football through the 1980s and 90s. Then, in 2010, things change. Dale Vince buys the club. Vince, originally from Great Yarmouth, had built a renewable energy company called Ecotricity. His arrival does not just mean new investment — it means a new direction. In 2011 the club updates its badge. The older design had taken inspiration from Barcelona, with tweaks in green, black and white. The new badge features a lion and a unicorn, along with the founding date of 1889. The colours settle firmly into green and black. But the biggest change is not cosmetic. Forest Green Rovers set out to become the greenest football club in the world — and they have the recognition to back it up. FIFA has described them as “the world’s greenest football club”, and they are the only club to hold Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) accreditation. Their home, The New Lawn, generates much of its own energy. Solar panels line the stadium roof. A solar tracker stands at the entrance. The club is powered by 100% green electricity. Electric vehicle charging points are installed for players and visitors, and a park-and-ride system helps cut congestion and emissions on matchdays. Their carbon footprint per spectator has fallen by 42% since the 2011/12 season. Overall emissions have decreased since 2017. Waste production has been reduced. Water is recycled. Even the cooking oil from the kitchen is turned into biofuel. The pitch itself is a statement. It is the world’s first fully organic football pitch. No chemical pesticides. No artificial fertilisers. Rainwater is collected and reused. A solar-powered robotic mower — guided by GPS — trims the grass. The cuttings are given to local farmers to improve their soil. The surrounding land supports wildlife, including badgers and owls from nearby farmland. And then there is the food. Forest Green Rovers became the first fully vegan professional football club. Players and fans are served plant-based meals on matchdays. It was a bold move, but one that has reduced environmental impact and drawn global attention. Since 2010, average attendance has quadrupled. Media coverage has reached into the billions worldwide. The club also works closely with schools and the local community. Through its Ambassador Scheme and its Fit2Last programme, students learn about sport, health and sustainability. Players visit schools. Lessons are delivered on how small changes can have lasting impact. The club’s reach has spread far beyond Nailsworth. There are even plans for a new 5,000-seat wooden stadium as part of a larger eco-park — modern, sustainable and designed to push environmental thinking in football even further. Football clubs were once born out of mills, mines and railways. Forest Green Rovers were born in a mill town too. But today they reflect something more modern — an industry shaped by renewable energy, innovation and long-term thinking. From a minister in Nailsworth to solar panels on a stadium roof. From a caravan near Great Yarmouth to global recognition. Not bad for a club many once overlooked. #UpTheRovers 🌿

Kilmarnock. Damp air, heavy skies, long winters – and fantastic poetry. And, it would seem, squirrels. Not sure about the squirrels. Let’s go about twenty miles South-West of Glasgow to visit this town of around 50,000 souls and #GetTheBadgeIn to see what we can learn about them, their football team and those squirrels. On the pitch the team dates back to 1869 making them one of the oldest teams in Scotland and the oldest team currently in the SPL. They date back to the days when football hadn’t even been codified and everyone played it slightly differently, the Kilmarnock version initially looked very much like rugby league. Popularity grew and with it the desire to actually play other teams – the problem being everyone else was playing by different rules. A meeting at the George Hotel (which is today, sadly, a furniture store – see image) saw the team’s committee agree to purchase a rulebook for the traditional form of football and reform the team to compete  nationally. Today they still play at the aptly named ‘Rugby Park’ – which, as a interesting side note – was taken over by the military in the Second World War and used as a fuel depot – and was then rebuilt as a stadium using Italian prisoners of war. Not everyone can sing that. But since their creation back in the George Hotel they’ve been busy: Kilmarnock have won the Scottish Cup three times, been crowned league champions once in 1965, lifted the Scottish League Cup in 2012, and have regularly appeared in international competitions, including a bizarre appearance in the short-lived, US-based, ‘International Soccer League’. There they beat all their American rivals as well as defeating Bayern Munich and, the then English Champions, Burnley. They only lost in the final to Brazil’s Bangu. More recently they have been a long serving SPL team. Suffering relegation in 2021 but followed it by an immediate Championship title in 2022 and a return to the top tier. So that’s the club. From an East Ayrshire rugby field to American soccer success… but what then of the badge – and those bloody squirrels? Let’s dive deeper. The story starts with the name. Kilmarnock begins with cill, the Gaelic word for a church or burial ground. The second part of the name is generally linked to Saint Marnock (also recorded as Mernoc, Marnan, or Mo-Ernóc). Marnock was one of the Christians that brought the religion to Scotland. In AD 563 a bunch of Christian monks led by Saint Columba, set up camp on the Scottish island of Iona and built a monastery (see below). Using this as a sort of Forward Operating Base for their efforts to convert the locals on the mainland. Parties of missionaries sailed up and down the Scottish rivers and inlets setting up franchises where they could (and presumably running in terror from the heathen locals where they couldn’t…?). Marnock was one of those guys, and where he built his church (or ‘cill’) became known, today, as Church Marnock. Or Kilmarnock. Initially I assumed that cill came from Kirk – as in a Scottish Church – but apparently that is Norse in origin – not Gaelic. So, there you go. Cill it is. To tell the next chapter in this town’s history we need to ask the Boyd family to lend us a hand. Aha… the hand in the badge is associated with the Boyd family who were for centuries the Lords of Kilmarnock. The Boyd family first rose to prominence during the Battle of Largs in 1263, when Robert Boyd was tasked with clearing Viking forces from high ground overlooking the beach. As he set off, King Alexander III is