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With our flat, rolling fields and reputation as country-bumpkin Tractor Boys, it is easy to overlook the industrial centres that have thrived throughout East Anglia. Stowmarket supplied gunpowder to Europe, Ipswich’s Crane built the first railways in China, Wivenhoe’s torpedo boats harassed German destroyers, and today Lowestoft’s docks clank with the assembly of wind turbines – we do far more than just munch carrots.   The jewel in the crown of this industrial heritage is perhaps overlooked: Leiston. Today, the cutting-edge technology of its nuclear power stations is safeguarded by its own government agency. But Leiston has been an industrial powerhouse since the 1700s. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what you can see in @leistonfc ’s unique badge. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn for East Anglia’s entrepreneurial acropolis.   Before it became a manufacturing hub, it was a monastic one. Leiston Abbey served as a centre for spiritual and physical support from 1182 until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1537. Local nobles lavished funds on it, especially Robert Ufford, the 1st Earl of Suffolk, who financed its relocation from marshland to a stable site. When not funding monasteries, Ufford commanded Edward III’s left wing at the Battle of Crécy – decimating much of the French nobility. Today, the Abbey is a ProCorda school, training future chamber musicians – a beautiful and fitting use. Songs have been sung here for nearly a millennium.   Fast forward to 1778, and we meet Richard Garrett from Melton. Marrying Elizabeth from Leiston, he founded Richard Garrett & Sons, producing agricultural tools before transitioning to steam engines for tractors and factories. The company grew rapidly, employing 2,500 workers.   Two generations later, Richard Garrett III visited the Great Exhibition in 1851 (at Crystal Palace - before it burnt down), witnessing American assembly line techniques. Inspired, he returned to Suffolk and introduced a ‘long shop’ for steam engines. This transformed production, making it faster, cheaper, and more consistent. Steam tractors and rollers poured out of Leiston, with one design built under licence in Czechoslovakia by 1925. Today, the Long Shop Museum keeps their stories alive.   In 1912, the firm began producing electric vehicles, including small trucks and vans for local government use. Glasgow used Leiston-built EVs for rubbish collection until the 1960s, and trolleybuses served Bradford, Southend, and Doncaster. During WWII, Leiston hosted three US Air Force fighter squadrons, flying P-47s and P-51s to protect bombers coming out of East Anglia and Lincolnshire. Among the pilots at Leiston was Chuck Yeager, who became a fighter ace (11.5 kills – with 5 in just 1 day!) and, in 1947, broke the sound barrier flying the Bell X-1.   Now, back to the football team and its badge. Leiston FC, formed in 1880 by workers at the Garrett Engineering Works, displays a badge featuring what appears to be a steam engine. The curved design, I like to think, may also nod to the second major industry that came to dominate the area. From steam engines to steam reactors: in 1966, Sizewell A was commissioned. Its Magnox reactors produced 325 MW each. Sizewell B followed, and we’re still waiting on Sizewell C, buried under red tape. Even with the loss of the Garrett plant, Leiston remains a bastion of heavy engineering amid a sea of agriculture.   What Garrett would make of Britain today is unclear. I’m sure when sketching his assembly line after the Great Exhibition, he wasn’t also on the phone to his lawyers about dealing with decades of planning permission. Alas.   Yet, East Anglia stands – a gateway to Europe, fertile soils, and harbours, with a proud history of innovation and daring. Every time a Leiston player pulls on that shirt, they represent a region of piety, pioneering spirit, and passion. One to rival the best of the North-West teams and their Industrial Revolution heritage. We weren’t outmatched then, and we’re not outmatched now – and neither is Leiston FC.

