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From coal dust to coat of arms glory – Washington FC’s story is one rooted in grit, graft, and a rather famous family name.   Founded by miners at the local F-Pit colliery in the early 20th century, the club’s original red shirts were enshrined “in perpetuity” in its founding rules. The game was a release from the relentless work of the coalfields — and Washington had no shortage of them. By the 20th century, the area was dotted with no fewer than 27 collieries, their winding gear and spoil heaps dominating the skyline until the industry’s decline and the last pit’s closure in the 1960s.   Washington’s modern identity was shaped in the 1960s too — but in a very different way — when it was designated as one of Britain’s “New Towns”, bringing in modern housing estates, green spaces, and industry to replace the pits. The most famous industrial arrival came in 1986 with the vast Nissan factory, now one of the UK’s largest car plants and a major employer, exporting vehicles worldwide from the banks of the Wear.   The club’s badge is a direct link to Washington’s most famous export of all — its name. It carries the two red bars and three red stars of the Washington family coat of arms, first borne by William de Wessyngton after the Norman Conquest and taken across the Atlantic by his descendants. Today Old Hall stands in the town as the seat of the Washington family and attracts the occasional patriotic US tourist.   George Washington’s family flew the coat of arms at their Virginia estate of Mount Vernon; today it appears on the flag of Washington D.C., and even on the NFL’s Washington Commanders jerseys (feel there is scope for a training camp tie up here - or at least a social media video series to entice Americans into following the true Washington team...)   From its earliest days as Washington Colliery Mechanics, the club has had its moments — FA Cup qualifying runs in the 1970s, Wearside League success, and a surge into the Northern League First Division in 2015 after a storming run of seven straight wins. Alongside that footballing fight, there’s been more than a share of hardship: fires, financial crises, ground moves, and a survival battle in 2017 that saw the club merge with Washington AFC to preserve senior football in the town.   Today, Washington FC plays back in its home town, carrying a badge that speaks of medieval heraldry, transatlantic ties, and working-class pride. It’s a symbol that’s travelled from a County Durham pithead to the capital of the United States — but its beating heart is still right here on the Wear.

While Ipswich this evening are away to the Ravens of Bromley, Cole Skuse's Bury Town play host to Royston's Crows. So let's do this Hertfordshire team the honour and dig a bit deeper and #GetTheBadgeIn! The name goes way back. The hooded crow on the badge is, technically, the Corvus cornix  (sounds like you should kill it to destroy the last piece of Voldemort...). It is in fact a breed of crow with a grey body, black wings and head. It was once a common visitor to Hertfordshire, so much so that it became known locally as the Royston Crow. During the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Roundheads clashed with local Cavalier sympathisers in the town and, after a brawl, sneered at the locals as “crows”. The name stuck. Even the town’s 150-year-old newspaper is still called The Royston Crow . The badge pairs that bird with a black-and-white chequered background – a direct lift from Royston’s coat of arms. That pattern comes from the Stuart dynasty and marks the town’s connection to King James I, who first stayed here in 1603 and later built a royal hunting lodge by demolishing two inns on the High Street. He liked the place so much he banned anyone else from taking game within 16 miles. The chequerboard is a nod to that regal past; the crow, a nod to the people. Royston itself grew where two ancient routes meet – the prehistoric Icknield Way and Roman-built Ermine Street – marked by a medieval stone cross. The “Roisea Stone” is still there today in the town centre, thought to be the base of that cross. The town straddled the Hertfordshire–Cambridgeshire border until 1896 and sits today right on the Greenwich Meridian. As for the club, they can trace their roots back to 1875, making them Hertfordshire’s third oldest behind Hitchin and Bishop’s Stortford. Their first honour came in 1911/12 with the Creake Charity Shield. The modern era has seen steady climbs: Herts County Premier champions in the 70s, South Midlands Division One winners in 1978, Isthmian League stints in the 80s, and a renaissance under Paul Attfield and later Steve Castle, who guided them through the South Midlands and into the Southern League. By 2017, they’d won promotion to Step 3 – the highest level in their history – bagging 120 league goals along the way. They play at Garden Walk, where the badge – crow poised in front of the Stuart chequerboard – greets you at the gate. From royal hunting parties to Civil War name-calling, from ancient trackways to Southern Premier football, Royston’s story is written in black, white, and crow. 🐦‍⬛ This year they celebrate 150 years since their formation!