said to have called out “Confido” (“I trust”), accompanied by a hand gesture that later became the Boyd clan motto and symbol. Boyd’s successful attack helped force a Norse retreat and contributed to the Viking defeat. In the following decades, the Boyds became closely involved in the Wars of Scottish Independence. They fought alongside figures such as William Wallace, with Duncan Boyd executed in 1306 for supporting the Scottish cause. A later Sir Robert Boyd, likely the grandson of the Largs commander, emerged as a trusted supporter of Robert the Bruce and played a key role at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 (where they thrashed the English army and sent Edward II packing). For his service, he was rewarded with lands, including Kilmarnock, firmly establishing the Boyds as major landholders in Ayrshire and laying the foundations for their long-term influence in the town. So, finally… what of the squirrels? Well. I’m afraid the story may be a slight anti-climax. The use of squirrels on the Boyd family crest first appeared in 1460 by Lord Robert Boyd. He was quite the character and has been called by one historian “an unscrupulous political gambler and an inveterate optimist”, which is quite the obituary. At various points he essentially kidnapped the young James III of Scotland and tried to arrange the marriage of his daughter into the Royal line – and in another negotiated the addition of the Orkney Islands into Scottish possession and away from Norway. And in amongst all of that he issued a new family crest which incorporated squirrels. The guy was clearly nuts. Nuts or not, his legacy continues to do this day with the squirrels going from his family crest, to the coat of arms for Kilmarnock – and then to the football team’s badge. The Boyd’s family seat at Dean Castle dominated the area for centuries, and in 1592 a Thomas Boyd secured Burgh of Barony status for Kilmarnock. That technical and legal shift allowed the town to hold markets, regulate trade, and function as a town rather than a loose settlement. By the 18th century, Kilmarnock had become an industrial centre, known for textiles, carpets, engineering, and printing. That printing industry is the reason that Kilmarnock’s most famous resident, Robert Burns, published his first volume of poems there in 1786. This book brought his work to national attention and helped establish him as the voice of ordinary Scottish people, writing in Scots about love, work, hardship, and pride in Scotland. Burns later became a symbol of Scottish culture and values, celebrated every year on Burns Night (25 January), when people across Scotland and around the world gather to eat haggis, recite his poetry, and celebrate Scottish language, music, and traditions. As if that wasn’t enough, Kilmarnock can lay claim to a second fundamental pillar of Scottishness – a man called John Walker. In the early 19th century he ran a small grocery store in the town centre and started, as a bit of a sideline, making blended whiskies to sell to his customers. After his death his son, Alex, took over the family business and expanded on the whisky side – becoming the Whisky giant Johnnie Walker which today sell more Scottish Whisky than anyone else. Kilmarnock then – An early Christian outpost, home to a family of (most of the time) patriots who fought the English at Bannockburn, a somewhat eccentric son who brought the Orkney isles into the Scottish fold, the most famous Scottish poet in history – and the nations’ biggest whisky brand. Not bad for a town of 50,000. Their football team takes that legacy and heritage into battle at Rugby Park every other Saturday, looking to add yet more trophies to the town’s incredible record.

What connects one of Islam’s greatest battles, the British Empire and…. Brendan Rodgers? A team currently sitting 4th in the Saudi Pro-League has an absolutely incredible story to tell… so let’s #GetTheBadgeIn and see what we can learn from Brendan Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah FC. At first glance their badge looks like a very simple, modern and minimalist logo, but in fact it is carrying a huge amount of history behind the brand. Al-Qadsiah’s identity strips things back visually, but what it represents – place, memory, migration, and ambition – is a fascinating story. On the pitch, Al-Qadsiah FC have made it clear they are serious about being one of the big beasts of the Middle East – and global - football. The squad blends experience with promise. Former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernández brings leadership and elite-level calm at the back, while exciting young Ghanaian talent Christopher Bonsu Baah adds pace and flair going forward. Guiding it all is Brendan Rodgers, whose CV includes Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City. Behind it all sits the world’s richest oil company, Aramco. The badge itself is built around the letters QAD, set at a sharp slant and rendered in a custom typeface used consistently across the club’s wider brand (this actually took me ages to spot – even when I was told – watch the video here to see it more clearly: https://www.genebranding.com/qadsiah-scc-2/). It is clean, confident, and instantly recognisable. The slanted angle of the badge mirrors the geographic angle and footprint of Al Khobar itself, grounding the club visually in its home city. The shield shape from its old badge remains, but everything else has been refined to give it a more modern aesthetic. That shield matters. The previous crest (pictured here) held a knight on horseback, sword raised, shield to his side. The reason for that knight lies in the club’s identity and nickname: Fares Al Sharqiyah (Knight of the East) and Fakhr Al Sharqiyah (Pride of the Eastern Province). These names are rooted in history, specifically the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah – from where the club obviously takes its name. That battle, in 636 CE, was only 4 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Those years after his death were ones of early turmoil for the new religion – after the passing of the Prophet people wondered if this newcomer to the world stage would quietly slip back into the deserts. So, the new religion needed a statement win. At al-Qadisiyyah it got one. That battle mattered because it was against the Sassanian Persian Empire, one of the strongest powers of its age. It opened the way into Persia, helped Islam spread across the region, shifted power away from Byzantine and Persian dominance, and shaped the early Islamic world that followed. Naming a club