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Forbes
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Why Newcastle United Is Wrong To Change Crest
NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: The Newcastle United club crest outside St James' Park, home of ... More Newcastle United FC on October 13, 2021 in Newcastle, England (Photo) On Friday afternoon UK time, Newcastle United announced plans to change its crest for the first time in almost 40 years. The club's supporters were left to pick up the pieces after something of a shock, and it is fair to say the reaction is mixed at best. This is an incredibly emotive subject. Nothing quite represents a club's identity like the crest; that is its purpose by definition. For supporters, it is a thing to cling to; one of the few constants they have, alongside the black and white stripes. Only, as this announcement proves, it isn't that at all. In a statement on its website, Newcastle promised fans would be central to the direction of the new design, and members have been consulted via a survey. But the decision itself has been made without consultation of anyone. 'This isn't a decision we take lightly,' it wrote. "We love our crest. It's iconic and has stood us through unforgettable triumphs and testing times. But it was created in a different era. "Its intricate design doesn't always translate well in today's digital world. And it's difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently. "We've spoken to our Fan Advisory Board, now we want to hear from you. What should stay the same? 'What needs to be updated? And how can we embrace our history - not just by honouring it, but by preserving its spirit and building on it, so we can thrive in the years ahead?' It is admirable that the club has reacted in this way, but it will sting for many who have never known anything different. Without question, responses to this will be generation-dependent; the current crest has been in place since 1988, with three other iterations before that. To some, change is a part of the club, others have known nothing different. While this crest didn't don the shirt Bob Moncur wore when he lifted the 1969 Inter-City Fairs Cup, nor when Jackie Milburn scored in the 1955 FA Cup victory, it has been there for the birth and growth of a modern Newcastle. It is the crest of Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers', of Alan Shearer and, perhaps most pertinently, the crest of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and the Wembley heroes that ended 70 years of waiting for a domestic trophy. There is a wonderful quote from Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle's legendary former coach, which can be interpreted in support of either argument. 'What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It's not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. "It's the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It's a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father's hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.' The club isn't the crest, either. Things change and evolve. But it certainly isn't considerations of the digital age and the cold, hard business reasons behind the change. For fans, the crest represents the feelings and emotions Robson outlines; the connection to their home, through the unique, captivating seahorses there to represent the River Tyne, standing beside a black and white shield, below the castle from which the city bears its name. It is a thing of beauty. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United kisses the badge on ... More his shirt as he celebrates after the team's victory in the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Arsenal FC at St James' Park on November 02, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by) Perhaps a new design will embolden a brand new age for Newcastle. There is a certain complexity to the existing one, hence the club is looking for simplifications. Brand experts often say circular crests are easier to market, and a more basic design could resonate with new fans, leading to greater exposure. But that misses the point; marketing is about recognition, and diluting the crest by making it look more like any other will surely only lead to harm in that regard. For many fans, particularly those who can only remember seeing that crest on their chests, there is pride that theirs stands as one of the few classic designs in an increasingly boring, modern landscape. Ultimately, though, this is what Newcastle signed up for when the Saudi Arabian-led takeover of the club happened in 2021. For all of the celebration that comes from watching Isak score a goal, or Guimaraes lift a trophy, feeding the emotion Robson talks about, it is funded and led by cold, clinical decisions. Growth, exposure and money are what matter here. Making the announcement ahead of a huge, potentially season-defining match with Chelsea is questionable at the very least. Newcastle fans have been supportive of that in the main. With Profit and Sustainability Rules tangibly hampering progress, they've reluctantly accepted ticket increases and general price hikes. Re-naming the stadium, once viewed as a criminal offence by previous owner Mike Ashley, is actively encouraged because there is belief that the incumbents want to improve things, which Ashley patently didn't. Building a new ground and leaving St James' Park has even been backed by many, which initially felt unthinkable. But the positive consequences from all those decisions or suggestions are clear. There are visible up sides. With the crest change, they are less obvious; some may have seen it before and be more accepting. For others, this was the day the club changed forever and it will be hard to move on.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Newcastle announce plans to change iconic club crest