Some football clubs dream of lifting a world title. West Auckland Town, a team of miners from County Durham, have done it. Twice – before most people had even heard of a “World Cup”. The man behind it? Sir Thomas Lipton – Glaswegian-born son of Irish immigrants, a self-made millionaire through his Lipton tea empire, and an irrepressible sports enthusiast. Lipton was a serial promoter of grand events: he famously challenged for the America’s Cup five times, and in 1909 decided football needed its own international tournament. Italy, Germany, and Switzerland sent teams. The English FA refused, so Lipton found his own representative – West Auckland, an amateur colliery side from the Northern League. Why them? Theories abound: a contact in the Northern League, or a muddled “W.A.” meant for Woolwich Arsenal. Whatever the reason, the miners sold furniture and belongings to fund the trip to Turin. They beat Stuttgart 2–0 in the semi-final, Winterthur of Switzerland 2–0 in the final, and came home with the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy – without conceding a goal. Two years later they returned. After dispatching FC Zürich 2–0, they thrashed Juventus – yes, that  Juventus – 6–1 in the final. Twice winners meant they kept the trophy for good. It’s a story forged in coal dust and grit. At the turn of the 20th century, West Auckland Colliery employed over 600 men, and football was woven into the community’s fabric. The players who humbled Europe’s elite went back down the pit on Monday morning. The romance had its costs. The club ended the 1911 tour in debt, pawning the trophy to the landlady of their meeting place for £40. It stayed in her family until 1960, when villagers raised £100 to buy it back. In 1994, it was stolen from the West Auckland Working Men’s Club and never recovered; today, a replica, gifted by the Lipton name’s owners, sits proudly in its place. Their badge? A roundel in black and yellow (common colours for coal-mining teams – see Donetsk in Ukraine or Borussia Dortmund). It features a man taking a throw-in. Who? A miner? A player? Both? Whoever it is, they stand as a reminder of the club’s heritage. If anyone from the club is reading – can you tell us exactly who’s on there? Either side of the badge stand two stars – one for each Lipton Trophy. From one of England’s largest village greens to the turf of Turin, West Auckland Town’s name is etched in football history. Twice world champions before the world was ready for one – not bad. Not bad at all. #GetTheBadgeIn

So let’s #GetTheBadgeIn for Yeovil Town FC and see what lies behind this famous team. So, lets get straight to it. Why The Glovers and why are there gloves in the badge? It all comes from Yeovil’s biggest trade for over 200 years – leather glove-making. Recorded as far back as 1349, when local “glovers” were listed alongside skinners and tanners, the industry grew after Somerset’s woollen cloth trade declined in the late Middle Ages. By the 18th century, glove-making had become Yeovil’s main employer, with giants like Hawkins, Bartletts, and Denner & Stiby exporting around the world. At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands worked in dozens of factories, producing a large share of Britain’s gloves. Though the industry has vanished today – Prittards, the last factory, closed in 2023 – the football club still proudly carries the trade’s name and symbol on its crest. Founded in 1895 (merging later with Petters United), Yeovil spent decades at Huish, a ground made infamous by its extraordinary slope – an 8-foot sideline-to-sideline drop that became part of the club’s giant-killing aura. That reputation peaked in the 1949 FA Cup when Yeovil dumped First Division Sunderland out 2–1 in front of 17,000 before heading to Maine Road to face Manchester United. In 1990 they moved to Huish Park, but the slope is still talked about in football folklore. Today, Yeovil are back on the rise – having won the 2023–24 National League South title, they’re returning to the National League (Step 1 of non-league) and aiming to climb again after their 2013 high point of reaching the Championship. One of their most famous modern links is Marcus Stewart. A deadly finisher, Stewart was Premier League Golden Boot runner-up in 2000–01 with Ipswich Town, scoring 19 goals – more than Henry, Shearer, or Owen that season. He returned to Yeovil as Head of Player Development in 2022, but later revealed his diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND). Since then, he and his family have become tireless fundraisers and advocates for MND charities, earning admiration far beyond Somerset. The town itself has deep roots – listed in the Domesday Book as Givele, it was granted a charter by King John in 1205, endured the Black Death, and survived devastating fires in 1499, 1620, and 1643. Its location made it a busy market hub, later connected by competing railway companies in the 19th century. In the 20th century, Yeovil’s fortunes turned skyward. Westland Helicopters (now Leonardo) became the town’s largest employer, producing both military and civilian aircraft. Honeywell Aerospace manufactures oxygen systems here, and the nearby Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton is one of Britain’s busiest military airfields. This aerospace cluster remains central to the town’s economy and identity. From medieval markets and glove factories to an infamous sloping pitch and modern aircraft hangars, Yeovil has always adapted while keeping its heritage alive. And in footballing terms, Yeovil are moving back in the right direction. The gloves are off.

Nestled on the shores of one of the most famous lakes in the world, Como 1907 pulled off something special last year – a return to Serie A for the first time in 21 years. It’s been a long road back for the Lariani (People who live in Como). It is a club that’s been to the top, plunged into bankruptcy twice, and now finds itself reborn under one of the wealthiest owners in all of football. The story starts in 1907, when a group of locals met at the Taroni Bar on Via Cinque Giornate, a narrow street in the old town of Como, to form Como Foot-Ball Club. Royal blue was chosen as the colour, and early games were friendlies against teams from Milan and across the Swiss border. By 1913, Como were in the top tier – the old Prima Categoria – and since then they have become a familiar name in Italian football. The Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, their home since 1928, is one of the most scenic stadiums you'll find. One side it backs directly onto Lake Como itself and on the other it has the mountains. It is named after a local rower and WWI hero, it sits right by Lake Como, framed by mountains. It was commissioned by Mussuloni himself in the 1920s to showcase the best of the new style of the new style of "Rationalist Architecture" and the main stand is indeed striking. Over the years Como have had some great times: unbeaten promotion to Serie B in 1930–31, the club’s three spells in Serie A, and now the return to the top flight of summer of 2024. But it hasn’t always been sunsets and smooth sailing. The 2000s were brutal. Consecutive relegations led to bankruptcy in 2004. The club was thrown out of professional football and had to restart in Serie D. By 2007 they’d clawed back to the pro ranks, only to hit the wall again in 2016 with a second bankruptcy. In 2017, Como was re-founded yet again, starting from Serie