Historical football crests: how club badges changed
Football crests change with ownership, stadium moves, anniversaries and new design trends. FootyCrests keeps 482 dated historical versions from 139 clubs, the oldest from 1880.
Why clubs change their crests
The most common reasons are a new visual identity for television and merchandise, a simplification for digital use, a return to an older design for an anniversary, or a change in the club's name or city.
Some changes are small, such as a new typeface or fewer colours. Others replace the whole symbol, which is why supporters often keep using older versions.
Clubs with long crest histories
Leeds United, Bayern Munich, River Plate, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Inter Milan have some of the longest sequences in the catalogue. Each version on their crest pages shows the years it was in use.
How to use historical crests in design
Retro kits, anniversary posts, timelines and documentaries use historical crests to place a story in its period. Check the dates of each version so the crest matches the season you are showing.
Historical versions belong to the same owners as current crests. Check the owner's guidelines before commercial use.
Figures from the FootyCrests catalogue, updated with every release.
