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Leeds United announced a “rebrand” today, and unveiled a new badge.
| Our new crest #MOT #LUFC
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 24, 2018
6 months of research
10,000 people consulted
Ready for the next 100 years
Watch video ➡️ https://t.co/rIIdL2Yz9F pic.twitter.com/pMrd3zTjCl
So yeah.
That’s the new badge.
Reactions were not positive.
When you see your club’s new badge ♂️ pic.twitter.com/F9wDjO9k2z
— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2018
I’m sorry but that can’t stay. It literally can’t be an actual Football Club’s badge. It’s like a Supporters club badge. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets better. What the hell is it gonna look like on a shirt. Won’t look right. #LUFC
— Matt James (@MattJLufc) January 24, 2018
I notice it says 10,000 people consulted. I’m guessing these were not Leeds fans then. 10,000 Man U fans maybe. Oh dear
— Emmie Johnson (@Emzun) January 24, 2018
I don't think I've ever been this mad at my football club. Despite the countless bottling, embarrassing results, selling our best players every year etc. This badge tops it all. I'm going back to sleep #lufc pic.twitter.com/uVrm63CqFT
— Danny Rai (@R9Rai) January 24, 2018
This is a bad dream, right? Like this is some elaborate trolling job, with the new badge released later today and everyone gets a good laugh to think that the club would actually release this awfulness?
It appears not.
Petition set up in protest against new Leeds United club badge #lufc #mothttps://t.co/qLo0Jgqv1q pic.twitter.com/ARC8TzJgk7
— YorkshireEveningPost (@LeedsNews) January 24, 2018
And yes, a petition was quickly set up and it’s garnered far more than 10,000 signatures, more than the club claimed it “consulted” to pick this new badge. It’s worth noting that the response on polls on Twitter and Facebook were almost universally critical, with the vast majority of people saying they disliked the new badge.
I am very happy to see one of the former #CrewSC Hard Hat Guys found work with another soccer logo... cc: @MassiveReport @ThruItAllLUFC https://t.co/FzkxHvBk9f
— Jake Catanese (@JCatanese43) January 24, 2018
The Leeds salute is not something that belongs on a badge. Many people have pointed out that this badge resembles the astroturf designs of MLS, and they’re not wrong. Rather than honour the history of Yorkshire, or Leeds, the club chose a fan “salute” instead to adorn the badge. And I get the impulse to want to honour the fans, but this is just misguided and looks appalling.
I work in marketing and closely with 2 Yank sports teams. I just can't see how they got this to fly. Would love to see what the rejected ideas looked like if this one got the green light. Or maybe not...
— LeedsUnitedAmericas (@luamericas) January 24, 2018
Andrea Radrizzani has made few missteps since taking over the club from Massimo Cellino, but this has the possibility of undoing a lot of good work that he has done at the club. Fans are united behind the hatred of this “rebrand” and if the club wants to keep fans happy, it might not be the worst idea in the world to rethink this new “rebranding” effort, because right now the only thing this new badge is doing is uniting fans for the wrong reason and making all the wrong kinds of headlines.