D for a second time. The turning point came in 2019, when Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono – owners of a vast conglomerate based on cigarettes and banking – bought the club. Ranked among the 30 richest families in the world, they have brought financial stability and ambitio. In 2022 Cesc Fàbregas joined as a player, before moving into a co-owner and head coach role alongside Thierry Henry as a shareholder. Their badge tells its own story. Como’s crest has always nodded to the city’s identity – most often through the red-and-silver cross of Como’s coat of arms. Sometimes it’s been central, as in the late 1940s when it was sewn directly onto the shirt. In other eras, the badge has carried the lake itself in the form of stylised blue waves. Since 2019, after a fan vote, the design has been stripped back and represents a combination of the two: a shield with the club name, a wave motif, and the cross beneath. The red of the city’s arms however is gone – now it’s monochrome blue or white. This is perhapd a shame. The silver cross on red dates back centuries, marking Como’s medieval civic identity. Como was a walled Roman city, refounded by Julius Caesar himself who ordered large areas drained and a Roman grid system laid down. Its fortunes have swung with the tides of Italian history. After the Romans the Lombards - a bunch of Germans who snuck into the North of Italy as the Roman Empire collapsed and made themselves at home (probably started with putting their beach towels down early...) Como became a wealthy medieval commune with its own laws and territories stretching into modern-day Switzerland. Its location – at the end of the lake, on the Road of Queen Theudelind – made it a trade hub between Italy and the north. That Road is and was a route through the Alps that many in central and Northern Europe would take when heading off on pilgrimage to Rome or elsewhere in Italy. Como became the perfect, and a very beautiful looking, roadside rest stop. Prosperity however brought jealousy. Milan and Como fought a war between 1118 and 1127, ending with Milan razing the city to the ground. Como bounced back with the help of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, rebuilding its walls and castle. Over the centuries it fell under Milanese Visconti and Sforza rule, the Spanish, the Austrians, Napoleon, and finally the Kingdom of Italy in 1859. Lake Como has been the backdrop to it all. Today it draws tourists from across the globe – George Clooney owns a 25 bed villa on the waters edge – but it’s still a working lake too, with fishing boats, ferries, and now the occasional roar from Serie A crowds. So for Como 1907, that badge sums them up nicely. The waves are a direct link to the city’s geography, history, and livelihood. The cross beneath them connects every modern player to centuries of Comaschi who’ve flown that flag, whether on medieval banners in a scrap with Milan or on football shirts - in a scrap with Milan. Much like their lake, the future sparkles for this club. Back in the big leagues, with the richest owners in Italy, a coaching team of Champions League winners, and one of the most spectacular home grounds in the game. You ain't heard the last of them yet.

In 2015, East Manchester got itself another football club. Not the billionaire-backed, world-famous kind. Not a heritage brand traded on the stock market. This was punk football — grassroots, rebellious, and stubbornly independent. FC United of Manchester, born in 2005 from the frustration of Manchester United supporters who’d simply had enough. The Glazer takeover of Old Trafford that year was the spark, but the disillusionment had been building for years. Changing kick-off times dictated by television contracts, soaring ticket prices, soulless all-seater stadiums full of spectators rather than supporters, heavy-handed stewarding — and a creeping sense that matchday was now a sanitised product, not a living, breathing community ritual. For some fans, the Glazer deal was the last straw. In May 2005, when efforts to block the takeover failed — unlike the successful repulsion of Rupert Murdoch’s bid in 1998 — a “last resort” idea from that earlier campaign was revived. If they couldn’t save United from what they saw as the corporate carve-up, they would create a new club in its image: member-owned, democratic, not-for-profit, and embedded in Greater Manchester’s community. “Our Club, Our Rules.” From day one, FC United was set up as a Community Benefit Society. Every member — whether they paid £25 a year or £5 as a junior — had one share, one vote. No one could own more influence than anyone else. Ticket prices were to be kept affordable. Youth participation, on and off the pitch, would be encouraged. The club would be accessible to all, discriminating against none. Shirt sponsorship? Not allowed. Outright commercialism? To be avoided wherever possible. Their first game in the North West Counties Football League Division Two — the 10th tier of English football — was a 5–2 away win at Leek CSOB in August 2005. It set the tone. FC stormed through three consecutive promotions in their first three seasons. By 2010–11, they were pulling off FA Cup giant-killings, the most famous being a 3–2 win over Rochdale to reach the second round proper. For the first nine seasons, they shared Bury FC’s Gigg Lane. The ambition, though, was always to come home to east Manchester, where Manchester United themselves had been born in Newton Heath more than a century before. In 2010, plans were announced for a 5,000-capacity ground on the Ten Acres Lane sports ground site in Newton Heath, right next to the old Jacksons Brickworks. But by 2011, Manchester City Council had withdrawn its support, and the project collapsed. A new site was quickly found in Moston. Broadhurst Park — capacity 4,400 — opened in May 2015 at a cost of £6.5 million, part-funded by a £2 million Community Share Scheme and a patchwork of grants. The ground even incorporated the old Dane Bank Terrace from Northwich Victoria. Four covered stands wrap the pitch: the St Mary’s Road End, the North Stand, the Lightbowne Road End, and the Main Stand with its seating, bar, catering, offices, medical suite, classroom, and changing rooms. The ground is shared with local junior club Moston Juniors FC, reinforcing FC’s community-first ethos. On the pitch, FC United have bobbed between the Northern Premier League Premier Division and National League North (tier 6), with promotions and relegations keeping them competitive but firmly rooted in non-league’s upper tiers. Off it, they remain one of the biggest fan-owned clubs in the country — around 2,300 members — and are renowned for their matchday atmosphere. Their first season in 2005–06 saw an average home gate of over 3,000, the second-highest in non-league football. Attendances settled at around 2,000 before soaring again after the move to Broadhurst Park, peaking at 3,394 in 2015–16. The badge tells its own story. Red, white, black, and yellow — the colours of Manchester — and free from commercial clutter. It borrows from Manchester’s coat of arms: the merchant ship representing the city’s industrial might and global trade connections; the shield from the heraldic crest of Robert de Gresle, the first lord of the manor of Manchester in the 12th century, whose statue still watches over Albert Square from the Town Hall. The ship speaks to the Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894, which