There’s a town on the Suffolk/Norfolk border that often gets a bad rep—but I’d argue unjustly so. We’ve all been there, we all know it, and increasingly, more of us are working there. That town is Lowestoft, and it’s on the rise. From becoming a hub for offshore jobs to landing the county’s first Taco Bell, Lowestoft is making waves. Its football team, Lowestoft Town FC ( @OFCLTRAWLERBOYS ), topped the Isthmian League North last season and now competes in the Southern League Premier Division Central. The Trawler Boys are riding the high tide, so let’s #GetTheBadgeIn and see what we can find. Let’s start with the sunrise. This references Lowestoft as England’s most easterly point, home to Lowestoft Ness, where the Euroscope points to far-off places (and behind you, a Birds Eye frozen food plant churns out a million potato waffles every 24 hours—surely a strategic national asset worthy of a few Patriot air defence batteries?). The rising sun motif also appears on Suffolk’s Coat of Arms. The three white plates on the blue chevron represent the Lowestoft Porcelain Factory (1757–1802), famous for its blue-and-white teapots and jugs. Inspired by Chinese designs, the factory sold nationwide and to tourists visiting the town, with a large shop in Cheapside, London. One celebrated artist was the mysterious Tulip Painter, known for intricate floral designs. Surviving pieces, often inscribed with "A Trifle from Lowestoft," sell for up to £30,000 at auction. Now, the roses and crown. Some claim these symbols reference Saint Margaret of Scotland, but that seems mistaken. The actual patron saint of Lowestoft is Saint Margaret of Antioch (also the patron of pregnant women, exiles, the falsely accused, and kidney disease… make of that what you will). If anyone knows the real purpose of the roses and crown (Tudor on the town’s crest, red on the Football Club’s badge—closet Lancastrians, perhaps?), do let me know. Back to Margaret: legend says she was swallowed by a dragon but emerged unscathed after her crucifix choked the beast. Some versions say she smashed its head in with a hammer—having met women from Lowestoft, this sounds plausible. But there’s more to Lowestoft than its badge. In 1665, James, Duke of York, led the Royal Navy to victory over the Dutch, sinking or capturing 30 ships. It's also been an economic powerhouse: The Trawler Boys’ herring fleet fed East Anglia and, with railways, reached major cities. Inside St Margaret’s Church, a roll of honour remembers sailors lost at sea. Railways also brought tourists, and by the 19th century, Lowestoft boasted fine hotels and restaurants. In 1831 engineers joined Lake Lothing to the Noth Sea, creating a large harbour for ships. Shipbuilding took off and facilities to maintain the fishing trawlers sprung up. Much like Grimsby’s Mariners ( @officialgtfc ), it’s fishing town cousin further round the coast, it had its own ice factory that operated for over 100 years – delivering fresh fish to the nation. During WWI, the fishing trawlers became armed patrol boats, defending Britain’s coasts. For its troubles, the town was bombarded by German forces, which destroyed 200 homes before being driven off by the Royal Navy and poor visibility. In WWII, Lowestoft became HQ for the Royal Naval Patrol Service (RNPS) at Sparrow’s Nest Gardens. Lowestoft’s fishermen and Navy Reservists bravely cleared mines and hunted submarines in the war’s most dangerous naval branch. Today, Lowestoft serves the country still, combining its maritime legacy with renewable energy. The Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, with 140 turbines, and ongoing developments see tugboats leaving daily to service them, powering millions of homes. More turbines are being built today in the same harbour that once fixed up the herring fleets. From porcelain to power, from fighting Germans to fixing generators, Britain’s most easterly town keeps working for us all in the early light. The Trawler Boys are on the up, just like their hometown.

When it comes to iconic badges, theirs is definitely up there. The Foxes, as they’re famously known, carry a badge and name recognised worldwide. Their historic achievements - championed weekly by their Minister for Propaganda, Gary Lineker on Match of the Day - and their extraordinary Premier League victory under Claudio Ranieri, have cemented their place in Premier League history.   So, what’s the story behind this badge?   Interestingly, weren’t always the Foxes. When they moved to Filbert Street in 1891, they were given the nickname the ‘Nuts.’ This was either because Filbert is another name for a hazelnut or due to their ground at the time being on Walnut Street. Or perhaps it was both. Either way, they became known nationally as ‘The Knuts’ (with a K, apparently). Perhaps this is what urged them on to find a newer identity...   So, how did they become the Foxes? In 1949, during the FA Cup Final against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester appeared with a fox crest on their shirts for the first time (possibly as a playful jab at Wolves?). That said, the fox emblem had been drawn up in the 1920s but hadn’t yet made it onto their kit. I like to imagine an ambitious kit man, the night before the final, sewing on a fox to make a statement.   But why a fox in the first place? Leicestershire is historically linked to fox hunting – the first recorded hunt supposedly took place in 1696 in the village of Quorn. There’s even a small link to Ipswich; the Royal Navy has had three ships named HMS Quorn, after the Leicestershire hunt. One of the 'Hunt Class' series of ships - all named after famous hunts (makes sense now - they hunt for mines... clever). The most recent one, a mine countermeasures vessel, was assigned to Ipswich as her home base. She visited the Waterfront for public tours in 2014. Her crew were given the ‘Freedom of the Town’ and celebrated with a march through the town centre. I remember visiting before an Ipswich home game, where I vaguely remember queuing behind a line of 8 year olds to pretend to fire a mini gun vaguely in the direction of Harwich.   The fox emblem, then, honours the county’s fox hunting heritage. But what about the white flower in the background? That’s directly taken from the Leicester City Coat of Arms – look it up, and you’ll find a five-petalled flower known as a cinquefoil in the centre. This was the family crest of the noble Beaumont family, whose last in line, Robert de Beaumont, was made Earl of Leicester while journeying to the Third Crusade with Richard I in 1190.   So, the badge’s fox head framed by the cinquefoil is a blend of fox hunting tradition and noble crusading lineage. Better than a budgie, that’s for sure.

