Craig

If Bournemouth, Liverpool and Newcastle win two things: 1. Villa mathematically can’t catch us. 2. 2nd is very much on!!

The most ridiculous statement I read was “I was born in 1988 and know no different, so it’s an absolute disgrace!” Compelling argument, like

One thing is absolutely certain, irrespective of how good a new crest may be there are going to be scores of people out there who hate it because it’s not the one they’re used to. When the current crest came out in 1988, I hated it and I associated it for a long time with failure - the last season using the NUFC ball logo we finished 8th; the first season of the new crest we finished bottom. It was only when we started being successful in 92/93 that I started to warm towards it. If when we change it, we have a hugely successful campaign, people will soon forget about it and move on.

Everyone is a career politician these days. They gear themselves up to attain power by demonstrating how bad the incumbent is and once they're in power, the focus shifts to do concentrate on retaining power - not by using their position to enact real, positive change, but to issue diatribes against the alternative. They all do it, as well. Long-term vision appears to be a ideal of the past.

ChatGPT effort

Liverpool haven't so much simplified their crest, they just reverted to what they used in the 1980s

To be fair 'football club' only ever appeared on our badge between 1976 and 1983. In terms of badges that have improved their predecessor I'd say Man City's has, but they pretty much reverted to an updated version of the one before it.

2-0 Coventry I reckon

My lass runs a procurement consultancy for schools - basically assisting them in tenders for services such as catering, cleaning, ICT, etc. She too makes this point about pay rises and said it was utterly ridiculous when the national wage was hiked significantly that there was no additional funding for the schools from government. Basically they had to pay the staff more with the same budgets meaning that resources that were already stupidly stretched were even more so.

Wasn't there a lot of criticism of the embroidery of the crest on the Castore shirts? Particularly around the lettering and the lion atop the castle?

This is apparently doing the rounds ...

Just re-reading the statement on the club website, I wondering if it may already be designed and this exercise is little more than lip service to ward off any "you never involved the fans" backlash. The timing is relevant as with new shirt production imminent, they'll have to have the design signed off. Fan Advisory Board have clearly been consulted already and it's their call to survey the wider fan base but it's focused on 'what elements of the current badge are to be retained?'

Been chatting with a ST holder who got the survey. It's basically asking which of the elements (shield / seahorses / banner) of the current badge can be removed - scoring each element 1-10. Sounds all the world as though it's about minimalising the current badge and they've called out what Juventus did with theirs as an example. In that event, it's a no from me - if they want to do a complete redesign that's one thing but to bastardise the current badge?

Just needs the VAR lines drawing.

As others have pointed out the admin overhead for managing the sensitivity required would be massive. I've long since resigned to the notion that if I want to have direct involvement in how the club is run I need to pay the £37 annual membership fee and if I don't, I need to accept decisions are made without an opportunity to present my view. It's far better than it used to be. In the past, the board made decisions and we'd just have to accept it. When they changed they last changed the badge in the summer of 1988 there was no consultation and no-one was aware until they revealed the team photo for the coming season.

To be fair I get why they're restricting the survey to ST holders and members. Else it's open season for the likes of the Mackems to get involved and take the piss. They could have restricted this to the Fan Advisory Board but they've pushed it beyond that.

It's been inevitable for a while now - we've got one of the longest standing crests in footballl and brand doesn't stay the same forever. The modern take on the first badge round badge gets my vote:

Jonathan David is an option, especially as he's out of contract, but keeping both him and Isak happy would be a headache. In an around the consistent 'Isak to Arsenal' rumours, I can see them ending up with David instead.

Yeah I'm not seeing DCL as the right direction to go in.

It's Albert Dryden isn't it?

It's a fair point. As someone said to me yesterday, both clubs are likely to splash the cash on 'magic beans' and wonder why the beanstalk hasn't appeared.

Just doesn't feel right that, after this season, one of Spurs or Man United will be in next season's CL and two out of Arsenal, Man City, Newcastle, Forest, Chelsea and Villa won't be.