Woking’s new club crest vote causes backlash from fans

Woking’s new club crest vote causes backlash from fans on social media site Twitter, with some preferring the current design.

The Cardinals have revealed to their supporters that they will be changing up the look and identity of the club as they remain focused on reaching the English Football League.

They want a more slick professional look (basically just copy everything else in switching to a circular logo then!), however not everyone is happy.

WOKING STATEMENT:

Woking Football Club is primed to position itself as a big club. With our stated goals of full-time football, a self-sufficient business and earning promotion to the EFL with a full-time team and the investment required, the time is now to make a bold statement of intent.

To that end, it is time for the Cards to refresh the Club brand and let it stand on its own, while continuing to pay tribute to the borough in which we play and honouring our history by putting our shield front and centre of our reimagined identity.

Woking Football Club’s dedicated supporters have a generational opportunity to choose between one of two new badges. The core of Woking for 134 years, fans are entrusted with the responsibility to help move the club forward into a bright, new era.

‘134 years’ you ask? Woking Football Club was actually founded in 1887, as opposed to the 1889 which our current badge states. We’re grateful to the Club’s historian, Mark Doyle, for confirming this.

Woking Football Club’s first match took place on Saturday 5 November 1887, a victory against Chertsey, played on the Wheatsheaf ground.

With the Cards introducing a new Club brand it is only right that we correct the founding date of the club, and celebrate our long history.

While the borough motto ‘Fide et Diligentia’ does not appear in our badge, it does maintain its standing as a core of our club ethos. In an era where new slogans are marketed by clubs and brands every season, ‘Fide et Diligentia’ will remain a part of our history and have its place in our Club rebrand – just not as part of our new badge.

A badge, by definition, “indicates an allegiance to a family” and that is what this Club represents. A family of supporters, footballers and community coming together on a Saturday afternoon to cheer on the lads, and also coming together year-round to support our community together as a united front.

As we embark on this exciting journey, we will create an identity that can stand out in a crowd and be recognised for what it is: Our family. Our community’s Club. Our supporters are our family.

The Football Club is Woking’s main attraction, and football clubs are arguably the main attraction for communities up and down the football pyramid.

For a club that does so much more than play football for the community of Woking, having ‘Football Club’ on the badge is a bit of a misnomer. We are not just a football club; we are so much more. We are the heart and soul of our community – both on and off the pitch.

One of the two options you, the fans, have the opportunity to decide between just has ‘Woking’ proudly displayed at the top of the badge.

By branding simply as ‘Woking’ on the new, independent badge, the Club would take ownership of the status of being the town’s main attraction and hub of the community.

Voting HERE will close at 6pm on Thursday 25th February, with the winning option announced on Monday 1st March.

READ MORE: Non league side reveal drastic change in club name, kit colours and crest

Woking’s new club crest vote causes backlash from fans, while others gave their preferred vote anyway…

This has to be the best option surely? It is the classic Woking FC badge. I did vote for option B as option A doesn’t represent anything to do with our club. However, we need the above as an option C on the vote.
Only the date should be changed. 👍🏻

— Lloyd Wye 💙 (@Cardinal_Lloyd) February 19, 2021

Our badge is proper wank. Don’t understand why every club is doing this shitty circle design

— Kai (@kaisbfc) February 18, 2021

@BenAFletcher: I have voted for B.

@treesareniceish: Hmm, this isn’t going well. I don’t mind them, the crest remains, it’s not a total rebrand. ‘Merchandise-friendly’ but that’s OK. I’m bothered though by the 1887 date featured in a retro art-nouveau font from the 1890/1900/1910s. It jars. But I am a bit of a tosser in that way

@JackCraig71: Both terrible options. They look crap. Where’s the black gone? These look washed out and dull

@kn_guitar: Keep the old badge, much prefer that one, with these new ones we’d look suspiciously like Bristol City

@AaronAzzabazza: Out of them both rather have B! But if had a choice rather keep the one we have

@carole_2246: NEITHER. KEEP WHAT WE HAVE! The new ‘options’ are absolutely awful and not worthy of our football club!

@ManchesterRoman: Spot the difference! Not exactly a wide choice of options

@wokingman: Why change the badge? If you have to then B

@ChrisWest1610: I’m not against this and I much prefer our current one but 4months to design 2 circles, one with Football Club and one without? I’ve voted B but would be nice have an actual choice they’re almost identical

@james27115338: No just no

@AZSportsUK: How can you talk about tradition when this badge looks absolutely nothing like our previous badges? Woking has a very clear identity and you’re wanting to take it away with a design that lots of clubs already have. Also who’s asking for this apart from the new money…

@maxomuss: Neither. Circular badges are all about cutting costs on shirt production, turning a piece of history into a cut and paste job from the other 50 clubs to have done the same. Giving the fans “a choice” should mean giving the option to keep our current badge.

@michaelowen730: So we either choose the most basic badge ever, or the exact same as Stevenage? Where do I find the abstain button?

@Ryan_McGinty_: My vote is fuck off

@CBabington1: As a complete neutral, why would you change your badge to some generic load of shit