50. Aston Villa
They didn’t change much, but, aside from dropping the famous ‘Prepared’ motto, Aston Villa made one key alteration when updating their badge in 2016: they gave the lion some much-needed claws.
49. Grimsby Town
Grimsby was once home to the world’s largest fishing port, so it makes total sense that the Mariners (who actually play in neighbouring Cleethorpes) celebrate that heritage on their badge – which is shaped like a ship’s hull. Clever.
48. Portsmouth
Portsmouth used to make do with the instantly identifiable moon and crescent – and that still appears on their shirts, but Pompey’s powers that be went and inducted the club into the circular squad by unveiling a commercial-friendly roundel in 2018.
47. Mansfield Town
Have you ever wondered what prominent-chinned trailblazer Jimmy Hill would have looked like if he’d been a stag? What do you mean ‘No’? Well, Mansfield’s badge has the answer anyway.
46. Charlton Athletic
Charlton cottoned onto circular badges before they were cool (or, given their ubiquity these days, while they were cool); used almost continuously since 1968, this is one of the oldest crests in English football.
45. Sheffield United
Sheffield is the Steel City – and those are two serious-looking blades on the badge of … the Blades. While not adopted until 1977, the crest was designed by club legend Jimmy Hagan 20 years earlier.
44. Gillingham
We’re not sure what the horse has done to end up behind bars, but it should be released immediately for having an insanely cool mane (tilt your head to the right).
43. Morecambe
Have you ever tried your shrimp served with freshly cut roses? Well, that seems to be what’s on the menu up on the Lancashire coast. It makes a change from chicken Balti pie…
42. Bristol Rovers
Managers can sometimes have trouble getting their message across – but how many of them have thought about outsourcing training to a sword-wielding pirate like the shadowy seafarer dominating Bristol Rovers’ crest?
41. Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham’s badge has been subjected to the meme treatment plenty in the past, reduced to a chicken trying to balance on a beach ball – which is a bit harsh, because that’s quite clearly a football.
40. Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth’s ‘Pilgrims’ nickname comes from the fact the Devon city was the Mayflower’s last port of call before leaving England for the New World. Obviously, that’s the mayflower on their crest – although that doesn’t look much like sea beneath it.
39. Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster is a Roman town, so you could be forgiven for thinking that’s a Roman centurion, but look closer and you’ll see it’s, in fact, a Viking – a nod to the fact the longship-sailing Scandinavians also settled in the area.
38. Bradford City
Bradford’s shirt colours of claret and amber, a unique combination among the 92, will always make them stand out – but in case that wasn’t enough, they can also boast a levitating bantam (not a regular chicken) on their badge.
37. Watford
It’s undergone a few stages of evolution, but Watford’s crest has followed the same broad design – centred on the Hertfordshire Hart – since 1978. And it’s a good 'un, but it’s not a patch on their badge from 1974 to 1977…
36. West Bromwich Albion
West Brom refreshed their badge in 2006 and did a pretty good job with it, adding the club’s name for the first time and keeping the hawthorn branch-perching thrush (who looks absolutely delighted, it must be said).
35. Leyton Orient
There are three Welsh clubs in the 92, but none of their badges look as Welsh as Leyton Orient’s. Only, those red creatures aren’t dragons; they’re wyverns – two-legged dragons as seen on the City of London coat of arms.
34. Carlisle United
Carlisle’s badge-dwelling wyverns appear to have a much tougher job on their, er, claws than Orient’s, trying to stop the Cumbrian town’s castle from collapsing. Hang on in there, guys!
33. Manchester City
It would be easy to label City’s badge generic, but the five-time Premier League champions’ crest since 2016 is a modern take on a design first used in the 70s (and it’s quite aesthetically-pleasing, to be fair).
32. Swindon Town
Seeing as the town is entwined with the history of the Great Western Railway, it’s only right that a steam locomotive takes pride of place on Swindon’s gilded crest – which overwhelmingly won a supporters vote in 2007.
31. Preston North End
A symbol visible throughout Preston, the lamb on this famous old club’s badge represents seventh century bishop St. Wilfrid – the patron saint of the Lancashire city. And ‘PP’? ‘Princeps Pacis’ – Latin for ‘Prince of Peace’. Divine.
