MANCHESTER UNITED is one of the most followed football teams in the world
In April 2023, the club’s iconic badge came under scrutiny as woke campaigners questioned its historic links.
GettyThe Manchester United badge has changed over the years[/caption]
What does the Man Utd badge mean?
The Manchester United club badge is one of the most recognisable in the world of football.
Over the course of the history of the club, the badge has evolved.
Originally, the club used Manchester’s coat of arms as its crest.
This featured three diagonal stripes, a globe and a ship, with the motto “Concilio et Labore”, which loosely translates as “by wisdom and effort”.
The words Manchester United Football Club were added in the forties as the badge was reshaped into the familiar form we know today.
Legendary manager Matt Busby first coined the nickname the Red Devils in the 1960s, and the stripes were then replaced by the devilish figure in the 70s.
It is suggested he used it to try and inspire the players to be aggressive and fearless on the pitch.
Originally, the red devil design was drawn by cartoonist and ex-player Dennis Law.
The emblem now sees a shield with a red devil holding a pitchfork with a three-mast ship above it.
What does the ship on Man Utd badge mean?
The three-mast ship represents the historic connection between Manchester and the Irish Sea.
It is the only feature remaining from the city’s coat of arms, although is very different in appearance.
The ship represents the city’s global trading power during the industrial revolution.
In April 2023, campaigners called for the removal of the ship alleging it has links to a darker past of slavery.
Historians have dismissed the claims.
Local Labour MP Graham Stringer said the “crazy” claim tarnished the northern city’s proud history of anti-discrimination.
He added: “Manchester had nothing to do with the slave trade.
“People from the city at the time of the US Civil War in 1861 protested against slavery.
“This is one of the craziest campaigns I have ever seen.”
PAThe boat on the Manchester City crest represents the famous Manchester Ship Canal[/caption]
What does the Man City badge mean?
Manchester City‘s club badge contains a boat which is a reference to the Manchester Ship Canal, which opened in 1894, the same year Ardwick FC changed its name to Manchester City.
The ship canal was one of the biggest feats of engineering in the world at the time and the city of Manchester was very proud of it, hence its inclusion on the Manchester City badge.
It also incorporates the red rose of Lancaster which symbolises the county of Lancashire.
The three blue lines on the shield represent the city’s three rivers; the Irwell, the Irk and the Medlock.
Much like their local city rivals, their badge has changed over the years, with the most recent version introduced in 2015.
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