after Qadisiyyah is a statement. It is like a British team calling itself Agincourt, Waterloo, or Trafalgar. That Al-Qadsiah face out towards the Arabian Gulf – peering over the horizon towards the same Persian lands once defeated – almost certainly isn’t a coincidence. And what were the early Islamic forces famed for? Horsemen. Lots of them. Fast, ferocious and with the ability to trek far into the desert before sweeping back in behind the enemy lines. A tactic later employed by the British Long Range Desert Group in the Second World War (who went on to become the SAS). A technique mastered by the horsemen of Arabia. By the knights of the East. As if the name itself were not defiant enough, the city behind the club adds another layer. Modern Al Khobar was built largely on the back of the migration of the Dawasir tribe. In 1923, Britain did not physically expel the Dawasir from Bahrain, but it created conditions that pushed them to leave. British authorities tightened control, removed the old ruler Isa bin Ali, stripped tribes of legal and economic privileges, imposed new courts and policing, in a bid to westernise the realm. Rather than submit, many Dawasir chose to leave Bahrain and resettle on the Saudi coast with the permission of King Abdulaziz. That movement laid the foundations of Khobar and Dammam. Today, Al Khobar still carries traces of that past. Old market streets like Suwaiket sit alongside glass towers, malls, and seafront developments. More recently the city was once the original port used by Saudi Aramco to export oil, and it is no accident that the club is now owned outright by the same oil giant. Just to the north runs the King Fahd Causeway, the four-lane link to Bahrain, allowing the descendants of those displaced tribes to cross back to ancestral lands with ease. Al-Qadsiah’s badge may look simple and clear cut. Its story is anything but. Behind the clean lines is a club shaped by battle, migration, oil, and ambition – and a reminder that sometimes the most minimalist of designs can have the most maximalist of histories.

I love old badges like this one, steeped in heraldry and tradition. Blackpool's is an utter beauty with a tonne to unpack. So, let's waste no time and #GetTheBadgeIn and see what it can tell us! Football in the town initially grew out of church teams and school sides, with the club having roots going back to Victoria FC in the 1870s. After splits, disputes, and a decisive meeting at the Stanley Arms Hotel in July 1887, a single club was formed to represent the whole town. By the following year, Blackpool FC were founder members of the Lancashire League. Their badge is taken from the city's coat of arms, and it tells an astonishing story. Let’s start at the top and work our way down. The windmills at the very top are a reference to the famous Fylde region around Blackpool. Fylde is old-world speak for field, and the area, with its flat land and high coastal winds, made an ideal location for growing grain and barley, and then using windmills to process it into flour and beer. AFC Fylde, another local team, also included a windmill on their newly redesigned badge a few years ago. The most famous remaining windmill is Lytham Windmill, which was turned into a museum in the 1980s – funded by public subscription before online “crowd funding” was a thing – local people promoting local pride with their own money. Fantastic to see. At the centre of the windmill lies the Red Rose of Lancaster – famous from the Wars of the Roses – and also displayed in countless other teams’ badges, perhaps most notably Blackburn Rovers and Man City (and Barnet’s has both the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York in homage to the Battle of Barnet in 1471). Moving down, we have the fleur-de-lis to the left and the lion rampant (lion stood up) to the right. These are common royal symbols in Britain and appear on the King’s official flag and crest. However, in this instance they have a very specific connection to Blackpool. The fleur-de-lis is from the Banks family. Henry Banks was a local hotel landlord who, in the early 19th century, bought up large chunks of land and built holiday cottages, helping drive forward and transform Blackpool into a tourist hotspot, catering to the newly emerging middle classes from the rapidly industrialising cities of Manchester and Liverpool. His purchases in 1819 were prescient, as in 1840 the Preston and Wyre Railway connected Blackpool to the main national network – and the boom times began. The Banks are often referred to as the “Father of Blackpool”. The lion to the right is from another notable family in the development of the town, namely William Henry Cocker (a clock tower bearing his name stands today inside the city’s Stanley Park). Cocker was a local surgeon by trade but saw the vast transformation about to take place at Blackpool. Accordingly, he began partnering with Banks and investing heavily in building new attractions. He was involved in the building and financing of the Victorian Promenade, the aquarium, the menagerie, and the Winter Gardens entertainment complex. He also pushed local authorities to speed up the electrification of Blackpool – enabling its famous Illuminations. Which brings us nicely to… The symbol in the middle of this badge’s row of three – the electric bolt. A highly unusual feature in a coat of arms. Most of Britain’s coats of arms feature heraldry from ancient noble families that can trace their roots back to William the Conqueror or beyond. In that respect, Blackpool is a thoroughly modern coat of arms. Blackpool’s experiment with illumination began in 1879 with something called an arc lamp – invented before Edison’s famous lightbulb. Eight were installed atop high poles, allowing visitors to extend their evening walks even during the winter. They became a novel attraction in their own right, but things really took off in 1912. Ahead of a royal visit, 10,000 electric bulbs were installed along the waterfront. Soon, that had stretched to over six miles of lighting that became nationally, and then globally, famous. The black and orange wavy lines on the lower half of the badge refer, obviously, to the seaside location and its famous orange sunsets. The black in Blackpool supposedly comes from a drainage channel from a local peat bog that would discharge dark brackish water into the sea, forming a “black pool”. The seagull, much like Brighton, is obviously in reference to the seaside’s most famous resident. So that, in a badge, is Blackpool. Lights, lollies, and leftbacks. And I think it is a bloody brilliant tale.

