Now 20 top Scots teams may have to find a new club badge
MORE than 20 of Scotland’s top football teams may be just a phone call away from losing their historic badges.
The clubs – including Rangers, Hibernian, Dundee and Dundee Utd – could face costly rebranding exercises if their crests are found to breach ancient heraldic laws.
Several clubs have already been forced to adopt new badges or radically alter existing ones after being reported to the Court of the Lord Lyon, which prosecutes unauthorised elements in badges.
The court does not seek out infringements of heraldic law, but does take up complaints when they are made. That has turned the business of ‘shopping’ rival teams into a bizarre new sport for mischievous fans.
Airdrieonians were forced to ditch their badge last year after a complaint to the Court of the Lord Lyon. Ayr United have been given dispensation to use their crest until June 2017 but will have to adopt a new badge from the 2017-18 season.
Badges at risk are those which feature crowns, a lion rampant, bricks which look like a turret above a shield, the Saltire, a town’s coat of arms or the use of letters across a heraldic symbol. Other clubs thought to fall foul of the ancient rules include East Fife, Hamilton Academical and St Johnstone.
A Scottish Parliament Act passed in 1 92 gives the Court of the Lord Lyon responsibility for prosecuting unauthorised elements in badges. The court has its own procurator fiscal based in Aberdeen.
Yesterday, Andrew Jenkin of Supporters Direct Scotland said: ‘This could easily spiral out of control and some of the best known and easily identifiable symbols of football in Scotland could be lost for ever, because of an archaic rule which serves to protect nobody.
‘We recognise this is a complicated issue and, strictly speaking, not devolved to the Scottish Government. But we hope after the election a future administration will support our efforts to find a resolution.’