turned the landlocked Cottonopolis into a major port. The shield’s three bendlets enhanced gules are a rare heraldic flourish, giving the badge a unique geometry that sets it apart in the footballing landscape. FC United’s colours are, unsurprisingly, red, white, and black — the same as Manchester United. The home kit is plain red shirt, white shorts, black socks; the away strip changes periodically but is usually white; a third kit has sometimes been blue with the club’s clenched-fist “Our Club, Our Rules” motif on the chest. And unlike most clubs, there’s no shirt sponsor — a constitutional safeguard to keep the shirts clean and the game uncluttered by advertising. Philosophy runs deeper than aesthetics. Members vote on kit designs, ticket prices, and major club decisions. The club prioritises affordable football and genuine supporter culture over chasing the biggest gate receipts possible. It runs on volunteer work, from matchday stewards to youth coaches, and invests back into north Manchester through community projects and education programmes. Critics at the start wondered why these disillusioned United fans didn’t just go and support other cash-strapped local clubs. But for the founders, that wouldn’t have been theirs. It wouldn’t have been United. And it wouldn’t have been right to take over another club after watching their own be taken over. FC United was about keeping the protest alive, keeping the songs alive, and keeping the community of supporters together — still singing United songs, still playing in red, but on their own terms. Today, they’re in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, still at Broadhurst Park, still singing, still owned by the fans. The professional game may have sped further into the arms of billionaires and broadcasters, but FC United remains a living reminder that there’s another way to run a football club — one that puts supporters first, doesn’t sell its identity, and carries a badge that means exactly what it says. #GetTheBadgeIn

One of the most successful English teams of all time. A team that dominated the Premier League for nearly twenty years. One of the most well known global brands and badges anywhere in the world… United, Manchester United. So let’s get to know their roots and #GetTheBadgeIn. Before they were United, they were Newton Heath LYR—founded in 1878 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot just under three miles from Manchester city centre. Pre-Industrial Revolution, Newton Heath was mostly low-grade farmland, but it was swallowed by engineering, textiles, and coal mining. Two of its most famous firms were Avro, the aircraft manufacturer, and Heenan & Froude, the steel engineers behind Blackpool Tower. But its biggest export? Manchester United Football Club. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was one of England’s largest railway companies, running the busiest network in the country until 1922. One of its most striking legacies is still visible today—a spectacular glazed tile map of its routes at Manchester Victoria station, built into the war memorial. The club’s first home at North Road stood opposite the works, and they wore the company’s green and gold colours. The ground had a capacity of 12,000, no changing rooms (teams got ready in the Three Crowns pub), and a pitch often described as a swamp in winter, with the added charm of being regularly shrouded in steam from passing trains. Newton Heath LYR’s earliest games in 1880 were against other railway sides, their first recorded match a 7–2 win over Blackburn Olympic reserves in 1883. Football’s shift to professionalism in 1885 saw Newton Heath sign paid players, but chasing competitiveness inflated wages and ticket prices, and finances spiralled. Hopes of joining the Football League in 1887 failed, and they instead became founder members of the Combination, then the Football Alliance, before finally joining the First Division in 1892. In 1891, the club built two stands at North Road—without a penny from the railway company. The decision soured relations and in 1892, they severed ties with the L&YR entirely, becoming simply Newton Heath. The Diocese of Manchester, who owned the ground, disliked the club charging admission fees and hiked the rent, leading to repeated eviction attempts. By 1893, they relocated to Bank Street in Clayton, wedged between a railway line and a chemical works—described by the press as “a dismal, evil-smelling neighbourhood”—but it became home nonetheless, with new stands and terraces packed with thousands. The club’s original badge featured a train in honour of its origins, but by 1891 it had evolved into a simpler coat of arms. Financial troubles lingered until 1902, when local brewery owner John Henry Davies rescued the club after an encounter involving then-captain Harry Stafford’s lost dog. With new investment came a new name—Manchester United—and a badge inspired by Manchester’s civic crest, complete with a merchant ship symbolising the city’s role in global trade during the Industrial Revolution. The three yellow stripes represented the Irwell, Irk, and Medlock rivers that fuelled its growth. The Industrial Revolution transformed Manchester into Cottonopolis. The 1894 Manchester Ship Canal turned a landlocked city into a major port. Like East Anglia, Manchester’s textile trade was seeded by 14th-century Flemish migrants, but the Industrial Revolution, slave-produced cotton, and vast infrastructure projects like the canal turbocharged industry in the North-West. Manchester’s turbulent and progressive history gives their badge—and especially the devil—an edge. The city helped inspire Marxist thought, with Engels and Marx meeting in Chetham’s Library, played a key role in the Suffragette movement, the birth of the Labour Party, endured the Peterloo Massacre, and survived Hitler’s bombing raids. Mancunians are made of tough stuff. By the 1970s, the once-busy Manchester and Salford docks were in decline, losing traffic to east coast container ports like Felixstowe. The area decayed, but as Salford Quays it’s been reborn—now home to the Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North, and the BBC. Ipswich’s docklands could take notes from this 21st-century makeover. Tragedy struck United on 6 February 1958, when the Munich air disaster claimed 23 lives, including eight players and three staff. Returning from a European Cup match, their plane crashed on its third takeoff attempt in Munich. This devastating event became a cornerstone of the club’s identity, uniting fans and the city in grief and determination. The addition of the Red Devil to the badge in 1973—borrowed from Salford Rugby’s Les Diables Rouges —was embraced by Sir Matt Busby to project strength and resilience. Today it remains central to the club’s image, embodied by mascot Fred the Red. Some fans still lament the loss of the words “Football Club” in 1998, but United’s brand is so strong it hardly needs them. My only worry is the creeping trend toward minimalist crests—they might one day reduce it to just the devil, in the vein of Lincoln’s imp or their own stripped-back third kits. United might not dominate as they did under Ferguson, and their noisy light-blue neighbours are the ones spending big now. But history suggests the Red Devils will rise again—after all, they’ve done it before, from swampy North Road and the smoky skies of Newton Heath to the world stage.Devils will rise again.

