St Mirren Football Club, based in Paisley, Scotland, has used a crest derived from the Paisley Burgh Coat of Arms since the 1950s, when the club first began wearing a badge on its strips. The current badge, introduced in 1996, remains in use today and is built around the Paisley coat of arms with a distinctive five-stripe motif at the top.
Design and History
St Mirren did not wear a club crest on its shirts until the 1950s, when it adopted a badge that was a variation of the Paisley Burgh Coat of Arms. The first version was a simple crest, often displayed on a large white or cream square background. Crests disappeared for a few seasons during the early 1970s and reappeared in 1977-78, embroidered into the shirts.[1]
In 1981, the crest was incorporated into a black and white shield design, a change that was not popular with traditionalist supporters. The club returned to the favoured version of the badge in 1984, and it remained in use until 1995-96, when it was modified into a circular shape.[1]
The most significant change came in 1996. Following a decision from the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh, the authority responsible for coats of arms and heraldic crests in Scotland, St Mirren could no longer use the castellation effect at the top of the badge. The club commissioned a new badge with five black stripes to mimic the mural crown of the burgh, and this design remains the club crest to this day.[2][1]
The 1996-97 version saw a return to a shield effect, with the new crest incorporated into it.[1] The club’s official website describes the current badge as featuring five black stripes that mimic the mural crown of the burgh, a heraldic element associated with the Paisley coat of arms.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The crest has always been a variation of the Paisley coat of arms, linking the club directly to the town’s civic heraldry.[1] The five black stripes on the current badge are a deliberate reference to the mural crown of the burgh, replacing the castellation effect that the Lord Lyon ruled the club could no longer use.[2]
The club’s home kit has traditionally featured black and white vertical stripes, and the 2020-21 home jersey returned to this look with five black stripes paying homage to the current club crest.[2]
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