Sunderland AFC
It is composed of a red and white shield, divided into four segments — red and white stripes on the upper right and lower left ones, and solid red with golden details for the upper left and lower right ones. The shield features a red, black, and white ornament at its top, with a red ribbon running horizontally across it. Two black lions are placed on either side of the crest, making it appear more traditional and heraldic. The wordmark is now written in white over the red ribbon, arched under the crest.
Sunderland AFC
1991 - 1999
In 1991 the blue is replaced by black again. No other changes, it is exactly the same crest as the one from 1977, only with the different color of the upper part.
Sunderland AFC
1977 - 1991
In 1977 the blue color is back but in its darker shade. The inscription features the same bold serif typeface as in the previous version. The lines on the black football became thinner and now were almost invisible.
Sunderland AFC
1972 - 1977
In 1972 the blue part of the crest was changed into black, and the ship was now in white. It made the logo look more masculine and brutal, though this version only stayed with the club for five years.
Sunderland AFC
1970 - 1972
The Sunderland logo, created in 1970, was composed of a traditional shield-shaped badge with a red and white vertical striped pattern. The upper part of the shield was colored calm blue and had its bottom edge wavy, resembling a water line.
On the striped part of the crest, there was a solid black circle in a blue outline placed, the circle featured white lines, making it look like a football, and an “AFC” lettering, also in white.
The “Sunderland” inscription was located on the blue part of the badge, under the black geometric ship silhouette.
Sunderland AFC
1966 - 1970
For seven years, the club used an emblem with the letter “S” and “A.F.C.” This is an abbreviation of the full name of the football club, “Sunderland Associated Football Club.” The color is scarlet on white. The font is sans-serif.
Sunderland AFC
1937 - 1966
In 1937, the team changed the design of the logo. The shield became blue, surrounded in white and red trim. Below is the inscription “1936-37.”
Sunderland AFC
1913 - 1937
The emblem is made in a heraldic style. The main elements of the emblem are a white shield, feathers, leaves, a globe, a knight’s helmet, and a ribbon with the motto “Nil Desperandum Auspice Deo”, borrowed from the city’s coat of arms.
Sunderland AFC
1880 - 1913
The first club crest, devised when Sunderland AFC was founded, featured a black cat, a black and blue ship and a gold football in front of the club’s red and white stripes. The upper section of this badge was taken from the Sunderland coat of arms, with the ship representative of the ship building industry Sunderland was famous for.
Sunderland AFC Primary Logo
The history of the Sunderland AFC primary logo is a rich tapestry that mirrors the club’s deep-rooted identity, regional heritage, and evolving aspirations. Since its founding in 1879, Sunderland’s crest has undergone several significant redesigns, each reflecting key aspects of the club and its community. The earliest badges featured a black cat, ship, and football set against the iconic red and white stripes, symbolizing the club’s nickname and Sunderland’s shipbuilding legacy. Over the decades, the crest evolved from using the city’s coat of arms for special occasions to adopting a distinct club-specific shield in 1963, which incorporated red and white stripes, a ship, and football imagery. Subsequent redesigns in the 1970s and 1990s modernized the logo, with the most transformative change arriving in 1999 to coincide with the move to the Stadium of Light. The current crest is a shield divided into four segments, flanked by black lions and adorned with regional landmarks like the Wearmouth Bridge and Penshaw Monument, as well as a colliery wheel honoring the area’s mining heritage. The club’s motto, “Consectatio Excellentiae” (“In pursuit of excellence”), crowns the crest, encapsulating Sunderland’s enduring spirit. Throughout its history, the Sunderland AFC logo has remained a powerful symbol of the club’s resilience, pride, and unbreakable bond with its supporters and the wider Wearside community.
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