Why I love the pink third shirt... @IpswichTown Ok, so, a bit controversial here, but... I think it's great. I know. It is pink. VERY pink. I get that. Not the usual go-to colour. But... We are one of the last teams that I know of to actually release a pink 2nd or 3rd kit, and they're a clear winner with a large demographic. My wife wants one. My wife hates football shirts (which is awkward for our relationship, given I consider myself a collector/spotter/connoisseur/geek when it comes to shirts and badges). And I hope Sheeran sells these at his concerts. Legions of fans from Toronto to Tokyo should be leaving his concerts clad in Ipswich shirts. But hear me out, a quick commercial opportunity isn’t the only reason this is a winner. We didn’t just lazily release a pink shirt to tick a box or to follow a trend like some teams have (*cough, cough, @SouthamptonFC, cough cough). Instead, we (I think tbf, it was actually Ed Sheeran who designed it?) made it PACKED, and I mean PACKED, with local Suffolk symbolism. The colour itself is Suffolk Pink (actually, it looks a bit brighter to me, but that's what it is supposed to be). Suffolk pink is a thing. You know it is. Drive for 15 minutes in any direction in the Suffolk countryside and you will see pink houses/cottages. It's a local tradition. The pink itself dilutes/graduates slightly as you go down, mimicking the Suffolk sunset - again - something we are famous for and people who visit always comment on. Then, my favourite aspect, the silhouettes/skyline of Framlingham Castle and Wolsey Gate runs across the top of the shirt. This links it directly to the heart of our town and its history, as well as a nod to Sheeran's Castle on a Hill, which must be the only million-copy selling pop song about Suffolk. Next up, there is a wave made up of 6 lines which represent the 60-mile historic Suffolk Coastal Path, which stretches all the way from Felixstowe to Lowestoft. I am desperate to walk this one day. The last lines across the middle are the soundwaves created from the cheer of the crowd as players run out of the tunnel (and not the opening lines to Castle on a Hill, which my wife assumed, but nonetheless, it is a clear nod to the musical legacy of a certain Mr Sheeran too). Sunsets and songs, cardinals and castles – it is Suffolk through and through. I challenge anyone to find another shirt from any other team that is so packed with local imagery. Proud to wear it. The only thing that would have improved it is a dead budgie lying down near the bottom somewhere. Maybe felled by three throwing stars... or trophies, as we like to call them in Suffolk. #ITFC #Uppatowen

While Essex lacks teams in the English Football League (bar Colchester, who seem intent on losing their status every season), it’s home to some strong National League and lower outfits. Today, let’s look at one recent addition to the sixth tier: Hornchurch FC .   Last year, they won the Isthmian Premier League and are, at the time of writing, sitting 11th in the National League South. They’ve adapted well to the higher tier, racking up eight wins. But they’ve been around for a while—initially formed in 1881. Club records show they ended their first season 7 shillings in debt, no doubt breaking FFP guidelines.   Their badge is a classic, rooted in the area’s Coat of Arms. Let’s decode it and #GetTheBadgeIn.   First, that bull’s head. It comes from a metal sculpture on St Andrew’s Church in Hornchurch town centre. Records mention a bull’s head on the church as far back as 1222. Legend has it this is where the town gets its name—"the church with horns." Another theory? A local abbot used the bull motif as his official seal which then was picked up by the Church. Bulls on churches are rare; it’s not exactly Mother Mary.   Next, the three red roses. Initially, I thought it was a nod to the War of the Roses. But Essex is far from the Red Rose of Lancaster. Turns out they’re linked to William de Wykeham (ancestor of Connor? #itfc), and it turns out his story is also connected to the bull.   In 1159, Henry II gifted the area of Hornchurch to the Great St Bernard Hospice, a French monastic order. The monks controlled Hornchurch for centuries, but in 1378, the Catholic Church got itself in a right old mess, ending up with two rival Popes: one in Rome and one in Avignon. England sided with Rome (naturally, we couldn’t side with the French), and monasteries loyal to Avignon were declared enemies. The French monastery’s lands were confiscated and sold to William de Wykeham, who, conveniently, was the guy who suggested the idea to the crown. Classic medieval insider trading!   