Larne Football Club, a Northern Irish club based in the harbour town of Larne, County Antrim, adopted its current circular badge in May 2019. The updated crest was introduced ahead of the club’s 130th anniversary season and was designed by Larne supporter and volunteer Andrew Neill.[1]
Design and History
The 2019 badge is a refresh of a previous design that dated back to the 1970s. According to the club, the playing shirts often carried a circular version of that older design throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.[1]
The refresh concept, created by Andrew Neill, retained many elements of the well-loved old badge while packaging them in a new circular shape. As part of the design process, the club consulted with prominent supporters, who approved the refresh.[1]
The club stated that the update was intended to mark a special era in its history and to modernise the badge as the club aimed to compete at the next level in its 130th anniversary season. The year 1889, the club’s founding date, became a permanent feature on the updated badge.[1]
With the launch, every Larne Football Club team, from the men’s and women’s first teams down to the youngest youth teams, began playing under exactly the same badge.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The club’s identity is fundamental to the badge design. The name of the town and club is displayed prominently in the updated badge.[1]
Larne is a harbour town, and the industry generated around that harbour has sustained the town for generations. This is why the ship is the key feature in the middle of the badge, now set on waves to emphasise the town’s seafaring heritage. The same ship design from the old badge was retained to keep continuity between the old and new versions.[1]
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