This account normally focuses on badges and kits – mostly because of their symbolism and what they can tell us about the history and nature of a town or city. But occasionally, bricks and mortar catch our attention too – for exactly the same reason. In steps some North Wales mining town called Wrexham. You may have heard of them. I think there’s a TV show or something. All the influx of Hollywood dollars has, happily, allowed for a transformation in the club’s fortunes – but also in the built infrastructure of the town and the club. Most notably, the club is now on course to turn the once-condemned Kop stand (which stood derelict and a visible blight on the landmark since 2007) into something remarkable. The plans are pretty darn cool – developed by the same firm that built the new Tottenham Stadium (widely applauded as the best in the country). So, let’s #GetTheGroundIn for the new Kop stand. But before we go there – why the Kop? There’s also a Kop at Anfield – the home of Liverpool. So what on earth does it mean? A "Kop" or "Spion Kop" is a term for a single-tier stand, typically behind the goal, known for its steep slope and large capacity. The name originates from the Battle of Spion Kop in the Second Boer War, where a hill in South Africa with a similar steepness was the site of fierce fighting. Many terraces in British football stadiums were named "Kop" in memory of the battle and the soldiers who fought there. At first glance, the new stand looks like a sleek modern shape – something you’d see at the Tate. Full of clean lines, sharp angles – all very smart. But look a little closer and you’ll spot something far more grounded – far more Wrexham. The deep red brick is Ruabon brick, long used in homes, schools, and chapels across North Wales. It came from the town of Ruabon, only a ten-minute drive from Wrexham. The Ruabon Brick and Terracotta Company, established in the 1890s, was a key producer of Ruabon bricks at its factory near the town. Henry Dennis founded the Hafod Brickworks in 1878 to capitalise on the Etruria Marl (top-notch quality) clay found in the area, which was used to make the bricks. So popular were these bricks that the area earned the nickname "Terracottapolis". There could be little more North Wales than this. That connection to place runs deeper still. The angles and shapes of the brickwork have been carefully modelled on the coal seams and slate layers that criss-cross the land beneath Wrexham. It’s a nod – unspoken, but clear enough – to the generations who grafted underground, powering the country from deep beneath the ground. The lattice-style brickwork means you can see in and out – a gentle reminder that the club isn’t shutting itself away. It’s still a part of the town, and it wants the town to feel part of it. Down at ground level, there’ll be a plaza – open, public, and home to a miner’s wheel. It’s there to honour the 266 men and boys who lost their lives in the Gresford Colliery Disaster of 1934. A stark number, even now. The wheel doesn’t just mark a tragedy; it anchors the club to a wider story, one written in soot and sweat. The bodies of those lost still remain, locked in their underground tombs, and even today, many in the town have grandparents or great-grandparents who lost their lives in this terrible industrial disaster. The wheel will reflect the beating heart and spirit of the town (it also appears on their kits). Of course, this is still about football. The new stand isn’t just beautiful or symbolic – it’s practical too. It’s being built to meet UEFA Category 4 standards, which means the club could one day host international matches. Which is fitting, as it will restore the ground to its historic role as an international venue – it hosted Wales v Scotland in 1877. There is also the small matter of the dragons. The nickname for the team. The creature on the Welsh flag. Two will stand proudly on the corner of the Kop – taken straight from the badge. All in all, it’s more than a stand. It’s a story in stone and steel. About who Wrexham is. And where it’s going.