Wykeham didn’t just pocket the profits. He endowed Hornchurch to fund his legacy project: New College, Oxford. Rents paid in Essex would now fund study in Oxford. The church at New College Oxford mirrors St Andrew’s, Hornchurch—presumably, Wykeham got a two-for-one deal with the builders.   Now, the bird on the badge: it’s a martlet from Edward the Confessor’s arms. Edward, the last Saxon King (unless you count Harold, who got an arrow in the eye for his troubles), had a hunting lodge at nearby Havering-atte-Bower. Edward owned much of the area, and the martlets also feature on Dagenham & Redbridge’s badge, though theirs are red, not Hornchurch’s yellow, which is the original colour. Hornchurch is OG Confessor.   There’s also the heart at the bottom of the crest. One theory claims it’s linked to St Bernard, the man who created the Great St Bernard’s Hospice monastic order, which ran the priory before Henry II shut it down. Bernard of Menthon established safe routes through the Alps for pilgrims, setting up hostels and using dogs, later called St Bernards, (yes, the Beethoven ones) for mountain rescues. While the idea of the dogs carrying brandy is mostly legend, for establishing this network of pit stops and mountain rescue teams across the Alps, giving safe passage to Rome, he was made a saint.   As for the nickname "Urchins," theories abound. One story ties it to medieval hedgehogs (called urchins – in French) that infested the land before the club moved in. Another credits local street children from a nearby Dr Barnardo’s home who served as ballboys, sparking shouts of "Come on you Urchins!" when the ball went out of play.   During WWII, Hornchurch played a critical role as home to RAF Hornchurch. Its Spitfire squadrons were pivotal to winning the Battle of Britain. Fittingly, the RAF emblem also featured the bull from St Peter’s church (and the Coat of Arms).   And here’s a prehistoric twist: Hornchurch marks the southernmost reach of ice sheets during the Ice Age.   From mountains of ice to French monasteries to Messerschmitts  -  Hornchurch FC have stood against them all.   Come on you Urchins!

In honour of Harborough Town FC ’s recent victory over Tonbridge in the 1st round of the FA Cup, which has secured them an exciting 2nd round fixture against former Premier League side Reading on 30th November, we’re taking a look back at the club’s history, its town, and the bold, iconic badge that represents them. Harborough Town FC, based in Market Harborough (sitting halfway between Leicester and Northampton), came together in 2007 when Harborough Town Minis, HT Juniors, and Spencers United merged under a single banner. The club badge, designed by local architect and then-chairman Tim Bale, has as its centrepiece the Old Grammar School building—a famous structure in the centre of Market Harborough—sitting atop a football. The Old Grammar School itself is a strikingly beautiful building (check it out: https://atlasobscura.com/places/the-old-grammar-school… ).   Built in 1614 with funds from a local notable, Robert Smythe, it was constructed on stilts to provide a sheltered butter market area. Originally a school for impoverished boys, students received bibles and studied Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, with many joining the Church of England clergy. Later, it served wealthier families' sons before closing in 1908. Its most famous student, Nobel laureate William Henry Bragg, won the award in 1915 with his son for x-ray crystallography.   The market itself was established in 1204 and has run on Tuesdays ever since 1221—a remarkable record. Market Harborough even played a part in the English Civil War: it served as the headquarters for King Charles I’s army before the fateful Battle of Naseby, after which captured Royalists were held in Harborough's chapel as prisoners—surely the definition of something not going quite to plan. Today, Harborough Town FC has grown into a 3 Star FA Accredited club. This status is awarded to clubs that demonstrate a commitment to an inclusive pathway, allowing everyone who wants to get involved in the game. To that end, they boast over 60 teams across all age groups, for both men and women, including a veterans team, an inclusive team and a walking team —a truly impressive powerhouse of local football.    This month has been full of good news for Harborough. Not only have they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time and won their first match, securing a draw against a former Premier League team, but—perhaps more astonishingly in today's Britain—they've been granted planning permission to expand their stadium! An extra 175 seats and improved facilities will soon be added to their Bowdens Park ground. Love this story.

