[K]now the logo... Manchester City FC

Wednesday, 22. July 2009 - Swagatam Banerjee

A football club's logo is an identity of the club itself. Be it a small para (colony) club in some remote corner of Kolkata or a European giant playing in the UEFA Champions' League, each club has its unique logo which symbolises not only its history but also its principles and the passion that ignites its fans.

While at first glance, a logo might seem to be just a pictorial representation of the club, the real story extends much deeper, right into the hearts of those fans who form the core of the club. A logo is also a dynamic entity, evolving over the years as the history of the club is written and re-written, incorporating into itself fragments of the tragedies and achievements that the club has to go through over the years.

The commercial value of the logo is also worthy of consideration. Millions of dollars change hands to acquire the rights to put a 2-3 inch logo on merchandise ranging from team jerseys to bathroom accessories. And the presence of a logo makes the neighbourhood expensive as well. Try to put your company's emblem next to a high-class club logo and expect to shell out a considerable sum just to have the legal right to do so. A logo is what differentiates a hundred rupees fake from a three thousand rupees original. It is the first thing a fan looks for when buying his football merchandise. It is no wonder then that each club regards its logo with a sense of pride and respect, much like a nation guards its national flag. After all, when the clarion call comes to vanquish the arch rival for a prestigious trophy, it is the banner bearing the club's logo that the players rally under.

We will continue our series with the logo of one of the clubs making headlines at the moment, Manchester City FC, England...


MANCHESTER CITY FC

A few years back, if any football fan was asked to name a club in Manchester, almost each one would have readily said "Manchester United". However, times change and although Manchester United's dominance is still beyond doubt, quite a few fans may come up with the name of the blue half of Manchester - Manchester City Football Club - for their mega signings this year, if for nothing else. Indeed, the coming season will be a big test for Hughes' side to prove that an assortment of class players from various corners of the club can turn the fortunes of a dormant club skywards. If the result is positive, it will also prove that money can indeed buy success.

Manchester City was founded as St. Mark's (West Gorton) in 1880 by Anna Connel and two churchwardens of St. Mark's Church situated in the east Manchester district of Gorton. Archives say that the St. Mark's team initially played in a black jersey with a white cross, which showed its association with the church. The name of the club was changed to Ardwick AFC after it moved to a new ground at Hyde Road, in Ardwick, in 1887. The club adopted a simple crest in the shape of a shield with the club initials A, A, F and C appearing on it. A reorganisation of the club finally led to the birth of Manchester City Football Club in 1894.




As the club was named Manchester City Football Club, the previous logo could not be used any more. It was decided to adopt the official Coat of Arms of the City of Manchester as the club's next crest. The golden bends in red were derived from the arms of the Lords of Manchester, who ruled the city prior to 1301. The chief showed a ship in full sail, which was regarded as a symbol of trade and enterprise. The globe covered by bees represented the activity involved in exporting goods to all parts of the world. The antelope and the lion were derived from the arms of King Henry IV, Duke of Lancaster. The words "Concilio et Labore" implied "By wisdom and effort".






A new crest was introduced in 1970 and was worn on jerseys from the 1971-72 season. According to Gary James' Manchester: The Greatest City, this crest had already been in use in club documents and programmes in the mid-1960s. It consisted of a shield similar to the one used earlier inside a circle bearing the name of the club.










A slight alteration was made to the crest in January, 1972, as the stripes in the lower half of the shield were replaced by the red rose of Lancashire.














The club logo used at present was adopted in 1997, mainly for commercial reasons as the previous crest could not be registered as a trademark. It is still based on the Coat of Arms of Manchester and consists of the shield in front of a golden eagle. The top half of the shield shows the ship in full sail and now represents the Manchester Ship Canal as well. The bottom half of the shield has the traditional three stripes, said to represent the city's three rivers. The initials of the club are placed horizontally through the middle. The three stars above the eagle are only of decorative value. The motto inscribed on the logo, "Superbia In Praelia", can be roughly translated as "Pride in Battle."




As Mark Hughes strives to make full use of the resources available to him, he will earnestly hope that the logo of Manchester City becomes as ubiquitous as the Manchester United one. After all, the blue half of the city has long been overshadowed by the achievements of their bitter rivals from the red half of the city.



(Data and graphics courtesy: www.mcfc.co.uk, www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk, www.purelymancity.com, www.internetbusinessdirectory.co.uk)