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Newcastle United official statement confirms major change after 38 years

Newcastle United have unveiled their new club crest, which will feature on kits from the 2027-28 season.

Newcastle United have unveiled their new club crest after more than two years of consultation with supporters.

The new design will be introduced from today (October 1) and progressively rolled out across physical signage, as well as digital and broadcast platforms, over the coming months.

It will then feature on the Magpies’ official kits from the 2027-28 season, with the new badge and Adidas home kit set to be on display for the final Premier League home match against Crystal Palace on May 23.

Newcastle United unveil new club badge. (Credit: NUFC)placeholder image

Newcastle United unveil new club badge. (Credit: NUFC) | Newcastle United FC

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Newcastle United officially unveil new crest

Newcastle announced in 2024 plans to change their crest for the first time since 1988, stating the 38-year-old design had “limitations and flaws in a modern digital world".

Despite backlash from sections of the fanbase, United say the need for change was understood by those who took part in workshops and fan events, while four out of five survey respondents also acknowledged the practical limitations.

Following another survey, 84% of supporters voted to refine the current design rather than reinvent it, meaning the castle, black and white shield, hippocampi, demi-lion, pennon and ribbon carrying the club's name would remain part of the crest.

Led by the club’s Chief Creative Officer Kenneth McIver, a former Global Design Director at Nike and a boyhood Newcastle fan, three options were created, with 27,348 supporters—including men's and women's season ticket holders and Mags and Mags+ members—voting on them in recent months.

And of that number, 17,710 fans - equalling an overwhelming majority of 64.8% - selected the design that has now been officially unveiled.

“As a lifelong fan, our crest was the thing I covered my schoolbooks in,” McIver said. “It's the crest I watched my heroes playing in during the 80s and 90s, so helping to shape the future of our crest is an incredible honour.

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“I’ve been lucky enough to work on some of the biggest design projects in world football during my career, and none of them came with pressure like this because of my roots and my passion for the club.

“That pressure has come from the thousands of fans we have engaged with, but also from my family, from the people I sit with in the stands at St James’ Park, and from a group chat with friends that has shown me no mercy for two solid years. I have been asked more than once, and not always politely, whether I understand the importance of this work, and I absolutely do.

“Our new crest has been crafted with the utmost respect for our heritage and identity, and with our vision and ambitions in mind. Every line has been drawn, redrawn, reviewed, and tested across so many formats, textures and platforms, and it delivers.

“Nothing has been changed simply because it could be. The message from fans has been consistently clear, and every element is geared towards producing a crest that will continue to connect and inspire people for many years to come.”

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Each element of Newcastle United’s new crest broken down

The castle will become a secondary mark, brand signature and brand device to be used across Newcastle United.

Breaking down each element of the new crest, a club statement read: “Our crest is drawn from Newcastle's city coat of arms. Few crests in football are so deeply rooted in the place they come from, so supporters were emphatic about what should remain.

“Our castle, which inspires our name and has represented our brave city for centuries, has been fortified within our new crest design. It is sharper and more distinctive.

“So too is our redesigned black and white shield, flanked by hippocampi – a mythological nod to our proud maritime history of building ships, inspiring trade and helping to shape the world.

“And our demi-lion, pennon and ribbon bearing the club's name have also been refined, adding balance and alignment to the overall structure. The details matter.

“The crest forms part of a new cohesive brand system, with the castle element becoming a key secondary mark, brand signature and brand device to be used across Newcastle United over the coming months and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson added: “I have never worked anywhere that feels as proud and passionate about its crest than the way this club does, so this body of work is an enormous privilege and responsibility for all of us.

“The club has asked supporters questions that we did not know the answers to, and they told us plainly: protect what we have, keep the elements we love, and do not start again.

“Every decision after that has been made inside the margins our fans drew, and it is only right that our fans have had the final and decisive say on the outcome.

“Our crest came from the city's own coat of arms, and it still does. It honours where we have come from, it represents who we are now, and it will become an iconic symbol for generations of supporters around the world who believe in it and unite behind it.”

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