I grew up in Suffolk, but my dad's family is all from Grimsby. My dad grew up as a Grimsby Town FC fan and always looks out for them, even today. They've just hit a good spell of league form—last weekend's away win at AFC Wimbledon was their fifth consecutive away win, a record last achieved in 1952!   So, in their honour, let's #GetTheBadgeIn and see what the Mariners have to teach us... .   At its height, Grimsby was the biggest fishing port in the world, a hub of industry that shaped not just the town but British culture itself.   The badge pays homage to this maritime legacy, featuring a fishing trawler as a symbol of the town's historic fleet, along with black and white stripes representing the team's colours. The shape of the crest also is that of a trawler. In the 1950s, there used to be around 400 trawlers operating from Grimsby alone. It must have been a sight to see them all leave or come back—if only Instagram was around then. I bet we'd have some incredible images of this.   Grimsby's impact on British life really took off in 1848 when the railway connected it to London and other major cities. Suddenly, fresh fish from Grimsby could be sold almost anywhere within 24 hours of being caught. Other innovations added to this remarkable industry. The 1880s saw the first steam trawlers operating from Grimsby, allowing them to be bigger, faster, and fish further from shore. The Grimsby Dock Company built cranes and gates that used hydraulic power—supplied by the Grimsby Dock Water Tower, which at a height of 61m dominates the skyline and is tall enough to generate the hydraulic force needed to operate the dock's machinery.   To accommodate this surge in catch, the Grimsby Ice Factory was built in 1901. It used revolutionary methods and produced 1,200 tonnes of ice a day to keep the fish fresh. Though now abandoned, the factory is currently seeking funding to transform into a modern leisure facility, with restaurants and a cinema. Let's hope they achieve it; it would be a remarkable use for the site.   The speedy supply of fresh fish directly contributed to the rise of fish and chips as Britain’s national dish—a status cemented during the Second World War when fish and chips were never officially rationed. Supposedly, the government felt this would cause too much pushback and risk riots or even revolution (George Orwell once wrote that fish and chips acted like a drug, keeping British people happy with their miserable existence!).   That said, prices did rise during the war because thousands of trawlers had been taken into service with the Royal Navy Patrol Service. Tens of thousands of trawlermen served alongside thousands of, usually white-collar, urban professionals from the Royal Navy Reserve, operating within the Royal Navy Patrol Service. I should mention that Lowestoft in Suffolk also became a large base for the RNPS. This branch of the navy was the most dangerous to serve in during the entire war. Grimsby men risked life and limb in those small trawlers, defending Britain’s shores and clearing mines to secure the coasts.   Grimsby Town FC itself also boasts its own pioneering history. Blundell Park, the club’s home ground, is the oldest stadium in the English Football League still in use, and the club was the first in Britain to hire a foreign manager—a Hungarian, long before the Premier League made international managers fashionable.   Today, their mascot, Harry the Haddock, is an inflatable fish that fans have been bringing to games for decades. Their official on-pitch mascot is Mighty Mariner, a white-bearded trawlerman.   The Mariners’ badge is a story of a town that embraced new technology, fed a nation, defended its coastlines, and delivered the greatest and most iconic British dish of all time.   There’s a lot to like in that badge.   My Grandad would be proud.   @officialgtfc, @FPL_Fish, @phillipnorton, @JohnTondeur, @RichMariner, @therealbenno, @onthisGTFCday, @Mightymariner

Ok, so this #GetTheBadgeIn  sees us look across to the Spanish @LaLigaEN and Getafe FC, @GetafeCFen : I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole while watching the @ManUtd  v @ChelseaFC  game.   I Googled their striker Garnacho, which then led me to the first team he played for, a Spanish outfit called Getafe FC— which is a city/suburb on the outskirts of Madrid. Their crest has planes on it. Planes! And a flaming heart!   I instantly fell in love with it, so I started digging. The bulk of the crest is taken directly from the Getafe City coat of arms—with the city’s crown replaced by a football at the top of the badge, with an electric blue circle around it containing the club’s name. The badge is split in two.   The most instantly striking feature is the patterned bomber aircraft against the green background. Getafe is home to a large military air base - and the first one built to house the Spanish Air Force back in 1911. It’s therefore known as the cradle of Spanish aviation. Today it still operates, housing a squadron of Spanish-built CN235 transport aircraft. They look like a smaller version of the US C130-Hercules that the British flew until 2023.   The area still has a strong aviation heritage, as the European giant aircraft manufacturer Airbus has a huge manufacturing plant in Getafe, named Campus Futura, which designs and builds many of the electronic components for Airbus planes. But it doesn’t stop there; at their Getafe plant, they also build the upper launch sections of the European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 rocket and the same section for the Falcon 9, owned and operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, as well as the Japanese Space Agency’s H3 rocket.   That's cool. The other side of the crest is perhaps even more interesting, despite not being the half that initially caught my attention. The red and yellow colours of Spain form a traditional Latin/Christian cross, with a burning red heart at its centre. This symbolises the Catholic devotional practice (e.g. a prayer that some Catholics say) of the “Sacred Heart of Jesus.” The connection to the club is the large monument to this devotion in the middle of Getafe, known as Cerro de los Ángeles. It is a tall column featuring a statue of Christ at the top.   Opened in 1919 by the Spanish King and being deeply Catholic, the monument was blown up by Republican soldiers during the Spanish Civil War (Ipswich link: George Orwell fought on the Republican side - but not near Madrid, so don't blame him). After the Civil War, the Spanish dictator Franco had it rebuilt to the exact same dimensions—but on a larger scale—just to prove a point.   So, that’s the cross and the flaming heart explained. I love this crest. There’s a lot packed into it. Religion and Rockets. The old and the new. Much better than a periquito.

