Club's Design, Branding and Identity

[peter]

Hello All,

 

I am going to start another subject to discuss something that I know (working within that industry for many years) and some of you may feel attached to but, discuss and be friendly. I know to some of you, i am a relative newcomer to these boards and perhaps that is a good thing as I may have a fresh eye on things and am not just sticking my oar in.

 

Anyway, i have been reading alot about the club recently, getting the new newsletters, spending time on the official website and all that.

 

One thing has started to strike me in a big way, something that also did when I went to my first game, years ago. It is the clubs design, the logo/badge, what the big clubs in the world would call the clubs branding. In my opinion, it is not right, it is not attractive, it is not saying anything of a clubs history, its place in the community, its former 'glories' and such things that will not only attract more to the club but keep them there.

 

I know some of you may think, how can a clubs 'branding' do that? I can, at some point, argue face to face with many of you as to why this matters but in 2010 it does matter, I would talk for hours on why it does, but people, it really does.

 

I was on (forgot members name - sorry) history website yesterday and was struck by the homepage with the 5 club badges on it. The majority of the older badges were so much better. A sense of grandeur present, history, BLUE AND WHITE WITHOUT WHAT I SEE AS POINTLESS AND CONFUSING RED and even typefaces which are more relevant.

 

Now, I would love for you all to discuss. If anyone from the club reads this, i will happily help out perhaps but in my opinion, whether we are in the Ryman premier or the champions league, it is hugely important, from supporter to player, whether it is conciuosly or not, it is.

 

thanks...

[Coffin Ender]

Sounds like you are angling for business, PWD.

 

This kind of stuff has been tried at other non-league clubs (like Carshalton). Put simply, it doesn't work at this level. Part of the charm of non-league is that it is a bit haphazard and amateurish. If I wanted to give my money to a corporate monolith I'd be the kind of cum monkey who supports a Premier League team.

 

The best way of increasing support for the club is to win football matches. Though I do like the old Margate badges, my favourite is the one with the lighthouse.

 

 

 

 

[peter]

I am way too busy for more work, i am angling for nothing more than seeing the club have success.

 

It doesnt surprise me you like one of the old badges, I do too.

 

it is that I am talking about more so than a huge overhaul. The old badges for one have alot more grandiose to them and are so much more attractive.

[Jeff Trice]

The lighthouse badge was a mid 1950's one designed by Alan Kay and, I think, a class of students he taught at Hartsdown School. Just had a look and the current club badge came in for the 1996/97 season and originally had '1896' to the left of the design and '1996' to the right of it to celebrate the club's centenary. Immediately before that a variation on the coat of arms style badge had been used from 1989/90 onwards - ie after the club reverted back to the name Margate. The original coat of arms style badge (ie the left-hand one on the front page of my site) seems to have been used from 1946 through to 1975/76 and I'd consider that to be our 'real' badge. The 'M' in a football design followed that up to the start of the Thanet United era.