Portsmouth Football Club, the English club nicknamed “Pompey,” has used a star and crescent motif on its crest since 1913, drawing directly from the city of Portsmouth’s official coat of arms. The club, founded in 1898, currently uses two complementary badge designs, one for players’ jerseys and one for commercial purposes, both introduced for the 2018/19 season.[1]
Design and History
Portsmouth did not have a club badge until 1913, fifteen years after the club’s formation.[1] The star and crescent motif comes from the city’s coat of arms, which features an eight-pointed star and crescent on a blue shield.[1]
On 15 March 2018, the club revealed two newly redesigned crests after a seven-month consultation process with supporters.[2] Both designs feature a new eight-pointed nautical compass star and the addition of “1898,” the club’s founding year, beneath the crescent moon.[3] The first crest, similar to previous versions, is intended for players’ shirts, while the second is surrounded by a blue ring with “Portsmouth Football Club” written in it for letterheads, merchandise and other commercial purposes.[3]
The 2018 redesign was the result of a process that began the previous November, when the club invited supporters to evaluate six different models through an open survey answered by about five thousand fans.[4] The designs were unanimously approved at the Heritage and Advisory Board meeting in February 2018.[5]
Earlier in the club’s history, between 1980 and 1989, Portsmouth dropped the star and crescent crest in favour of a different design featuring a football on top of an anchor, representing the Royal Navy, and a sword, representing the Army.[6] The club later returned to the traditional star and crescent motif.
Meaning and Symbolism
The commercial badge features the traditional eight-pointed star and crescent moon on a blue shield background inside a larger circle, inspired directly by the official Portsmouth Coat of Arms.[1] The 2018 redesign maintained the star and crescent while giving a nod to the club’s year of foundation with the “1898” date.[5]
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