A badge built on a coat of arms, a club born in a bicycle factory, and a history shaped by industry, resilience and symbolism. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn, and see how Coventry ended up with one of the most distinctive crests in English football. Coventry City began in 1883 when workers at the Singer bicycle factory formed a team. Factory sides were emerging everywhere at the time, and Singer’s workforce—skilled, organised and hard working — felt they had something to offer on the pitch. George Singer, the founder, would become a leading figure in the city: councillor, Mayor, alderman and philanthropist. He died in 1909 at Coundon Court, now a secondary school, leaving behind both civic and industrial legacies. I wonder if he knew then that one of the longest lasting legacies of his factory would be its football team? Before long the club was competing more widely, changing its name to Coventry City in 1898 and joining the Southern League in 1908. Their greatest moment came with the FA Cup win in 1987, a 3–2 extra-time classic against Tottenham still remembered as one of Wembley’s finest finals. They later captured the EFL Trophy in 2017, spent long spells in the top flight, and developed or showcased notable players such as Cyrille Regis, Dion Dublin, Gary McAllister, Tommy Hutchison, Ian Wallace, Steve Ogrizovic, and Robbie Keane. Their nickname, “The Sky Blues”, arrived in the 1960s under Jimmy Hill, who modernised almost every aspect of the club, including their colour scheme. Coventry’s importance long predates football. In the medieval era the city thrived through cloth and textile production, becoming one of England’s wealthiest urban centres. By the 18th century it had reinvented itself as a hub of precision watchmaking, with firms like Rotherham & Sons producing high-quality movements for London jewellers and for export across the Empire. When cheap American and Swiss watches arrived, Coventry’s metalworkers simply redirected their skills into bicycles, then motorcycles and finally cars, powering an industrial boom that shaped the modern city. That reinvention continues today. Coventry remains a major centre of luxury automotive engineering, with Jaguar Land Rover and specialist design houses operating in and around the city. Modern global investment has strengthened that role further. Geely, the Chinese automotive giant and parent company of LEVC, has positioned Coventry as a key site for European electric vehicle development, producing the electric London taxi and investing heavily in EV technologies. The city is also home to the UK’s flagship Battery Industrialisation Centre, alongside a wider cluster of aerospace, transport and engineering research groups. Reinvention has been Coventry’s economic habit for nearly a millennium. Any who, back to the badge: To understand the badge, you need to look at the city’s coat of arms, granted in 1345 and still one of the most symbolically rich in England. At its centre is the famous elephant carrying a three-towered castle, a symbol representing strength, endurance and—in medieval lore—redemption, thanks to the story that smaller elephants lift fallen ones to their feet. Coventry has embraced the animal so completely that it appears across civic life: the Elephant Building and the badge of Coventry RFC and everywhere in public art, and even in local music, with The Enemy’s Elephant Song. One of the most striking uses of the elephant motif appeared at sea. HMS Coventry, the Royal Navy destroyer bearing the city’s badge, played a key role in the Falklands War. As a picket ship she was deployed ahead of the fleet to draw enemy aircraft, absorbing attacks meant for more vulnerable vessels like the two aircraft carriers. She shot down numerous Argentine jets before being hit herself and sinking on 25 May 1982. Survivors waiting in life rafts were heard singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. If the elephant stands for resilience, HMS Coventry illustrated it in full. Alongside the elephant stand two more figures. The eagle comes from the arms of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon noble who ruled the region as its lord in the 11th century. Leofric’s wife, Lady Godiva, has given Coventry one of its most enduring legends. According to the story, she rode naked through the city, with only her long hair covering her modesty, in protest at the harsh taxes Leofric imposed on the townspeople. It would be nice to see some of the people protesting at Kier Starmer’s tax rises adopt the same stance. Actually, scrap that, it absolutely would not be. The later addition of “Peeping Tom”, struck blind for watching her, only embedded the tale deeper in English folklore. The eagle therefore represents Coventry’s early power, identity and the figures who shaped its medieval past. The other bird to the right of the badge is the phoenix, added to the arms in 1959. This represents Coventry’s rebirth after the devastating Blitz of 14 November 1940, when German bombing destroyed much of the city centre. The raid was so severe that the Germans coined the verb Coventrieren—to obliterate a city. The phoenix is therefore one of the clearest civic symbols of resilience used by any football club. Coventry City’s badge brings these elements together: the elephant and castle, the eagle, the phoenix and the club’s name, with the elephant now balancing on a football. Earlier versions borrowed even more directly from the coat of arms, and a 1960s programme design seems to have introduced the elephant-on-ball image that remains today. Today the club play at the Coventry Building Society Arena—the CBS Arena—a 32,609-seater complex on the site of the old Foleshill gasworks. The wider development includes an exhibition hall, hotel, casino and – most impressively - one of the country’s largest Tesco Extras. So there we have it. An epic, epic tale in just one badge. From naked princesses, to picket ships giving the Argies hell to soaking up all that Nazi Germany could throw at it and coming out the winner. The elephant, known for its resilience, couldn’t be a finer icon.