The modern ‘FC Halifax Town’ (@FCHTOnline) was formed in 2008 after Halifax Town A.F.C. was dissolved due to over £814,000 in tax debts, the new club began life in the Northern Premier League Division One North, the eighth tier of English football. Under Neil Aspin’s management, FC Halifax achieved three back to back promotions, helped in part by a young striker called Jamie Vardy, climbing to the National League by 2013. The new Shaymen have also enjoyed cup success, winning the FA Trophy twice, first in 2015–16 and again in 2022–23. Their current badge is a modern take on the older shield, featuring blue and white stripes with a prominent white rose in the centre. The white rose, representing Yorkshire (also seen on the Leeds badge and other Yorkshire teams), reappears in the modern design as smaller roundels flanking the circle containing the club’s name. The badge features their nickname, ‘The Shaymen’, derived from their home ground, ‘The Shay’, meaning ‘small wood’ in Old English. The estate, named in 1462, was passed down through nobles and developed for various uses, including the Shay Mansion, built in the 1700s. The mansion was demolished in 1903 after a new road, constructed on gasworks waste, made it unliveable. The waste caught fire in 1905, collapsing the road, which was later rebuilt with safer materials. The Shay Stadium, in use since 1921, has hosted football, rugby, speedway, and ice skating. So that’s the current badge, stadium and nickname, sorted. Digging deeper, we find an earlier badge used by the club, featuring the Halifax Town coat of arms. This one is a bit magical—I’ll include the image in this post. First, let’s address the giant ginger dude on the badge. Who is he? It’s John the Baptist. St John’s Church, the oldest in town, is dedicated to him, and his image appears throughout Halifax. The first church on this site dates to around 1120. Its organist in 1766, William Herschel, used to build telescopes in his spare time – and was the first man to discover the planet Uranus, the first new planet to be discovered since antiquity. The shield itself is chequered blue and yellow; these are the colours of the Warenne family. William Warenne was cousin to William the Conqueror and fought by his side at the Battle of Hastings. Halifax, and a lot of land in Surrey (he was given the title ‘Earl of Surrey’), were his reward. The town grew as a centre for the local wool trade, which explains the sheep atop the crest. However, locals had a reputation for rowdiness, prompting authorities to innovate by introducing the Halifax Gibbet. This early form of the French guillotine was used for public executions, with records showing its use from the 13th to 17th centuries—far longer than anywhere else in England. English poet John Taylor, in the 16th century, penned The Beggar’s Litany , where the beggar exclaims, “From Hell, Hull and Halifax, Good Lord, deliver us!”  (Hull is mentioned for its practice of tying criminals to posts at low tide to drown). In Halifax, men spent three days in stocks, displayed with the goods they were accused of stealing, before execution.   During the Industrial Revolution, Halifax, like many other Yorkshire towns, was central to the wool trade, with large mills employing thousands. In this respect, it shares heritage with Lancashire mill towns like Accrington and Manchester. However, what makes this town’s story a bit different is the success of hits namesake bank - The Halifax. With all the investment in factories and infrastructure (mills, canals, railways), someone needed to provide the capital. Enter the Halifax Bank. The bank became a building society, mutually owned by its members, pooling funds to help with home construction. Initially, it worked with larger philanthropists, funding homes for factory workers, such as Edward Akroyd's Akroydon scheme in today’s ‘Boothtown’ district and John Crossley’s West Hill Park Model Dwellings. Both are still standing as beautiful Victorian-era homes. Later, the bank expanded nationwide, helping individuals with home building and mortgages. My first-ever bank account was opened at the Halifax on Felixstowe High Street in Suffolk. So, FC Halifax: A mixture of Yorkshire mill town grit, a tradition of swift executions and canny long term investments – The #Shaymen are never to be written off.

