The history of the Leeds badge

[Beefy]

1908 - 1960 The Crest



The Crest Badge used for around fifty years, even before Leeds United were formed in 1919 but played as Leeds City. When it was not used, there was no badge or trim on the shirts at all. The badge is based on the City of Leeds coat of arms, and some versions show the same motto as the City's crest which is 'pro rege et lege' meaning 'for the king and the law'. The badge went through a few variations, some in just two colours, some in more. This version comes from around 1933, the, John Charles and early heroes like Wilf Copping and Willis Edwards would have worn one similiar.

[Beefy]

1965-1971 The Owl



'The Owl Badge just doesn't seem right for our club, some would say it is more suitable to maybe sheffield wednesday (nicknamed the owls) than to our Leeds United, there are three owls on the City of Leeds crest though, and this is where the logo will have come from. The badge lasted for a long time, but was often not present on the away shirts which were often different colours we even had a red one. The badge was eventually ditched due to Master Dons belief that birds were bad luck. Youngsters Billy Bremner, Jackie Charlton and Eddie Gray could have been seen wearing this one and it did sit on the Super Leeds shirt'

[Beefy]

1971-1973 The Script



The stylish LUFC script is thought by many to be the all time classic Leeds badge, and has made two come backs in later years, once on the retro Asics shirts in the mid 90's and then with the new club crest from 1998. Despite this it was only used originally for two seasons. As well as Jackie Charlton the likes of Allan Clarke, hardman Norman Hunter and striker Mick Jones would have worn this beauty. One of the all time Leeds United classics'

[Beefy]

1973-1976 The Smiley



'Can you get more seventies than this? Everbody loves the classic Smiley Badge and as since become a true seventies icon, made up of the letters 'L' and 'U' in the sort of bubble writing that is very familiar with psychedelic typography from that era. It arrived along with the new shirt manufacturer, Admiral. It was used exclusively for three seasons, and then came back for two more spells on the away shirts later on. Certainly a loveable effort that certainly didn't fit the hard Leeds image. Heroes like Mini jumping Duncan Mckenzie, goalkeeper David Harvey and Eddies brother Frank Gray would have wore this'

[Beefy]

1976-77 The Inverted Smiley



'If it aint broken don't fix it! The inverted smiley was an unusual change, not because it shrank in its original size and was also rotated 45°. Some would say to make it more evident that it was the letters 'LU', but this took away the balance of the design, and later it went back to the original angle. It was used for a year on both home and away shirts, and then made a comeback for another year on the away shirts later on. Terry Yorath, Ray Hankin and little Brian Flynn would have wore this'

[Beefy]

1977-1981 The Bordered Smiley



'So the designers added a border!a reasonable addition giving the smiley a frame and a more appealing perspective, the times were changing after all and happy to see the original smiley proudly sitting in the new additon. A certain dash of class was delivered to sober up our spaced out seventies smiley. This badge survived for four years on the home shirts, but didn't feature on the away shirts. Wizard winger Arthur Graham, centre back Paul Hart, captain Trevor Cherry and also not to forget the magical banana bending Tony Currie could be seen in their day flying round Elland Road wearing this badge'

[Beefy]

1981-1984 The Peacock



'A kick up the eighties and along with a new shirt manufacturer which was umbro came a new badge. With almost the same identical circular border to the previous one but this time with the seventies smiley replaced by a stylised peacock which at the time was our club nickname. This took a lot of getting used to but with time it grew on the faithful. A bold graphic fitting well into it's surround and the teams premier colour white now more evident. The Argentinian Alex Sabella our home grown debut scoring Terry Connor and full back turned midfielder Kevin Hird were lucky enough to wear the Peacock badge with pride'

[Beefy]

1984-1998 The Rose And Ball



'Probably one of the most popular and easily indentifiable badges of the lot.The Rose and Ball badge was the longest lived Leeds crest in the modern era lasting for around fourteen years. The design observedly sums up what our club is about, it has the white rose of Yorkshire snugly circling a football and the clubs name running round the roses petals, with a bold blue round background where the logo sits. A very popular piece and for my taste one of the better designs. Many a famous player has worn this beauty including the tireless Gordan Strachan, hardman Vinnie Jones and right back Mel 'Zico' Sterland'

[Beefy]

1998-1999 The European Shield

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Commissioned and passed by the dreamer Peter Ridsdale. Ridsdale wanted a badge that would reflect our European ventures at the time and in his words says the badge was done in an European style. No doubt this was made to appeal to a broader market. A sheild with rib like graphics running symmetrically down either side. It does however bring the classy script into play that flows down the middle and at the top the Yorkshire rose sits proudly. The combative Lee Bowyer, our sublime Lucas Radebe and midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland would have been cheered along wearing this'

[Beefy]

1999-Current The Rose And Ball Shield



'With a reprieve of the popular Rose design to replace the Yorkshire rose and a tidying up of the script that runs down the middle the Shield design was revamped in 1999