Millwall Football Club, based in south-east London, has used a lion as its defining club symbol since 1936. The club’s nickname, “The Lions,” and its crest are closely tied, with the lion appearing in various forms on the badge over the decades.[1]
Design and History
The lion crest was introduced in 1936 by manager Charlie Hewitt. The first design featured a single rampant red lion.[1] Although the lion is sometimes incorrectly said to have been chosen because of Millwall’s Scottish roots, the design actually bore a strong resemblance to the traditional signs used by many pubs named “The Red Lion,” one of the most common pub names in Britain.[1]
Between 1956 and 1974, Millwall adopted one of its most distinctive badges, featuring two red lions leaping towards one another.[1] A further evolution arrived in 1979 when the club introduced a new crest featuring a single leaping lion, which first appeared on the club’s playing kit that year and remained in use for two decades.[1]
In 1999, under chairman Theo Paphitis, Millwall briefly returned to the historic twin-lion badge, reviving one of the club’s most popular traditional designs. The crest was used for a further eight years.[1] A major decision came in 2007 when Millwall reintroduced the single leaping lion crest, returning to the design first seen in 1979. This version has remained the club’s primary emblem since.[1]
In 1992, kit supplier Bukta produced a new badge featuring the single rampant lion contained within a roundel spelling out the club’s name. According to the fan magazine The Lion Roars, this redesign was commissioned because Millwall could not register the old badge as a trademark without knowing the original artist, so they created a revised graphic containing the words “Millwall FC” which could be copyrighted.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The lion has represented Millwall for almost ninety years and remains the defining feature of the club’s identity.[1] The club’s nickname, “The Lions,” dates back to around 1900 when Millwall earned a reputation as giant-killers through a series of impressive FA Cup performances. The lion subsequently became the defining symbol of the club.[1]
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