Rebrand and Reinvent

Football branding is such an important thing. To the ones who buy the merchandise, namely the fans, every detail of what, say, the new shirt looks like is of the upmost importance.

Take the manufacturer for instance - reality in the marketplace tells you that the company who gets the kit deal are the ones who offer the best terms to the club, not always the trendiest brand, and that’s a fact. At the end of the day, its all about the pounds and the pence In these financially testing times, if you are not in the promised land of the Premier League, attracting a front of shirt sponsor for the eye watering amounts that the commitment costs is hard to say the least. Indeed you have to really see the benefit to have your name or business emblazoned on the front and have it add up to the cold hard cash you will be laying out. However unless the new logo meets the approval of your fan base, then the vitriol that can be literally spat back via social media is often mind blowing.

Club crests are also a huge thing that can, if gotten wrong, can cause outrage amongst fans. Back in the day, there were very few clubs who actually wore a designated badge on their kits - the replica market didn’t exist when the game was in its infancy, and you tend to find that all clubs bought their shirts and socks from the local department store or haberdashery. Literally someone would go in once a year and order the number they needed for the season, and from the rare early ones we occasionally see, all in one size - huge!

There are exceptions, but it would seem that most clubs would only wear a badge on their shirts for a big occasion, such as the FA Cup Final, and then there was no particular attempt to actually design something that spoke of the club, and a lot of the ones that crop up are generally the coat of arms from the town or city of the club’s origin, permission granted for the big occasion.

I am sure I read that when Sunderland played in the 1937 FA Cup Final, the local council requested the return of their shirt badges after the game. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty certain that was the case. My own club never wore a badge in the league, bar a pretty basic attempt in the very easily years that lasted for one season, until 1965, and the City Coat of Arms, which they had worn in two Cup Finals was the obvious choice, and one that continued until the issue of copyrighting came up some 20 years later.

There was no way the council would have let them take ownership of a brand for commercial purposes that was theirs already, so the club went back to a design that had been allegedly designed by one of its most famous players in the 1950’s for a blazer badge, fiddled with that and away they went, and its been pretty much the same ever since.



Other clubs have chopped and changed - Leeds United had the peacock, club initials, the famous “smiley” badge which has just reappeared, and a host of different variations on the one we see today. They also had that bizarre “arm” design that looked more like it should have been on the front of a darts player’s shirt, chosen by the then owners and a great example of what can happen if you don’t do a bit of consultation - that didn’t last long.

Arsenal changed theirs a few years ago reversing the gun and simplifying its design, which I assume was to freshen the brand at the time, but eyes have recently turned to their rivals, Spurs, who have launched their new look to what would appear to be mixed reaction. Personally, I have to say that I don’t think they have tinkered too much - the design is almost silhouette or reversed, the name has been omitted, but to me as a casual bystander, it is still Spurs. It’s a club with a fine tradition and, seemingly, they have gone down the road of just sprucing up what in footballing terms is an easily recognisable and iconic image- the Cockerill is Tottenham- it's as simple as that. It would seem that they have also embraced the past by using the 50’s monogram on some of their leisurewear as well, which is always a good move but, more importantly, they have gone down the road of forums consulting players, fans, staff and the likes to make sure that they have a good idea of feeling and attitude.

Whatever you do, there will always be dissenters. You could have the best kit design in Europe, the most iconic club badge on the planet, and if things aren’t going right on the pitch there will be those who just simply go on the attack. Football is unique in many ways, but as a business you are totally reliant on what happens on the park for 90 minutes. Win and the badge is awesome, the kit design sublime, the pies hot, the beer perfectly served and the programme unmissable reading. Lose and the reverse will be the case for all those facts mentioned.

Subtle changes mean that Johhny or Jenny must have the new look at all costs, the old now consigned to the past and gives the club another option to increase revenue. To keep moving forward, changes need to be affected, of that there is no doubt, but football is also a place born of tradition and pride, which means some will always be against anything that isn’t what they are used to, so I suppose it’s a funny old game still, as former Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves once famously said.

From an auctioneering viewpoint, change for us brings another string to the bow of the match-worn market, and potentially new collectors to add to the loyal band that many of us in the trade now from years of dealings- a change of badge and/or design means a space in the collection, and, as we all know, that would just never do. From our point of view I suppose, change is a good thing as it helps the market place evolve and brings new players to the table. But from the weary parent keeping up with the fashion and taste of their dependants or family members, it provokes a sigh of resignation and the flourishing of the flexible friend for the cause once more.

It will be interesting to see who the next one is to have a re-brand. It’s a brave but necessary move to keep relevant and keep the tills ringing, but it's to be hoped they do it the right way, and that’s by involving the fans who spend their hard earned.

I wonder which player’s name will be on the back of the first one of the new breed that comes to auction with us? Personally, I cant wait to find out.