The more of these I do, the more incredible and interconnected East Anglian history seems. And our next #GetTheBadgeIn is no exception. Today, we explore the current @ThurlowNunnL table toppers, @fakenhamtownfc, also known as The Ghosts.   Let's jump straight into the badge. It's a ghost—or at least, I think it is. The design has changed from an older version that looked more ghostlike. This newer version seems like it’s holding a rolling pin.   After much searching, I’m still unsure about the badge's origins. The club’s website shares two newspaper clippings explaining the nickname. According to the story, a woman in the Suffolk village of Fakenham once ran home after being followed by strange footsteps. The tale spread, and a sports reporter confused the Suffolk Fakenham with the Norfolk one, calling the football team "The Ghosts." The name stuck.   However, there is another... spooky... coincidence here. Fakenham borders Raynham Hall, where, in 1936, the famous "Brown Lady" ghost photo was taken. It shows a distinctly ghostlike figure descending the stairs (though no rolling pin is in sight).   Regardless of the origin, both explanations are excellent—and maybe both are true? Either way, "The Ghosts" is a fantastic name.   What of the club itself then? Formed in 1884, they've won the Norfolk Senior Cup seven times so far. This season, they're riding high again, looking for promotion, aided by @jakeyyyyboy9 , Jake Watts, who has scored 22 goals in 13 games—genuine paranormal activity.   Let’s look a bit at the town itself. Fakenham sits at a strategic crossroads between Norwich, Swaffham, Cromer, and King's Lynn. It had royal connections: before 1066, it was owned by King Harold Godwinson (the fellow who got the arrow in the eye at Hastings). Afterwards, it transferred to the new king, William the Conqueror.   Later, it was gifted to nobleman Guy Ferre, who fought alongside Edward I in the Crusades and later in his wars against Scotland. From him, it passed to the famous John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster and founder of that House of Lancaster, which would dominate England for centuries.   John fought bravely in the Hundred Years' War against the French, but his campaigns coincided with the Black Death, which claimed more of his soldiers than enemy action. Many of his military expeditions achieved little.   When Richard II was king, John of Gaunt became a key advisor and supported the poll tax in 1381. This unpopular move, also backed by Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, led to disaster. Sudbury lost his head (still on display there), and John was fortunate to be out of town when rebellious peasants burned down his London home, the Palace of Savoy.   More recently, Fakenham became known for its printing presses (celebrated on the town’s sign) and its nearby racecourse, specialising in thoroughbred racing.   So, the town is certainly more than a mere apparition. Beneath the friendly ghost is a tale of military might and industrial innovation—a history to be proud of. Fakenham Town FC are printing the next chapter as we speak.

As an Ipswich fan and former academy host, I’ve followed the progress of young players as they advance in their careers. One such talent is Ben Morris, who had a stellar academy goal-scoring record and regularly played for England’s U17s. Despite not making the Ipswich first team, he was loaned to Forest Green and then to the Swedish club GAIS before joining @DetroitCityFC in the @USLChampionship . If that sounds familiar, it’s because this is the same league as Ipswich's sister club, Phoenix Rising. In their honour, let’s take a closer look at Detroit FC, their badge, and their journey - #GetTheBadgeIn To begin with, this club has an inspiring origin story. It began as the Detroit City Futbol League (DCFL), a local community football league founded by Sean Mann, who still serves as CEO. Mann created the league to unite Detroit’s diverse communities through a shared love of football, bringing together teams from various backgrounds. In interviews, he recalls how the league featured groups from all walks of life, bringing together people who might not otherwise cross paths. It doesn’t matter where you come from – you can always argue if something was offside or not. However, to understand the significance of this in the Detroit context, a quick Google search for "Detroit abandoned buildings" shows that this city has not had the best half-century. Once the USA’s "Motor City" that hosted @Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, Detroit was a magnet for ambitious workers and families from around the world. Ford’s Model T, and arguably the world’s first assembly line, were produced here. It even created its own musical genre – the songs from Detroit would come to be known as #Motown (short for Motor Town). Today, however, Detroit faces huge challenges and is part of America’s Trump-supporting "Rust Belt" – a place where poverty, frustration, and resentment at economic decline can all too easily manifest in negative ways. Enter the heroes: community action groups like the DCFL. Building on their good works in the community and the large numbers attracted to the game, they eventually spawned a more professional flag-bearer team – Detroit City FC. Formed in 2012, they initially played in local leagues (winning the “Rust Belt Trophy” a few times) before joining the USL Championship in 2021. In 2024, they announced the purchase of land for a new stadium in