The very first season of Premier League football saw twenty-two teams compete at the new, elite level. Of the clubs that took part in that inaugural 1992/93 campaign, only twelve have survived to contend for the title in 2024/25.
The ten that dropped out of the division have experienced mixed fortunes in the thirty-three years that have followed. Some are currently battling for promotion at the top of the Championship, while others have suffered more severe fates.
Bouncing Back
This season, Leeds are battling it out with Sheffield United at the top of the Championship table, and betting markets list them among the favorites for automatic promotion. The club has changed its badge many times over the years, but while their home crest has remained unaltered for some time, Leeds announced a significant amendment to their away shirts in 2024.
Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, Leeds announced a return to their iconic, ‘smiley’ badge of the 1970s. While the original resembled a popular logo of the time, it was actually an adaptation using the initials L and U. The crest was to appear on the team’s yellow away shirt, and the news was met with a welcome reception from fans.
Slippery Slope
Unlike Leeds, Premier League founding members Oldham Athletic and Wimbledon have not fared so well since they were relegated to the second tier. Oldham are currently playing non-league football, while Wimbledon tumbled down the divisions until they eventually went out of business.
Both sides changed their badges over time. In the case of Oldham, the badge used by the team in the 1990s was updated in 2021. The club sought opinions from its fan base, who collectively opted to go for simplicity. The current crest now shows an owl perched on a ball, and the whole design is carried out in the team’s blue colors.
When Wimbledon were in the Premier League, their badge featured the coat of arms of their local borough. When they relocated to Milton Keynes in 2003, there was an obvious need for change, and an eagle’s head was used for the new club’s first design.
Swindon Sunk
Swindon Town are among a number of clubs with an unwanted record. The west country side made it into the Premier League for a solitary season before dropping straight back down to the second tier.
The club has changed their badge design more than most, and when they were in the Premier League in 1993/94, it depicted a diamond crest in red and green with a white ‘S’ running through the middle. Swindon were relegated at the end of that season, but it took over ten years before that badge was changed.
In 2007, Swindon Town fans voted on a series of designs. The winner features a robin, the club name and a Great Western Railway steam locomotive to acknowledge the importance of the rail industry in the area.
Elephant in the Room
Coventry City were among the original founding members of the Premier League, and they are another side to have changed their badge since that opening campaign. During the 1993/94 season, the Sky Blues sported a crest that depicted the City’s coat of arms.
Included in the design was an elephant, an animal that represents strength and resilience and has been historically associated with the city. The badge was replaced in 2008, as Coventry sought a new design to tie in with its 125th anniversary. The elephant remains, but the crest now has a modern feel, which is more in keeping with the 21st century.
Rangers Redesign
Queens Park Rangers are often considered as a ‘yo-yo’ club. The team flits between the top flight and the second tier, and they’ve spent multiple campaigns in the Premier League.
Another club to change its badge on a regular basis, QPR’s current crest was introduced in 2016. The badge now has a round design, with the name Queens Park Rangers at the top, and the letters QPR intertwined in the middle.
Football teams may change their badge for a number of reasons. In some cases, the original club may have gone out of business, and the new crest marks a rebirth. Others may want to incorporate a design that shows clearer links to their town or city.
In other cases, sides may simply feel that it’s time for a change. The loss of Premier League status may have also played a part for these former elite clubs who have all moved to make alterations after falling into the second tier.
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