Bradford City Association Football Club, known as the Bantams, has used a crest featuring a bantam rooster since 1991, when it replaced the boar’s head design that had preceded it.[1] The club’s official website identifies the team as “BC AFC” and “The Bantams” within its crest.[2]
Design and History
Bradford City’s visual identity has undergone several changes since the club’s founding in 1903. The city of Bradford was granted a formal coat of arms in 1907, and that civic crest remained the official club crest at Valley Parade until 1966, when it was replaced by a boar’s head atop a shield containing a BC-AFC monogram.[3] The current bantam-based crest, introduced in 1991, has been in place for over three decades.[1]
In 2022, the club launched the “Your City, Your Say” campaign, a supporter consultation project leading up to the club’s 120th anniversary in 2023. The campaign proposed three all-new crest designs over two stages, with the club revealing a proposed new badge in October 2022.[4] The proposed design featured a geometrically refined shield housing the club’s core identity elements: the “BCAFC” acronym, a new bantam standing center stage, and a star commemorating the 1911 FA Cup triumph at the top.[5]
Following the final survey in November 2022, supporters voted by 61 percent of over 5,000 votes to keep the current crest rather than adopt either of the two proposed alternatives.[4] Club CEO Ryan Sparks noted that the crest “has not been changed for 30 years” and that the consultation process informed the club’s understanding of what supporters value from a brand perspective.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bantam rooster is the club’s central symbol and nickname. The proposed 2022 redesign was informed by supporter feedback that identified the bantam, the distinctive shield shape, and the claret and amber colors as the common denominators of the club’s identity.[5] The star element on the crest commemorates the club’s 1911 FA Cup triumph.[5]
The club’s colors are claret and amber, a combination that has become inseparable from Bradford City’s identity.[6] The 2022 proposed design was described as claret and amber, with the shield in amber and the bantam rendered in claret.[7]
Typography and Design
Details about the typography of the proposed 2022 crest were documented during the consultation process. The club developed a bespoke font for the lettering, with the lower curve of the “B” puffed out to mirror the bantam’s chest.[1] The raised claw and fighting stance of the bird were added to the final proposed image.[1] Since supporters voted to retain the existing crest, these typographic details apply to the proposed design that was not adopted.
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