When you look at the badge of F.C. Copenhagen, you see a blue lion, the club name, and the red and white of the Danish flag. All three point directly to the city and the country the club represents. Although F.C. Copenhagen was only formed in 1992, the club has become the dominant force in Danish football. Domestically, they have won the Danish Superliga more times than any other club, alongside multiple Danish Cup titles, setting the standard for consistency and professionalism. In Europe, they have been regular group-stage participants and have reached the Champions League last 16 twice, most notably in 2010–11, when they finished second in a group containing Barcelona, Rubin Kazan, and Panathinaikos before losing to Chelsea. These runs confirmed FCK as Denmark’s main football representative on the continental stage. The club’s roots, however, run far deeper than its name suggests. F.C. Copenhagen was created through the merger of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) and Boldklubben 1903. KB, founded in 1876, is recognised as the oldest football club on the European continent. The merger brought together long-established football traditions with a modern professional structure, giving the new club both heritage and momentum. The lion on the badge comes from Copenhagen’s coat of arms. In the city emblem, two lions stand beside a shield showing three towers rising from the water. The towers refer to Copenhagen’s medieval defences and its long relationship with the sea. Lions have appeared in Danish heraldry for centuries and are closely associated with royal authority. After Copenhagen successfully resisted a Swedish siege in 1658–60, King Frederick III authorised the addition of royal lions to the city’s arms, recognising the role played by the city’s population in its defence. The Danish flag on the badge is the Dannebrog, commonly described as the oldest national flag still in continuous use. Tradition links it to the Battle of Lyndanisse in 1219, when King Valdemar II was fighting in what is now Estonia. Regardless of how the story is interpreted, the flag remains central to Danish identity and is widely used in everyday life, from national celebrations to football matches. Copenhagen itself began as a fishing settlement known as Køpmannæhafn, meaning “merchants’ harbour”. Its growth was driven by Baltic trade, which brought wealth as well as conflict. Over time, the city became Denmark’s political, economic, and cultural centre, and by the fifteenth century it was firmly established as the capital. Trade, defence, and adaptation have shaped its character ever since. Modern Denmark reflects that history. It is a wealthy and highly developed country with global influence well beyond its population size. Famous Danish companies include Maersk, which dominates global shipping; Novo Nordisk and its Ozempic wonder drug; Carlsberg, one of Europe’s biggest beer producers; and Vestas, which makes some of the best wind turbines in the world and now produces electricity more cheaply than even coal can. But they’re not all high-tech and serious — they also have a lot of fun with brands such as Pandora jewellery, Bang & Olufsen speakers, ECCO shoes, and, of course, the world’s favourite toy brand: Lego. These firms reflect a country built on innovation, trade, and long-term planning. Denmark has also shown a willingness to defend its interests and values internationally. It played a significant role in NATO operations and, on a per-capita basis, suffered some of the highest losses among coalition partners during the war in Afghanistan. More recently, Denmark has stood up to the democracy-dismantling dictator that is Donald Trump over his aggressive stance towards Greenland. This is an old nation with a long memory — a kingdom that has existed for over a thousand years. F.C. Copenhagen sit comfortably within that story: modern and ambitious, but firmly rooted in place, history, and identity. Get The Badge In. 🦁

When you look at the Lion City Sailors badge, its meaning is fairly direct. A football, framed by a ship’s wheel, with the team’s name ‘Lion City’ written beneath. It reflects two long-standing features of Singapore: the lion as a national symbol, and the sea as the source of its trade, security, and connections. The name “Lion City” comes from Singapore’s older Malay name, Singapura, meaning “city of the lion”. According to legend, a Sumatran prince named Sang Nila Utama arrived on the island during the fourteenth century and saw a large animal he believed to be a lion. Taking this as a good omen, he named the settlement accordingly. Lions were never native to the region, but the story endured because it expressed ideas of strength, courage, and legitimacy. Over time, the lion became embedded in Singapore’s national identity, appearing on the state crest, the famous merlion statue that tourists line up to photograph, cupping their hands to ‘catch’ the water from the fountain, and now in football culture. The club itself has a much longer history than its current name suggests. Its origins lie in the Police Sports Association, formed in 1945 to promote fitness and morale within the Singapore Police Force. By the 1950s and 1960s, the police team was a regular presence in domestic football. Under coach Choo Seng Quee, they won the first President’s Cup in 1968. When professional football began in Singapore in 1996, the club entered as Police FC before rebranding as Home United the following year. The new name reflected its links to all of government, including civil defence and immigration services. During this period, the club became one of the most consistent sides in the country. They won their first league title in 1999, followed by Singapore Cup victories in 2000 and 2001. A domestic double in 2003 and further cup success under different managers reinforced their reputation as a well-run and disciplined club. Home United also represented Singapore in regional competitions. Their strongest AFC Cup run came in 2004, when they reached the semi-finals. In 2018, they again made progress in Asia, advancing beyond the group stage before being eliminated by April 25 Sports Club of North Korea (a catchy name in honour of the day North Korea’s army was founded – very romantic). A major shift came in 2020 when the club was privatised and relaunched as Lion City Sailors. The change marked the first time a Singaporean club moved fully into private ownership. Backed by Sea Limited, a global technology company founded in Singapore, the Sailors adopted a more ambitious professional model. Investment followed, alongside the appointment of experienced coaching staff and the recruitment of higher-profile players. The record signing of the Brazilian attacking midfielder, Diego Lopes in 2021 underlined the scale of this change and the club’s intention to compete beyond domestic football. The Sailors play their home matches at Bishan Stadium, an area with its own layered history. Once a large cemetery known as Peck San Theng, Bishan was redeveloped into a residential town in the late twentieth century. It also witnessed fighting during the Battle of Singapore in 1942 and later became an example of modern urban planning. The maritime theme running through the club’s identity is well grounded. Long before British rule, Singapore was known as Temasek, meaning “sea town”, and served as a trading hub linking India, China, and Southeast Asia. Sailors and merchants shaped its economy and culture, carrying goods, languages, and ideas through its port. That seafaring legacy remains central to how the country understands itself. Lion City Sailors FC reflect that continuity. While the club’s name and ownership are recent, its foundations stretch back decades, rooted in public service, discipline, and steady development. Turbo charged by Singapore’s own entrepreneurial brilliance and investment power, this team can only become a more prominent player on both the domestic and international scene. In this sense, the Sailors represent not just a modern football project, but another chapter in Singapore’s ongoing history.

