Manchester United is the name with which many people are already familiar. It is a name in the cheering of millions of followers who watch the game sitting in the stadium or home. They have quite a history and you must know that their logo has played quite an important role in marketing. Manchester United was founded in 1878 by Newton Heath and Lancashire Railway. The club has gone through quite a history to become a global sports identity.
Like today, there is almost no one who cannot recognize the team. You can show the logo or crest of MU and they will tell you about it. The logo is now present on wallets, car keys, wallpapers, car images, and so much more. But, you must know that like any other logo, it has also gone through multiple changes over time. Today, the crest that we love has gone through many modifications that we put as our screensaver with pride.
The long history of the Manchester United Logo
1878 - 1891
Sports Logo History Manchester United FC Primary Logo 1878 - 1891
Back then, the name Manchester United was not yet decided. The club’s first crest had two iconic colors yellow and green. And, if you follow this club then you might know that these colors have been on the crest till now. Back then, it was a simple logo with the club name and showcased the club founders.
1891 - 1902
The club till this time was still known by its founder name Newton Heath. This time, the logo was made much simpler by including a football. They removed the train and club name and the year was in the logo. Of course, this logo was more about the ownership of the club.
1902 - 1960
Sports Logo History Manchester United FC Primary Logo 1902 - 1943
In 1902, the club had gone through some changes and was in debt. At this time, stakeholders were appointed and they all invested 500 pounds in the club. Now, the ownership was not only in the hands of Heath so the name and logo were about to change. Owing to the debt, the club name was changed to Manchester United. Just like its name the logo has some very important elements regarding the city.
Being a dominant city in world trade, the Manchester ship became part of the crest. There was a lion which showed the Roman Hamlet and three yellow stripes which were the rivers.
1960 - 1970
The 1960’s crest was the first one made that resembles the logo today. Even the shape and color scheme takes us back to this time. But, it did not have a yellow color, it still featured the important elements of the previous logo. But it was marketed with simple wordings that were Manchester United Football Club.
1970 - 1973
Sports Logo History Manchester United FC Primary Logo 1970 - 1973
The fifth logo has some slight modifications in it. For the first time, it contained the yellow color which made the crest more powerful than ever. The ship and the three stripes were still part of it. But, two footballs were added this time.
1973 - 1998
This logo introduced the Red Devil which we all are familiar with. It was a nickname for the club that became quite popular around the world. It was a name under the legendary Matt Rubsy. It was meant to be an exciting yet intimidating name for the opponents. The three stripes were removed and have not become the part of logo since then.
1988 - present
Sports Logo History Manchester United FC Primary Logo 1998 - Present
This was the final logo that we are all familiar with. It is the logo we see on the club kits. It quite resembles the 1973 edition but has quite some modifications. There is no doubt that it has a modern and sleek look now. The logo has not changed for the past 23 years now. Unlike the other clubs, the Manchester United logo was a powerful marketing tool for the club. And, it is hard to imagine that the logo will be changed anytime soon now.
Font and color of the Manchester United logo
It has a simple Sans-Serif font used in the current and previous editions. The logo has been quite minimalist since the start and today it represents itself as Manchester United even without any word. Since the start, the two main colors of the logo have been red and yellow. White and black are used as auxiliary ones in the logo.