So, Peterborough have today announced their new rebrand. The team behind it have given a fairly good account of themselves on a YouTube video that I'll stick in the comments. Despite their careful groundwork it appears to have divided opinion with some saying it is underwhelming or too similar to Chelsea's badge. Personally I think if you see it with the words POSH beneath it then it starts to make more sense and it grows on you. Slowly. But - this would appear therefore to be the perfect time to #GetTheBadgeIn for Peterborough's existing crest before this minimalist version takes over and potentially buries some of the symbolism that the current one has linking it to the town. So, let's see what we can discover about The Posh: Peterborough United came into being in 1934 at a meeting in the Angel Hotel, filling the void left by the defunct Peterborough & Fletton United. That club had grown out of earlier sides like Peterborough City and Fletton United, who played just south of the River Nene at the London Road ground, in a part of the city best known for its brickmaking. It’s no surprise, then, that early nicknames like The Brickies and The Clay Dobblers stuck. The now-iconic name The Posh emerged from a 1921 appeal by player-manager Pat Tirrel for “posh players for a posh new team”. Initially said tounge in cheek, it was soon taken on with pride. When Peterborough United kicked off in green shirts (donated by local shop Trollopes) and beat Gainsborough Trinity 4–1, the nickname began to take root. By 1937, the club switched to its now familiar blue and white, after fans complained green was unlucky. The board’s response? “Pay for blue shirts and we will wear blue shirts.” So they did and crowd funded a new kit. And The Posh were here to stay. Peterborough itself has ancient foundations—quite literally. Once a Roman route stop, it grew into a significant Anglo-Saxon religious centre. King Penda of Mercia chose it as the site for Medeshamstede Monastery in 654 AD. Rededicated to St Peter, the area eventually became known as St Peter’s Borough—hence the city’s name. It weathered Viking raids, flourished under Norman rule, and developed a patchwork of medieval walls and gates, though never fully enclosed. Street names like Cowgate and Westgate recall those days. Today, most of those defences are gone, but the spirit remains. Adapted from the city’s coat of arms, Peterborough United’s badge displays a pair of crossed keys, a reference to St Peter—holder of the keys to Heaven, as described in Matthew 16:19: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" It’s a powerful symbol of authority and spiritual responsibility. You’ll find it echoed across English heritage, from local pubs named The Cross Keys to private schools (Cranleigh down in Surrey is next to a St Peter's Church and displays the keys in its badge). The gold crown above the shield represents the city’s historic defences. It’s styled after town walls—specifically the kind that once marked Peterborough’s medieval limits. Though much of the stone is long gone, the crown keeps that memory alive. Flanking the badge are two lions, drawn from the heraldry of the Marquess of Exeter—once the Lord Paramount of Peterborough. On the older badge the design mimicked the city coat of arms more precisely and you can see their wings nod to the eagle supporters of the first Earl of Peterborough, and the stars come from his arms too. The lions rest their paws on tree trunks—a nod to the Fitzwilliam family, whose estate shaped much of the local landscape. The club’s motto, “Upon This Rock”, is both spiritual and historical. It refers to Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:18: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" Fitting for a city founded around a monastery dedicated to St Peter, and for a club built on foundations. In the more recent badge, the lions even stand on a rocky outcrop—visual confirmation of both foundation and faith. No badge is complete without the people behind it. Peterborough United’s history features familiar names: Barry Fry, the exuberant manager-turned-director; Jimmy Bullard, who brought flair before finding fame on and off the pitch; and Darren Ferguson—long-serving gaffer and son of Sir Alex—who has steered the club through numerous promotions with understated competence. So there it is. A badge full of faith, history, brick dust, lion paws, and blue shirts bought by the fans. Peterborough United. Upon this rock, they built a club. Let's hope the redesign doesn't forgot that.

How did an Anglo-Saxon called Hwæsa, pottering about 1200 years ago outside Sunderland, end up being dragged into a #Trump made culture war in 2020? Let’s find out…   Coming up is a #NFLPreseason game between my Cincinnati @Bengals and the Washington @Commanders. All season long I will try to give the historical and symbolic meaning behind the badges of the teams we play. So let's get started with the capital's team...   The Washington Commanders. Formerly the Redskins. Three-time Super Bowl winners. One of the most iconic teams in the #NFL .   But why today are they called the Commanders?   I don’t want to get too much into why they switched. To do so risks attracting the swivel-eyed loons of the MAGA personality cult in the States (who are doing their absolute best to destroy their supposedly sacred constitution). And nobody has time for that. As a huge fan of the USA, it just makes me incredibly sad to see what is happening to it. So let’s move on.   Yes, we all know that it was deemed by many to be inappropriate and distasteful to the memory and legacy of Indigenous peoples in the USA (who, let’s not forget, suffered genocide — at the hands of both pathogens and politics brought by European settlers). So a change was made. Was it the right change? Who knows. Personally, making these sorts of name changes comes about five millionth on my list of “Things to do to make the world a better place”. I’d much rather we had grown-up discussions about how to make the world materially better than just navel-gazing and arguing semantics. But alas. Here we are.   So, the Commanders it is. And, to be fair, there’s actually a lot more thought behind the name than first meets the eye. So let’s give this newly named franchise the honour and respect they deserve and #GetTheBadgeIn to see what lies behind the new name.   The Washington Commanders.   Firstly, they have retained the burgundy and gold of the Redskins. Good. Keeps some continuity with the past.   What about the rest? Well, the name Commanders does make sense. Washington is home to the President — the Commander-in-Chief. It is home to the Pentagon — the world’s largest military HQ (for now, China is building a bigger one). And the city itself takes its name from George Washington — the most famous of all American commanders. So Commanders ties in.   But there’s actually a lot more going on with the badge and the jersey.   The badge is that “W”. What at first appears to be a bit of a cop-out comes in military-style print — the sort you’d expect to see stencilled in white on a green ammo box in the Vietnam War or something similar.   Then there’s the very subtle positioning of the name “Commanders” on the jersey. It has dual symbolism. The word appears sandwiched between two lines. Fine.   The first symbolism is the way it mimics the name badges seen on military uniforms, tying it again nicely into the martial theme.   But the second part is much, much deeper. And to a British fan, much more satisfying. This is because embedded in the jersey is an old English coat of arms.   And that takes us back to our good friend Hwæsa.   Pottering around, probably about 1200ish years ago near modern-day Sunderland, he settled down and formed a little village near the River Wear. The meaning of the name is a little disputed, but the most likely is that Washington came from Hwæsingatūn — meaning “the estates of the descendants of Hwæsa”. From that name we get, through various evolutions, the modern English “Washington”.   After the Norman invasion, the area was, a century or so later, gifted to a noble by the name of William de Hertburn. He changed his name to William de Wessyngton to reflect his new home town and built a stately home — an updated version of which still stands, called Old Hall.   This was the seat of the Washington family.   And here’s where the connection is made. The Washington family was given a coat of arms — a shield. A simple one at that: it featured two red lines running in parallel and, above them, three stars.   Centuries later this coat of arms was taken by the Washington family to the New World, and George Washington — aka President Washington — flew the flag at his home estate in Virginia. Today, that same coat of arms is the flag of Washington D.C.: two parallel red lines and three stars.   What do we see on the Washington Commanders’ jerseys? The “Commanders” name, sandwiched between the two lines taken from the Washington coat of arms — and, on the back of the jersey near the neck, three stars. (which -remarkably – is the same number of NFL era Super Bowls they’ve won – I guess when they win a fourth the designers will need to make a decision!)   From the Potomac to the playbook.   This is the team of Washington. This is the team of America’s Commanders. And long may it continue to be so.