Newcastle United have announced plans to update the club's 'iconic' crest. The Premier League side will change their badge for the first time since 1988 after concluding that the current design was too 'intricate'. In a statement, Newcastle said the new design must 'show up clearly and confidently' across digital branding and physical merchandise. 'It's time to update our crest,' a club statement said on Friday. 'This isn't a decision we take lightly. We love our crest. It's iconic and has stood us through unforgettable triumphs and testing times. 'But it was created in a different era. Its intricate design doesn't always translate well in today's digital world. And it's difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently. As football and the world changes, so too must the symbol that unites us.' Newcastle said they will consult supporters and take feedback in an online survey. They added that the approach to changing the badge will be to 'refine and revive' the current design, rather than taking a new approach. 'This isn't about walking away from our past,' Newcastle said. 'It's about carrying it forward with pride. The crest is part of our story. It's on our shirts and inked in our skin. It deserves thoughtful evolution - shaped by the voices of the people who love it. 'Based on what we've heard, updates to the current club crest should be minimal and therefore 'refine & revive' is our recommended approach. We've spoken to our Fan Advisory Board, now we want to hear from you. 'What should stay the same? What needs to be updated? And how can we embrace our history - not just by honouring it, but by preserving its spirit and building on it, so we can thrive in the years ahead?' Newcastle ended their long wait for domestic silverware this season when they lifted the Carabao Cup at Wembley and are hoping to return to the Champions League for the second time in three seasons under manager Eddie Howe. Newcastle have been under the ownership of the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund since 2021.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Newcastle to consult with fans on ‘refining and reviving' club badge
Newcastle United are to consult with their supporters on 'refining and reviving' their current club crest. The club have launched a consultation process with fans via an independently run survey aimed at seeking advice on how they can modernise their badge. After initial discussions with Newcastle's Fan Advisory Board (FAB), the club have accepted that there is little hunger for a major overhaul of the crest's design, which has been in use and largely unchanged since 1988. Advertisement It is perhaps most synonymous — at least until earlier this season, when the club finally ended their long wait for a meaningful trophy — with Kevin Keegan's Entertainers team of the mid 1990s and it is based on the city's coat of arms, featuring the castle and seahorses which pay tribute to the city's status as a seaport. 'This isn't about walking away from our past,' the club said in an official statement on Friday. 'It's about carrying it forward with pride. The crest is part of our story. It's on our shirts and inked in our skin. It deserves thoughtful evolution — shaped by the voices of the people who love it … Based on what we've heard, updates to the current club crest should be minimal and therefore 'Refine & Revive ' is our recommended approach.' At issue is the fine detail of the club's current design. 'It was created in a different era,' the club said. 'Its intricate design doesn't always translate well in today's digital world. And it's difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently. As football and the world changes, so too must the symbol that unites us.' Initially, Newcastle season ticket holders and members will be given until May 16 to respond to a survey about what should be retained or updated from the current badge, the results of which will be collected by Savanta and then passed on to the club. The FAB have then recommended that Newcastle's wider fanbase should be given a choice of options in the second stage of the consultation process. No potential changes to the badge will be made in time for the start of next season. As someone who is old enough to remember previous incarnations of Newcastle's club crest, I'm perhaps not as emotionally wedded to the current version as some might be. Don't get me wrong, this is a classic badge, one which celebrates the club's connection to the city and which stretches back into Newcastle's proud history, but other designs have been just as beautiful. Advertisement What about the magpie standing splendid beneath the arc of a downturned capital letter C, which props up a curled NUF? That was gorgeous, something I'll forever associate with Paul Gascoigne, the first player who persuaded me that football could be poetic (as well as brutal). Those simple, sensuous curves – which were on the front of Newcastle kits from 1983-88 – were ahead of their time; think about Juventus and the decision they took in 2017 to strip their badge back to their first initial. I wouldn't have minded a comeback for that design. The magpie makes sense for Newcastle, the club – more so than the seahorses on the city crest, which are a nod to the city being a seaport – because that is their nickname. It also featured prominently on a club badge from 1976-83, standing in front of the Castle Keep and with the River Tyne in the foreground. I'm pleased – and relieved – that Newcastle are consulting so heavily and sensitively with their supporters on 'refining' their current crest and that they accept the link to the city is so important, but was there an argument to be more adventurous now that their modern identity has changed? After lifting the Carabao Cup, they are no longer the perennial losers. The magpies are rampant. By nature, I'm a traditionalist, but losing was one tradition I was happy to let go of.
BBC News
12-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Spurs announce price freeze for season tickets
Tottenham Hotspur say there will be "no increase" in ticket prices next season.A price freeze for season and match tickets extends to both the women's and men's team and includes the creation of new senior concession a statement on the club website, external, the club said it "appreciates the loyalty and commitment of supporters from all generations" and quotes the Fan Advisory Board as "pleased" with the price it is worth saying this ticket announcement has been made during a period of intense scrutiny on the football and non-footballing parts of the course, a key catalyst for this is anger about Spurs' results in a season where they are 13th in the Premier League and out of both domestic a perceived obsession with profit has also been part of a protest movement led by fringe fan group Change for Tottenham, which ultimately is calling for chairman Daniel Levy to leave the therefore, is a decision made while under pressure from an angry fanbase, but it should at least show the club is listening after consultation with fan groups.
