Liverpool is one of the most famous, and well supported, clubs in world football. With it's iconic stadium, famous anthem and world class players, there are very few people who have not heard of the Reds. Perhaps the most recognisable aspect of the club however, is the crest.
Featuring the mythical Liverbird, emblem of the City of Liverpool for hundreds of years, LFC's emblem is a badge of honour, representing not only the club, but the people of Liverpool. Read on below to discover how the clubs crest has changed throughout the last 130 years.
1892 - The formation of the club - and its first crest
It may not be a surprise to learn that the first crest used by the club, was borrowed from the city of Liverpool's coat of arms. Although it did not feature on the clubs jerseys, it was used on official documents and some signage around the stadium. The crest depicted two Gods, Neptune (the Roman God of the sea), and Triton (the Greek God and Messenger of the sea), and emphasised the importance role that water and the sea had played in the development of the City. The crest also held the latin phrase - "Deus Nobis Haec Otia Fecit", which means God hath granted us this ease.
Liverpool continuted to use the crest until the 1940's, and would have used it into the following decades, but a dispute with the City Council led to the club needing to create a fresh crest.
1940's - Familiar....and wrong....
In designing a new crest, Liverpool turned to the more familar round badge that many clubs emply. Featuring the Liverbird in the middle of the badge, and the words Liverpool Football Club around the edge, the badge was used extensively in the late 1940's, and even featured on the cover of the 1981 European Cup Final.
Unfortunatly, the badge shares more than a passing resemblance to the club badge of Manchester United. At the time, the rivalry between the two clubs was in its infancy, but it seems unimaginable now, that the two clubs ever shared such a similar emblem.
1950's - The Liverbird takes centre stage
Surprisingly, it was not until the 1950 FA Cup final (against Arsenal) that Liverpool's jerseys featured the club crest. The new design - seen below - featured a simple white Liverbird on a red shield. From this point onwards, every LFC crest featured the Liverbird, highlighting the deep connection between the mythical bird and the football club.
1955 - Simple design and LFC makes an appearance
The club crest changed again in 1955, with the shield background dropped in favour of a simple red oval outline. The Letters L.F.C were also added for the first time. This design would remain popular until the 1968 seasson, when the emblem was simplified even further.
1968 - Less is more
From 1968 until 1987, the club used a crest that featured just the Liverbird and the letters L.F.C. Usually deployed in Red, the crest was also sometimes shown in yellow or white.
1987 - Liverbird remains, but a new background
Introduced at the start of the 1987/88 season, this version of the Liverpool crest fesatured a shield shaped red background. Utilised from 1987 to 1992, this crest appeared on kits created by Adidas, alongside main sponsors Crown Paints and Candy. Although the details have changed in the years since, the overall shape of the LFC crest has remained constant since this version.
1992/1993 - Special Centenary Crest
To commemorate the clubs 100th Anniversry in 1992, a special crest was commissioned, whch would appear on all jerseys througout the 92/93 season. As well as celebrating the history of the club, the new design was the first to introduce the famous line "You'll Never Walk Alone". It was also the first time the Shankley Gates were introduced. Both of these have gone on to become key elements of the crest, and remain until the present day.
1993 - Eternal Flames
At the end of the 1993 season, the club adapted the centennary design, as well as adding one of the most important features - The Eternal Flames. Created to remember the Hillsborough Disaster, the Eternal Flames feature in memorials around Anfield, but this was the first time they appeared in the club crest. To freshen up the crest, yellow was added, and the design was adapted at different times, before being modernised in 1999.
2002 - A modern twist on a familiar design
One of the most recognisable logos in the world, the LFC crest we see at Anfield today, as well as on merchandise and official documents, was used on kits from 2002 until 2012. The crest features all the design elements seen in previous designs, but with a more contemporary feel.
2012 - A new crest for kits and training gear
Although this crest is not the official club crest, it has been used on kits, training gear and apparel since 2012. The stripped back design is in homage to the clubs earlier crests, specifically from the 60's and 70's. The new design was introduced to help with trademark issues, and looks set to continue as the kit crest for the foreseeable future.
... About The Author ...
Peter Farrell - Editor and Chief Article Writer, LFC - Back On Our Perch
Articles written by Author :: 570
Lifelong fan with a passion for all things Liverpool. First memory of football is watching John Barnes score a dramatic last minute equaliser in the FA Cup when he was 4. Feels lucky to be a part of the 'Klopp' era.