Hartlepool United. The Monkey Hangers. A club that wears its legend on its sleeve and its town’s history in its badge. From shipyards and steelworks to siege and folklore, this is a place — and a team — that has been through it all. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn. Founded in 1908 as Hartlepools United Football & Athletic Club Company Ltd, the club took its early identity from West Hartlepool, who’d won the FA Amateur Cup in 1905 before dissolving in 1910. The new club took on their assets, debts, and place in the North Eastern League. In 1921 they joined the Football League’s Third Division North and for the next 37 years made it their home before landing in the newly formed Fourth Division. In 1968, the name changed to simply Hartlepool after the towns of West Hartlepool, Hartlepool, and the village of Hart were merged. They became Hartlepool United in 1977. Promotions came in 1967–68, 1990–91, 2002–03, and 2006–07, though each was followed by relegation. The club’s longest Football League stay ended in 2017 after 96 years, but promotion back was sealed in 2021 after beating Torquay in a the National League play-off final. Sadly, they dropped back again in 2023. If Hartlepool’s football history is a tale of resilience, the town’s story is even more dramatic. Perched on a headland in County Durham, the old town was founded in the 7th century around a monastery led by St Hilda. Bede himself described it as “the place where deer come to drink”. The name comes from the Old English heort (hart) and pōl (pool). In the Middle Ages, Hartlepool’s harbour became the County Palatine of Durham’s official port. The 19th century brought transformation. With coal from the Durham fields and shipyards along the docks, Hartlepool’s fortunes boomed. Ralph Ward Jackson’s creation of West Hartlepool in the mid-1800s saw the area grow into a shipbuilding powerhouse. By 1913, 43 ship-owning companies were based here. But its importance also came with risk. On 16 December 1914, the Imperial German Navy shelled the town with 1,150 shells, killing 117 people. Hartlepudlians responded in typical style — by raising more money per head for the war effort than any other town in Britain. Folklore, though, is what gives Hartlepool its most famous nickname. During the Napoleonic Wars, legend has it a French ship was wrecked off the coast. The only survivor was a monkey in a French uniform. Locals, having never seen either before, decided the monkey must be a French spy. A “trial” was held, the monkey could not answer, and it was hanged on the beach. Today, a monument to the monkey stands on the shore, and Hartlepool United lean into it with H’Angus the Monkey as their mascot. One wearer of the costume, Stuart Drummond, even became the town’s mayor in 2002. The only town I am aware of to vote for a monkey. The club’s badge and colours connect to this wider story. Hartlepool have played in blue and white stripes since 1912, with occasional experiments in all-blue or light-blue kits. The badge has shifted from simple initials to versions featuring the hart from the town’s crest, to a 1995 design with a ship’s wheel — a nod to the maritime heritage — and back again to a hart standing in water in 2017. That maritime link is everywhere in Hartlepool. The National Museum of the Royal Navy sits in the redeveloped docks, home to HMS Trincomalee, the oldest British warship still afloat. Built in Bombay in 1817, she travelled the world on policing and protection duties before retiring here. Shipwrights and conservators now work daily to keep her in shape. Cannons fire on weekends - keeping the memory alive with a boom. Like the town, Hartlepool United have had their share of battles. Between 1924 and 1984, they had to apply for re-election to the Football League 14 times — a record. They stayed up every time, often scraping survival on the last day. Brian Clough began his managerial career here, Ritchie Humphreys racked up a record 543 appearances, and Joshie Fletcher’s 111 goals remain the club’s best. Industry’s decline hit the area hard in the late 20th century. British Steel’s closure in 1977 cost 1,500 jobs, and unemployment soared to 30% in the 1980s. The docks’ redevelopment into a marina in the 1990s, followed by the Historic Quay and HMS Trincomalee’s restoration, marked the start of a fightback. Yet the club has always been more than results. Hartlepool United are a focal point for a community that’s endured bombardment, industrial collapse, and the long grind of lower-league football. Their badge, whether ship’s wheel or hart in the water, tells you exactly who they are: a town and team shaped by the sea, defined by hard work, and unafraid of the odd scrap — whether that’s in the boardroom, on the pitch, or with a shipwrecked monkey.

