The 2017/18 season was unpleasant for Brechin City Football Club. They finished at the bottom of the Scottish Championship table, having failed to win a single match and having amassed only four points from four draws. The following season, in League One, Brechin City was able to amass 36 points (9 wins, 9 draws, 18 losses), but this was not enough to save the club from their second consecutive relegation.

Brechin’s woes continued in the 2019/20 season, when they finished at the bottom of the League Two table. This and the following season were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite having finished at the bottom of the table in their first season in League Two, promotions into and relegations from the league were suspended. Unfortunately, the 2020/21 season spelled the end of Brechin City’s run in the SPFL, finishing at the bottom of the table again and losing a two-leg play-off 3-1 to Lowland League champions Kelty Hearts. As a result, Brechin City were relegated from the professional league for the first time in 67 years and will compete in the Highland League for the 2021/22 season.

Not wanting to add insult to injury, here is a badge redesign with which I can say that I am pleased.

Brechin City FC was established in 1906 by players from two Brechin-based junior sides (Brechin Harp and Brechin Hearts). The club name, ‘Brechin City’, derives from an historic designation of Brechin as a ‘city’, the result of the presence of its medieval cathedral (which dates from the 13th century). A simple illustration of the cathedral itself (now only a ‘cathedral’ in name as it is home to a Church of Scotland congregation, thus having no bishop) was first featured in the 1985 badge, which was updated to the current badge in 1995. For the 2006/07 season, the Brechin City badge featured different colours and a special centenary banner.

For my redesign, I had originally explored using some of the heraldic symbols of Brechin. While mulling over options, I rendered a simple, but more detailed and accurate illustration of the main tower of Brechin Cathedral than the one used in the current badge. This image took my fancy and I built a simple badge around it, which is seen on the right below. A subtle detail in the redesign is found in the clock, which shows six minutes past seven, or 19:06, symbolising the founding of the club.

For the home shirt, I went with Brechin City’s red (in constant use since 1955) and a black sash with a white border (mirrored in the collar). For the away shirt, I employed a white and light blue harlequin design, which was used in the 1909/10 season.

As ever, I am indebted to Dave at Historical Football Kits for some of the historical information used above.