Kalba Football Club, often referred to as Ittihad Kalba or simply Al-Ittihad, is a professional club founded in 1972 and based in the coastal town of Kalba in the Emirate of Sharjah. Formed through the merger of three local teams (hence the ‘Ittiahd’ nickname – it means ‘United’ in Arabic), the club has spent much of its history moving between divisions, winning a record number of Division One titles but frequently facing relegation soon after promotion. Since the 2018–19 season, however, Kalba have managed to compete more consistently in the UAE Pro League, reflecting the steady ambitions of a small town club operating far from the country’s main urban centres. Reaching Kalba already gives a sense of its distance and character. Travelling from Abu Dhabi involves crossing the Hajar Mountains, particularly if you take the E102 route, which passes through areas such as Mleiha and Wadi Al Helo. These are places with long settlement histories, shaped by isolation and geography. Until relatively recently, access to Kalba was limited, with locals relying on foot travel or animals before modern roads connected the town more fully to the rest of the UAE. Even now, Kalba feels separate, sitting on the eastern coast by the Indian Ocean, close to the Omani border. The stadium reflects this sense of place. With a capacity of around 8,500, it is compact but well set against the mountains. The popular stand curves around much of the pitch, and evening kick-offs are framed by sunsets over the Hajar range. An athletics track separates the crowd from the action, but when attendance rises above 3,000 the ground still generates a solid atmosphere. The match I attended was against Sharjah in what is known as the Sharjah Emirate derby, despite the two towns being over 100 kilometres apart. The fixture carries local significance, and the crowd was noticeably larger than usual. Kalba’s badge offers a useful way into the deeper history of the town, as it proudly features Kalba Fort. The fort, originally constructed in 1745 and expanded in the early nineteenth century, stands inland from the coast and was built using mudbrick, gypsum, and stone. Its design suggests it may have developed from an earlier watchtower, and this fits with its longer history. The fort occupies the site of a Portuguese fortification captured in 1624 by the commander Gaspar Leite, placing Kalba within a wider network of east coast settlements built by the Portuguese, including Khor Fakkan, Al Badiyah, and Dibba. By the early nineteenth century, Kalba was a small settlement of around 200 people, centred on the fort and a creek deep enough to allow trading vessels to dock. Defence was a practical necessity, with the region exposed to raiding and shifting political control. Kalba’s history is unusually complex: it has been ruled by Oman, Sharjah, and Fujairah, and at one point existed as a recognised Trucial State. For a period in the early twentieth century, the town was effectively administered by a slave named Barut while its ruler lived elsewhere. When Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qasimi returned to Kalba in the 1920s, he invested in local infrastructure, including the construction of an ice factory. This allowed fish caught locally to be preserved and transported onwards to markets in Dubai, linking Kalba more directly to regional trade networks. Political tensions with neighbouring rulers followed, and after Sheikh Saeed’s death in 1937, Kalba lost its separate status and was absorbed into Sharjah, where it remains today. Modern Kalba is known for its beaches and protected mangroves, which are considered internationally important, as well as for its quiet, small-town character. Despite being an enclave of Sharjah, it often feels culturally closer to Fujairah, nestled amongst the rocks and palm groves. The stadium complex itself reinforces the club’s local role, housing not only football facilities but also other sports areas, meeting spaces, and a mosque. Kalba Football Club may not be defined by major honours, but it is closely tied to the place it represents. These people have endured, resisted and thrived in an area that is both idyllic and harsh in various ways. There is beauty in these parts, and the football team takes to the pitch each week to carry the town’s legacy into the future.

