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Never mind the shirt ... what about the badge?


Saint 76er
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Whilst we have a nice predictor thread running about our stylish new shirt for next season, perhaps it's time to focus on exactly what badge will be appearing on it.

 

The badge was subtly improved to commemorate this 125th year, but next season we are 126 (and some days I feel it!) so presumably a further change is due.

 

They could, of course, revert back exactly to the pre existing badge and leave it at that, or they could keep the updated design but change dates to 'since 1885' or similar and maybe bring back the football instead of red 125 circle.

 

I hope they don't go back to the old badge as it really looks a little tired and dated nowadays and the scarf and football always looked a bit comic book to me. Also that tree truly does look like it was drawn by a pre schooler!

 

The badge is the club's main corporate symbol and I would be surprised if Mr Cortese does not consider updating it altogether with a streamlined new image suitable for modern marketing and something more reflective of the football club itself, rather than a travelogue of southern Hampshire!

 

The strongest corporate image of the club is 'The Saints' and that is what the badge should clearly represent I believe. Perhaps just the words themselves, cleverly scrolled in red and white stripes with a halo above the 'S', all in a modern shield.

 

The above is no more than an example to start the discussion, but coming off a one year commemorative badge, surely now is the perfect time to propel this important aspect of the club's image into the 21st century ...

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Pretty much every team has made significant changes to their badge over the years (including Saints).

 

Here is Swindon's badge history...

 

TitleBadgeHistoryWhite2007.jpg

 

Coventry City are going back to their pre 1970's badge next season...

 

coventry-city-crest-60202709.jpg

 

Saints started using the fan designed badge as recently as 1974. So have used this for a mere 30% of the history. The other 70% Saints have had a different badge!

 

 

soton-badge.png

 

Saints badge 1974 - 2011

 

I'd like to see...

 

Either the 1885 badge return...

 

1366.jpg

 

Screenshot2011-04-18at165705.png

Edited by Matthew Le God
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We should keep the 125 badge but have a sort of graffiti style spray crossing out the 125 and replacing it with 126. I think the graffiti style spraying with attract more youngsters to the club and get us some big crowds in the Championship (should we go up). Another idea is to replace the "Southampton FC" with "Saintz", again in graffiti style. I think the kids like it when they see a "z" on the end of words and this would make us even more cool.

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I'm sure a load of prototype club shields were put together when everyone was speculating over our one off badge for this season. There were some crackers in there.

 

Personally I would be happy with a return to the badge most of us recognise. The fan designed one from the 70's.

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Considering that the current badge is basically it's predecessor with some red/gold bits added then Cortese is probably not going all out for a club rebrand for the Leibherr's ownership. The chance to make that mark would have been at the start of this season.

 

If we don't go back to the 1974+ logo I would be staggered.

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I think the people that think Saints started in 1974 and should never change the badge are irritating. The badge designed in 1974 looks like what it is, an amateur attempt at a badge in the decade fashion forgot.

 

He never said that, he said he wanted to go back to the old badge. Why do you have to pick everyone up on every tiny little thing they say? Everyone on footballforums thinks you are a complete fool and you give saints fans a bad name when you carry on how you do.

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We should keep the 125 badge but have a sort of graffiti style spray crossing out the 125 and replacing it with 126. I think the graffiti style spraying with attract more youngsters to the club and get us some big crowds in the Championship (should we go up). Another idea is to replace the "Southampton FC" with "Saintz", again in graffiti style. I think the kids like it when they see a "z" on the end of words and this would make us even more cool.

 

You know what Deppo, you're not a million miles away with this!

 

I like the idea of a graffiti spray effect or some really modern script (font) to replace the block lettering. If we ditch the scarf and ball and tidy up the tree then we have a neat shield and could have Saintz .. better make that 'Saints' (with a halo over the 'S') on top and 'Southampton FC' below, all lined up so there is no sticky out bits, and that would be a big improvement.

 

You're right though, our badge needs to be cool ... :smug:

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He never said that, he said he wanted to go back to the old badge.

 

Well as Saints have had a number of very different badges in their 125 year history, saying "back to the old badge" is more than a little vague. I had an idea he meant the one based on the 1974 design but just asked for clarification. Nothing wrong with asking that.

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Well as Saints have had a number of very different badges in their 125 year history, saying "back to the old badge" is more than a little vague. I had an idea he meant the one based on the 1974 design but just asked for clarification. Nothing wrong with asking that.

 

But anyone with even the tiniest brain in their head knew exactly which badge he meant when he said 'back to the old badge.' Maybe that is why you didn't know.

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I think the people that think Saints started in 1974 and should never change the badge are irritating. The badge designed in 1974 looks like what it is, an amateur attempt at a badge in the decade fashion forgot.

 

Have you seen the black monstrosity that someone's posted further up this thread? ;)

 

Having said that, I can't stand the 1974 badge either...

Edited by jam
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The worst part of the badge we used before this season is the ball IMO. Much prefer the old Panelled ball to the black and White one.

