7 football clubs whose change of crests angered their fans
Loyalty to a football club is hard to explain. It’s not just the players that matter, but also the colours and symbols that evoke a sense of belonging and community. They are markers that represent a lifetime of hopes and ambitions. So, you can imagine the ire of supporters when anything about their precious team is altered. It is in humanity’s nature to resist change and while they are sometimes good and necessary, they can also be pointless and downright ridiculous.
Over the year many football clubs have undertaken a makeover of their corporate image, rebranding their crests often to their own peril. While some clubs execute a job well done like Chelsea in 2005 and West Ham United more recently, there are those who have made a complete hash of it.
Here’s a look at seven football clubs who changed their crests and angered their fans:
#7 Fulham
Fulham’s current crest came into effect in 2001 in honour of their promotion to the Premier League. However, their good fortune wasn’t the only reason behind their decision. Prior to their promotion, the club discovered that only 14% of their fans recognised the club’s crest. A humiliating statistic no doubt, the owner Shahid Khan set the wheels in motion and a new badge was designed.
In an attempt to modernise the club’s image a new crest was designed inspired by minimalist art bearing just the club’s initials. They parted with their traditional coat of arms in an attempt to make the badge look more distinctive and memorable. However, the supporters did not take too kindly to the way they went about launching the crest. Misleading information regarding a ‘big announcement’ on the website peeved off enough fans to make the move an unpopular one.