This season Blackburn are sporting a very striking gold kit which has printed onto it the shapes and silhouettes of some of Blackburn’s most iconic and historic buildings. From a distance this perhaps isn’t entirely clear and the patches on their kits may sometimes kit ridicule from away fans – but up close it is undoubtedly a thing of beauty – and one well worth deconstructing a bit more as we #GetTheShirtIn and find out what we can learn!   Firstly, as context, it is obvious that Blackburn played a significant role in Britain’s Industrial Revolution. It grew rapidly in the 19th century as cotton spinning and weaving expanded and came to power Britain’s rise as a superpower. For those of you that remember high school history lessons, James Hargreaves, a local inventory, devised the ‘Spinning Jenny’ which massively increased the productivity of cotton workers – and demand for the raw material. Blackburn’s population rose sharply as mills, railways, and housing transformed the town. This growth brought both opportunity and pressure, making Blackburn part of wider national developments in public health, transport, religion, access to land, and organised sport. The landmarks on this shirt reflect how those changes took shape within one of the most important areas on Earth during this time – so let’s take them all in turn:   Corporation Park  opened in 1857, when industrial towns across Lancashire were responding to overcrowding, pollution, and poor health caused by rapid urban growth. Reformers increasingly argued that access to green space could improve physical health and social stability in mill towns like Blackburn.   The name Corporation Park is significant. It was funded, owned, and managed by Blackburn Corporation, using public money rather than private donation. This reflected a wider shift towards modern local government, with councils taking responsibility for welfare, sanitation, and leisure. The park was intended as a permanent public asset, not a charitable gift from a local industrialist. People power.     Blackburn Cathedral  began as the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, consecrated in 1826 to serve a rapidly growing industrial population. Across Lancashire, new churches were built to provide structure and moral guidance in expanding working-class communities – where the sudden emergence of urban pubs and concert halls may well offer too much temptation to the working man…   In 1926, the church became a cathedral following the creation of the Diocese of Blackburn. This change reflected the importance of East Lancashire within the Church of England as it reorganised to manage densely populated industrial regions. Church leaders involved in northern reform, including figures such as William Temple, shaped thinking about the Church’s social role in industrial society.   Later extensions show how religious buildings adapted as attendance declined, becoming spaces for education, music, and civic events. The cathedral’s development mirrors the changing relationship between religion and community in the North West.     Blackburn Railway Station opened in 1846, integrating the town into the rail network that powered Lancashire’s cotton economy. Railways allowed raw materials and finished goods to move quickly, supporting industrial expansion and linking Blackburn to national and global markets. Blackburn became the ideal site for the industrial revolution due to its geography and climate. The relative dampness was said to be good for cotton quality – and the River Blakewater provided the power for large waterwheels, like the one at Wensley Fold Mill, to make the factory machinery turn. However, as coal came to replace waterpower the railways provided Blackburn with the ability to quickly import both the fuel for the factories – and the raw materials. And in turn, to quickly get their finished cotton to market. The surviving late-19th-century frontage reflects a period when railway companies invested in architecture to signal civic importance. Rail travel also reshaped daily life, enabling commuting, leisure travel, and mass attendance at events, including football matches.   The station’s redevelopment in 2000 reflects a later shift from freight to commuter and regional services. Despite these changes, Blackburn Station remains central to how the town connects with the wider North West, showing the long-term impact of industrial-era infrastructure.     Darwen Tower was built between 1897 and 1898 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, but it also became linked to wider political and social movements. In industrial Lancashire, access to open countryside was a growing issue as surrounding moorland was often privately controlled.   Around Darwen, local campaigners challenged landowners who restricted access to the moors, and the tower became associated with late-19th-century efforts to assert public rights of way, part of a wider northern movement that later influenced national access legislation.   Designed to be climbed and used, the tower reflects a regional tradition of civic landmarks tied to popular participation rather than ceremony alone. Its continued use highlights the importance of countryside access to industrial communities.   Ewood Park opened in 1882, as organised sport, and particularly football, became an important part of working-class life in industrial Britain.  Blackburn Rovers were one of the original 12 founding teams of the English League. Blackburn Rovers settled at Ewood Park permanently in 1890 and later secured ownership, giving the club stability at a time when many teams lacked permanent grounds. In the early 1990s, Jack Walker transformed the club by investing heavily in players and infrastructure, funding the modern redevelopment of Ewood Park and playing a decisive role in Blackburn Rovers’ 1994–95 Premier League title, linking local industry with football success. And, the rest as they say, is history. Blackburn, especially in the 1990s was one of the most successful teams in England. It is quite the shirt.

When football shirts are done well, they do more than just look good. They tell you something about place. That is exactly what Al-Hilal Saudi FC have achieved with their 2025/26 home kit, which takes its patterning directly from traditional Najdi mud-brick architecture. This is not a random texture or a graphic chosen for effect. It is a deliberate reference to the region that shaped both the club and the modern Saudi state. Al-Hilal are a Riyadh club, and Riyadh sits in the heart of Najd, the central plateau of the Arabian Peninsula. Historically, Najd was not a coastal trading hub like the Hijaz, nor a lush agricultural region. It was a harsh, dry interior, and the people who lived there had to adapt carefully to their environment. Over time, this produced a distinct culture, identity, and architectural style that still carries strong meaning in Saudi Arabia today. The Najdis were the inhabitants of this central region. Their society was shaped by tribal structures, desert travel, and a need for self-reliance. Towns were built for protection, climate control, and community, rather than display. This mindset is reflected clearly in Najdi architecture, which is defined by mud-brick construction, thick walls, small windows, and enclosed courtyards. These buildings were practical responses to heat, wind, and limited resources, but they also developed a clear and recognisable visual language. Najdi buildings are typically made from adobe (sun-dried mud bricks) mixed with straw and clay. The walls are thick, helping keep interiors cool during the day and warm at night. Windows are small and often placed high, reducing heat and dust while maintaining privacy. Decoration is minimal but meaningful. You often see geometric patterns, stepped shapes, and repeated lines worked into walls, doors, and parapets. These patterns are simple, rhythmic, and structural, rather than ornate. This is the visual tradition that Al-Hilal’s 2025/26 shirt draws from. The subtle, repeating pattern across the fabric echoes the linear and geometric motifs found on Najdi mud-brick walls. It is not a literal picture of a building, but an abstraction of texture and form. The result feels grounded and local, rather than flashy. It links the modern, global football club back to the physical environment of central Saudi Arabia. Najdi heritage is most famously preserved and celebrated in Diriyah, just outside modern Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family and the first capital of the Saudi state in the 18th century. At its heart is At-Turaif District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built almost entirely in the Najdi style. Its palaces, mosques, and homes show the full maturity of mud-brick architecture, with strong walls, angular towers, and repeating decorative elements that mirror those now seen on the Al-Hilal shirt. In recent years, Najdi architecture has taken on renewed importance within Saudi Arabia. Through projects linked to Vision 2030, Diriyah has been restored and re-presented as a national cultural symbol. New buildings in Riyadh and across the Kingdom increasingly borrow Najdi forms and patterns, blending traditional design with modern materials. The aim is not nostalgia, but continuity: showing that modern Saudi identity grows from local history rather than replacing it. Seen in that context, Al-Hilal’s kit choice makes a lot of sense. This is a club that represents Riyadh, not just in name but in meaning. While the squad may now include global stars and compete on the world stage, the shirt quietly points back to the mud-brick walls, courtyards, and patterns of Najd. It says: this club comes from here. What also works well is the restraint. The pattern does not overwhelm the shirt. From a distance it reads as clean and modern. Up close, the texture reveals itself. That mirrors Najdi architecture itself: plain at first glance, but rich once you pay attention. It is a smart way to embed heritage without turning the kit into a novelty. In a football world full of abstract graphics and recycled templates, this feels thoughtful. The 2025/26 Al-Hilal home kit uses design to connect place, history, and identity. It reminds us that shirts, like badges, can carry stories if clubs choose to let them. This one does exactly that.