the city, planned to open in 2027. The new stadium will be on the site of a closed hospital – a massive urban regeneration project that will continue the club’s positive impact on rebuilding this once-mighty city. But enough about the club’s history – what about the badge? Starting with the Fleur-de-Lys pattern in the background, this symbol pays homage to Detroit's French roots, as the city was founded by French settlers in 1701. Previously, the area was controlled by the Iroquois, but they had recently been weakened by conflicts with other tribes in the "Beaver Wars” ( smirk ). This opened an opportunity for the French, who established a settlement and named it "Detroit," meaning "strait" in French, referring to the Detroit River, a narrow waterway connecting Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. The French connection is further honoured through the colour – dark red – taken from the River Rouge, which runs through the city and flows into the larger Detroit River. The river is also home to Ford’s ‘River Rouge Complex.’ Over the years, this mega-factory has produced everything from Model T components to anti-submarine patrol boats during WWI, B-24 Liberator bombers in WWII, and, more recently, electric vehicles. Lastly, the giant golden figure in the centre of the badge – what’s that about? This is the ‘Spirit of Detroit,’ a large bronze statue in the heart of the city that has long symbolised Detroit. In one hand, it holds a ray of sunshine (divine light), and in the other, a representation of the people of Detroit. The figure appears on nearly all civic institution crests, such as those of the police and city council. When Detroit’s sports teams, like the @Lions (NFL) or @DetroitRedWings (NHL), achieve success, someone usually finds a jersey large enough for the statue to wear. So, that’s Detroit City FC: a unifier of people, a powerhouse of urban regeneration, and a club steeped in colonial and industrial heritage. Quite the badge. Let’s hope the Spirit of Detroit is soon proudly wearing the Rouge of the club.

Let's visit the Rams and #GetTheBadgeIn . Let's start with the obvious. The Ram. There is a superb story about the ram that directly ties the club to the modern Mercian infantry regiment. But. Before we get to that, the symbol of the ram has deeper roots than even that. And it's also a bit weird. There is an ancient tradition around Derbyshire, derived from pagan worship, of the "Old Tup". Old Tup was a Christmas tradition where teams, including a butcher, a crossdresser, and Beelzebub (mischievous deamon), carried a wooden ram head on a pole - under a sack, to local houses. They'd knock on the door and perfom the staged slaughter of Old Tup, with the butcher miming its death before the ram fell to the floor. ...Merry f*cking Christmas. This tradition was immortalised in the folk song The Ballad of the Derby Ram which goes back to at least the 16th century. The ballad tells the tale of a huge ram which would dwarf anything seen in nature, a Godzilla of a ram. The locals would struggle to tame it before eventually butchering it - the next verse reads... “the boys of the town begged the butcher for the eyes, to kick about in the streets as they were football size.” That's one way to train. Surely Derby need to sell goggle eyed footballs in their Club Shop. Ok. So far so weird. But now it gets really impressive - and we have to go to Colonial India to pick up the story. In 1858 the 95th Derbyshire Regiment were fighting the Indian Mutiny. After one skirmish a ram was seen wondering around and an officer ordered it killed. Instead, he was spared from being turned into mutton stew, joining the Derbyshires on their 3,000-mile march across India as the regiment's adopted mascot. For his service, the ram was awarded the India Medal with Clasp for Central India. He served bravely in 33 battles. Sadly, his adventurous life ended when he accidentally jumped into a well in 1863.  However, his legacy lives on, with the regiment continously having a ram in service - they accompany the regiment on parade, proudly wearing scarlet coats and medals. Today, the tradition continues with the British Army’s Mercian Regiment, which still maintains the Private Derby mascot as a symbol of the regiment’s heritage and connection to Derbyshire. Private Ram also often appears at Pride Park before the games, alongside "Rammie", the club mascot. The team itself formed in 1884, spun out of a cricket team looking for a winter sport - as so many football teams were. They played at the Baseball Ground for over a century. Originally intended to promote baseball, the ground became a fortress for Derby County until the club moved to Pride Park in 1997. The Baseball Ground’s history is forever linked with memories of legendary manager Brian Clough, who revitalised the club in the 1970s and helped them win two First Division titles. As for the city itself, the origins of the name, Derby, trace back to the Viking settlement Djúra-bý—“village of the deer.” Derby’s history, however, is not just football and folktales. In the 18th century, Derby played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution. John Lombe’s silk-throwing mill on the River Derwent is considered one of the world’s first fully mechanised factories, making Derby a birthplace of the industrial revolution. Somewhat sinister Christmas time traditions , suppressing rebellions and silk throwing machinery - Derbyshire and its Ram, can proudly bleat on about a fantastic heritage.