Just showing soccer fans' power at their clubs, Leeds United supporters changed the course of their team’s logo history in January 2018.
Leeds United FC Primary Logo 2018
Presented by the club with a new logo at the start of that year to mark its centenary, which would take place in 2019, the crest was met with horror amongst supporters and ridicule from fans of other clubs on social media. Here’s the story of the logo that never came to be.
Disbelief As Club Got It So So Wrong
Leeds United claimed at the time of the release that 10,000 people were consulted before the new logo was created. Fans had suggested that something should be done to herald a new era, as Leeds was pushing for promotion back to the Premier League and celebrating 100 years of existence. The Whites finally made it back to the top flight in 2020 and now are -500 with a sportsbook bet to avoid dropping down to the Championship this season. Granted, supporters wanted something to help mark a new era for the club in 2018, but they received a logo that shocked thousands.
6 months of research
10,000 people consulted
Ready for the next 100 yearsWatch video ➡️ https://t.co/rIIdL2Yz9F pic.twitter.com/pMrd3zTjCl
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 24, 2018
Leeds United FC Primary Logo 2002 - Present
Leeds fans have become synonymous with the “Leeds Salute.” The new logo featured a man performing the salute under the somewhat bland wording of “Leeds United.” Such a spiritless image was lambasted immediately by the club’s supporters. Even one of the team’s star players at the time, Sweden international Pontus Jansson, took to social media to say he was “shocked.” It would not have taken long for the club’s hierarchy to realize how out of touch they were with the new logo.
Fan Power Saves The Day
Leeds supporters sprang into action to ensure the new logo never found its way onto a Leeds United shirt or anywhere near the club’s home of Elland Road. Within a couple of hours, a petition from supporters calling for the logo to be scrapped had been submitted to club owner Andrea Radrizzani, garnering over 16,000 signatures. In the end, 77,648 people committed to the petition. If it had reached 100,000 signatures, it would have been forced to be considered in Parliament at Westminster.
To save the Leeds hierarchy's blushes, it never came to that. The club said they would delay the release of the new crest, and in the end, Leeds decided to continue with the logo that had been initially produced for the 1998/99 season and remains to this day. Much to the relief of the West Yorkshire team’s supporters, their influence had won the day.
Now the infamous badge, which never materialized, is looked back on as a comical part of a Leeds United that was desperate to find a new identity and return to the Premier League. Now back competing at the head table of English football, the 2018 badge has been consigned to history. The events at Leeds United that year should serve as a reminder to all sporting clubs and franchises that passionate supporters will always have the final say.
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