In the heart of Catalonia, set along the beautiful Mediterranean costline, sits a football club whose badge carries far more than colours and initials. FC Barcelona are not just one of the most successful teams in world football; they are a symbol of regional identity, political resistance, cultural pride and sporting excellence. Few clubs anywhere can claim that their crest tells the story of a people as clearly as Barcelona’s does – so let’s unpack it as we #GetTheBadgeIn. In the top left sits the red cross of Saint George, known locally as Sant Jordi. Saint George is the patron saint of Barcelona and Catalonia (and some soggy little island off the coast of North-West Europe). The legend tells of a knight who slew a dragon to save a city, and his story became a powerful symbol of bravery, protection and standing up to oppression – chimes nicely with Catalonian identity. The medieval Crown of Aragon, which included Barcelona as its key city, used St George’s cross on its shields and coat of arms in battle. As Barcelona grew in importance as a medieval trading and political centre, Saint George became closely associated with the city’s identity and defence. Churches, chapels and civic buildings were dedicated to him. Alongside it are the red and yellow stripes of the Senyera, the flag of Catalonia. Catalonia is not just a region on a map; it has its own language, traditions and long history of seeking self-rule. For centuries, Catalans have worked to protect their identity within Spain, and football became one of the few public spaces where that identity could be expressed openly. By placing the Senyera on the badge, Barcelona made a clear statement: this club belongs to Catalonia. The lower half of the crest is footballing rather than political. The famous blue and red blaugrana stripes are instantly recognisable around the world. They are usually linked to the club’s Swiss founder, Joan Gamper, and may have been inspired by his former club FC Basel. At the centre sits a football, a reminder that while history and politics matter, the game itself remains the core. The initials F.C.B. proudly spell out Futbol Club Barcelona, a name that has become global. Barcelona’s story cannot be separated from Spain’s troubled 20th century. During the Spanish Civil War, the city was a stronghold of Republican resistance. Volunteers from across the world joined the International Brigades to fight fascism, including British writer George Orwell, who later described the street fighting in his book Homage to Catalonia. The war had a devastating impact on the club. Barcelona’s president Josep Sunyol was executed by Franco’s forces, and Catalan language and symbols were later banned under the dictatorship. The club became a quiet symbol of resistance simply by existing. This history gives extra weight to Barcelona’s rivalry with Real Madrid. El Clásico is not just about footballing styles or trophies; it reflects decades of political tension. Real Madrid were long seen as the team of the Spanish state and central power, while Barcelona represented regional pride and opposition. On the pitch, Barcelona’s success has been extraordinary. The club has won league titles, domestic cups and European trophies in huge numbers, building a reputation for playing beautiful, attacking football. From Johan Cruyff’s influence as a player and coach to the era of tiki-taka under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona helped shape how modern football is played. Legends such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Ronaldinho are not just club heroes; they are icons of the sport itself. British football also has a special place in Barcelona’s modern story. Bobby Robson, best remembered in England for transforming Ipswich Town before going on to England and then Newcastle, managed Barcelona in the 1990s. Under him, Gary Lineker became one of the club’s most effective strikers, scoring goals while adapting to a new culture and style of play. Towering over all of this is Camp Nou, one of the largest and most famous stadiums in the world. For generations, it has been a place where football, politics and culture meet. Next to the stadium, the fan centre contains a trophy cabinet which is more of a warehouse, and seems to stretch on forever, filled with silverware that reflects decades of dominance. It’s staggering success inspired countless teams across England to adopt its crest as its own, with many a non-league team borrowing the iconic shape of Barcelona’s shield, keeping the St George’s cross and simply replacing the Catalonian stripes with their own local heraldry. Prior to their 2017 rebrand Forest Green Rovers played with a Barcelona style crest. In recent years, Barcelona has again found itself at the centre of political change. The push for greater Catalan autonomy and independence has brought mass demonstrations, referendums and firm pushback from the Spanish government. As before, the club has walked a careful line, but its identity as a symbol of Catalonia remains clear. That is why the club’s famous motto still rings true: Més que un club. Barcelona are not just a football team. They are history, culture, resistance and pride, stitched together in blue and red.