Aston Villa launched a fan consultation in June 2022. (Picture: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
Football clubs value their history, and Birmingham team Aston Villa recently consulted their fans about a potential change to their badge, inspired by their rich past.
In June 2022, the football club launched a fan consultation over two new potential designs, with a vast number of fans eventually taking part in the ballot.
Their last badge was adopted in 2007, and fans ended up voting in overwhelming numbers for a new design.
But what inspired the change, and what were the results?
Here is what you need to know.
Why have Aston Villa got a new badge?
At the time the consultation was launched, Aston Villa FC were reflecting on what they describe as ‘the biggest day in our club’s history’ – victory in the European Cup in 1982.
The club stated that ‘after revisiting that great night in Rotterdam – the iconic shirts, the old club crest’, Aston Villa were ‘looking to review how we present ourselves visually in the future; this will include changing our current crest.’
The new Aston Villa crest. (Picture: Aston Villa FC)
They subsequently went on to ballot fans over a change between two new designs – a new ’round design’ or a ‘gas lamp design’ (celebrating the club’s alleged founding under a gas lamp in Heathfield Road) – with an option to retain their original crest.
The new ’round design’ won an overwhelming majority and will be adopted by the club.
What was wrong with the old Aston Villa badge?
‘The current crest isn’t weak; it’s served us perfectly well until now’, Aston Villa told fans during the consultation.
However, the football club went on to acknowledge ‘it doesn’t always stand out as it should in some of the places it is used’ and that ‘the most powerful elements of our crest aren’t as powerful as they could be.’
The new designs that fans were asked to pick from have been optimised to look as strong as they can in both small and large formats, as well as on digital and physical uses.
The old design didn’t always ‘stand out as it should’. (Picture: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
What were the results of the Aston Villa new badge ballot?
21,500 fans took part in the ballot, comprised of season ticket holders and members.
They were asked to pick from two new designs or to keep the original badge. The results were:
8% voted to keep the current crest
23% of fans voted for the gas lamp design
77% of fans voted for the round design
When will the new badge be on the kit?
The current crest will be used for the rest of the 2022/23 season, and the new badge will become official starting from the 2023/24 season.
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The Birmingham club have a new crest.