 

Wasn't that changed to the panelled ball in order to ensure the badge could be registered as a trademark?

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I definitely think the club should be considering update the badge. I am usually a big fan of hanging on to things like this as its part of the clubs heritage but lets face it, its a bit naff and could definitely do with an update. I too would lose the scarf, we know Southampton play in red and white, the football (the FC bit in our name gives away the fact we are a football club). I think the halo is worth keeping. We are the Saints after all.

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I think the people that think Saints started in 1974 and should never change the badge are irritating. The badge designed in 1974 looks like what it is, an amateur attempt at a badge in the decade fashion forgot.

 

It was designed by a professional graphic designer who is also a Saints fan, not an amateur.

 

Having said that it looks very dated now and needs redesigning to bring it (and the club's image) into the 21st century.

 

I can see changing it would upset those mongs with the tattoos though :D

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That looks so dated

 

Well even Saints haven't used it for 15 years, so it's not surprising.

 

What IS surprising is Matthew Le God's claim that we've been using the same badge since 1974 when we clearly haven't.

 

Even the black and yellow "Southampton FC" part of the badge wasn't on it until 1976/7, when it was retained as a segment of the circle that surrounded the crest which read FA Cup Winners 1976... and as we've already established, the ball was 18-panelled until the mid-90s when it was changed the the 32-panel style "current" version.

 

You can see the detail on the tree has been dropped since that crest was on the outside of the Milton End as well.

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What IS surprising is Matthew Le God's claim that we've been using the same badge since 1974 when we clearly haven't.

 

Even the black and yellow "Southampton FC" part of the badge wasn't on it until 1976/7, when it was retained as a segment of the circle that surrounded the crest which read FA Cup Winners 1976... and as we've already established, the ball was 18-panelled until the mid-90s when it was changed the the 32-panel style "current" version.

 

You can see the detail on the tree has been dropped since that crest was on the outside of the Milton End as well.

 

At no point have I said it has remained 100% the same since 1974. I am fully aware of how it has changed over the years. It is still fundamentally the same design since it was first used in the 1970's, albeit with a few tweaks.

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217px-Old_Crest.jpg

 

+1

 

I don't like the crinkly background, it looks stupid.

 

I think you'll find that the badge in that picture is on one of the 'crinkled' shirts from the late 1980s. Apparently the players didn't like those shirts either, as they used to confuse them with crinkle-cut oven chips, sometimes with disastrous consequences. I think it's safe to say that we won't be going for a 'crinkled' shirt design again, so you can rest easy.

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Our badge is fantastic and I would be horrified to see it change. It would be one of the most recognizable badges in football and in my opinion is bloody great. Over the years I have seen so much happen while wearing that badge and it looks great on our players kits.

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This and the kit thread are like the annual first shop to put up Christmas displays/bonfire night warnings stories on the news. Same lines, same arguments, same people every year - a little more interesting though when a half decent design is put forward

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We should keep the 125 badge but have a sort of graffiti style spray crossing out the 125 and replacing it with 126. I think the graffiti style spraying with attract more youngsters to the club and get us some big crowds in the Championship (should we go up). Another idea is to replace the "Southampton FC" with "Saintz", again in graffiti style. I think the kids like it when they see a "z" on the end of words and this would make us even more cool.

 

I agree with the cool Z bit. Can't we have COR-TAY-ZEE over the top of a train diesel engine, and MC LEE-BURR underneath, all spray painted on a background of a grey railway-siding wall covered with arrows and other imaginative ziggy-zaggy lines fully capturing the creativity of yoof. In fact, let's make a job of it by having the badge take up the entire front of the shirt and we can have a few red and white stripes on the back largely obliterated by players' names pefixed by Bro'. And to pacify those fans over 40, the player's numbers could be used to deliver lessons in simple arithmetic (e.g. Bro' Rikki Lambert 4+5-2=?)

Edited by hughieslastminutegoal
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I've always thought that badge looked a bit mickey-mouse. So somebody says that it was originally drawn by a professional graphic designer, but that is not necessarily a guarantee that it must therefore be brilliant. He would have designed something that he reckoned would appeal to the supporters and perhaps thought that a large proportion of them still read comics. ;)

 

Because we have had that badge for so long, it is long overdue that we thought about changing it. The scarf and ball look particularly dated. A question to all you lovers of the badge we have now; how many of you take a scarf to the match?

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I've always thought that badge looked a bit mickey-mouse. So somebody says that it was originally drawn by a professional graphic designer, but that is not necessarily a guarantee that it must therefore be brilliant. He would have designed something that he reckoned would appeal to the supporters and perhaps thought that a large proportion of them still read comics. ;)

 

Because we have had that badge for so long, it is long overdue that we thought about changing it. The scarf and ball look particularly dated. A question to all you lovers of the badge we have now; how many of you take a scarf to the match?

Only in the summer with my tracky. In the winter it would aggravate my skin condition when I parade shirtless at matches to show off my club badge tattoo.... oh sh*t, you b*st*rds want to change it... I never thought... sorry, concentration waivered there.... I never thought that might happen.

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