I'm up early today to catch the train down to Roots Hall to catch @SUFCRootsHall take on @CAFCofficial in their last pre-season friendly. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn for Charlton Athletic — a club born on the bend of the Thames, with a great nickname - they've had some good times and today are looking to rebuild back to where they were in the 90s and early 00s. So let's see what we can see down in the Valley... Charlton were formed in 1905 by a group of teenagers in south-east London. They became known later as the Addicks. Why I hear you cry? Well, here is the legend: In Chalrton's early days the visiting team would be treated to haddock and chips after the match, courtesy of local fishmonger Arthur Bryan, who ran a shop at 77 East Street. He also held the catering contract during Charlton’s first season at The Valley. One version of the tale has the shop owner attending early games with a haddock nailed to a post, using it to advertise his takeaway to the crowd. Whether apocryphal or not, it stuck. The name ‘Addicks’ — a corruption of ‘haddocks’ in the local accent — became a cherished part of the club’s identity. This is an incredible story and if Charlton to this day don't offer visiting teams, and their coaching staff, a fish dinner - then they absolutely need to. (Surely Birdseye or someone needs to sponsor a pre-season friendly cup involving Grimsby (Harry the Haddock), Fleetwood (Cod Army), Chalrton ('Addicks) and Southend (Shrimpers?)... Someone is missing a trick here). Charlton's ground, The Valley, was built with the help of volunteers in the 1910s and 1920s, carved out of an old chalk pit by fans using picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. In the early days, the pitch was prone to flooding and even had a duck pond in one corner. From the very beginning this was a club built on hard work. Charlton turned professional in 1920 and became a mainstay of the English football league system. Their golden era came just before and after the Second World War. Under manager Jimmy Seed, they reached the FA Cup final twice — losing in 1946 but winning it the year after, defeating Burnley 1–0 at Wembley. During that post-war period, Charlton wore a badge featuring a robin perched on a football in the centre of a quartered shield — each quarter marked with the letters C A F C. That crest, used in the 1946 final, reflected the club’s nickname at the time: The Robins. Though it never appeared again on shirts after the 1940s, the design has made occasional comebacks on retro merchandise. In the early 1960s, club officials felt the time had come for a more modern identity. In 1963, they ran a competition for supporters to design a new club crest. The winning entry depicted a hand gripping a sword — it stood out, it was simple, and unlike anything else in English football at the time. Though a fanzine article in 1998 claimed the design came from the Percival family crest (A noble family with connections to nearby "Charlton House" - the most famous of whom, Spencer, was the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated). Although this claim apparently has no real connection to the original design and was dreamt up after the fact. The real symbolism was clearer: the sword stood for strength and daring. It reflected Charlton’s hard-edged, working-class identity, and perhaps hinted at the kind of fight the club would come to embody. On the back of the new badge the club experimented with new nicknames — including The Valiants (a nod to both the sword and The Valley), The Crusaders, The Rockets, and The Red Devils. None of them stuck. In the end, fans kept using The Addicks, and that was that. The now-familiar badge — with the hand and sword placed inside a red ring with the club’s name — made its debut in a match against Millwall on 10 August 1968. It was briefly dropped during the 1970s, replaced by a plain “CAFC” monogram, but this proved too bland and short-lived. The sword returned in 1975 and has remained ever since. Considering it's age the logo is a modern gem - looks easily like it could have been designed today by some marketing team after months of development, "fan engagement" and prototypes (and millions of pounds in fees). In 2002, a full-page article in the matchday programme claimed the local council had questioned whether the sword was an appropriate symbol for a “friendly” football club. Supporters were asked to vote on alternative designs, including crests based on the Addicks and the Robin. It turned out to be an April Fool’s joke, but the reaction was telling — fans overwhelmingly backed the sword. In 1985, The Valley was closed due to safety concerns. The club began a ground-share at Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace, but many supporters refused to accept it. Instead, they formed the Valley Party, a single-issue political group that stood in local elections to demand the return of their stadium. They didn’t win seats, but they forced the issue onto the political agenda. By 1992, Charlton were back home. That same spirit carried into the Premier League era. Under Alan Curbishley, Charlton became one of the most stable clubs in the top flight between 1998 and 2007. They weren’t flashy, but they were consistent — a team built on smart recruitment, good coaching, and solid leadership. Players like Scott Parker, Claus Jensen, Richard Rufus, and Darren Bent played some of their best football at The Valley. But things fell apart after Curbishley’s departure. The club endured relegations, ownership turmoil, frequent managerial changes, and a general feeling of drift. The Valley remained proud, but there was an unmistakable sense of decline. Until now. After more than a decade in League One, Charlton have finally returned to the Championship — bringing cautious optimism back to SE7. Supporters have reason once again to believe that better days might lie ahead. Meanwhile, the surrounding area of Charlton continues to evolve. Once industrial, now a mix of old terraces and new flats, it sits just along the Thames from Greenwich and the O2 Arena. But The Valley remains untouched — hemmed in by houses, flanked by old roads and railway lines, and echoing with the sound of generations past. Charlton Athletic might not have global fame, a billionaire owner, or flashy branding. But it does have history. It has character. It has a sword held aloft. — and if all else fails - on the way home they can have haddock and chips.