ReBrand: Turriff United FC

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Turriff United Football Club was established as a junior side in 1954. Along with Formartine United and Strathspey Thistle, Turra were admitted to the Highland Football League in 2009.

Turra’s senior honours consist of three Aberdeenshire Shields (2010/11, 2012/13 and 2014/15) and at the end of the 2014/15 Highland League season, the club finished second top. Turra also made it to the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in 2012/13, losing to league-side Greenock Morton in an away replay at Cappielow Park in December 2012. In 2016, Turra took part in the Scottish Challenge Cup. During their campaign, the club overcame the St Johnstone U20s as well as league-side Montrose, before losing at home to Hibernian in the third round.

For the badge redesign, I used a minimalistic ‘TU’ monogram, featuring a cow’s head in the ‘T’. This, alongside the wheat which forms the outer circlet, are featured in the town’s coat of arms. The cow’s head also represents the legendary ‘Turra Coo’.

The story of the Turra Coo dates back to the 1910s, when the Liberal government unveiled the National Insurance Act 1911, compelling employers make national insurance contributions. In Turriff, local farmers felt that they were at a disadvantage and protests were held. A farmer called Robert Paterson refused to make these contributions and was fined £15 and arrears. Paterson paid the £15, but continued to refuse to pay the national insurance arrears. Local sheriff George Keith was ordered to seize property amounting to £7 from Paterson’s farm. Keith selected a white Ayrshire-Shorthorn cross dairy cow. This cow was to be auctioned off in order to raise the funds to pay off Paterson’s arrears, but on the intended day of the auction, a large protest erupted with locals decorating the cow with ribbons and painting the words ‘Lendrum to Leeks’ (Lendrum being the location of Paterson’s farm and leeks being a reference to Chancellor David Lloyd George’s Welsh origin) on the cow’s side. Due to the unrest, the sale of the cow did not proceed at that time.

Subsequently, Paterson and seven others were taken to Aberdeen to be put on trial for disorderly conduct, though all were acquitted. The Turra Coo was later sold in Aberdeen, but the community of Turriff rallied together to buy back the coo and return it to Paterson. The return of the cow in 1914 proved to be a major public event in Turriff, with some 3000 people gathering to celebrate. Since that time, the Turra Coo has become a local icon, with a roadside monument dedicated at Lendrum in 1971 and a sculpture in the town centre, unveiled in 2010. In 2014, Turriff United introduced a mascot based on the Turra Coo.

ReBrand: Inverurie Loco Works FC

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Inverurie Loco Works Football Club was established as a junior side by the workers of said locomotive workshops in 1903. Originally, these workshops were operated by the Great North of Scotland Railway (1854-1922) before becoming part of the London and North Eastern Railway (1923-1947).

In 1948, the railway was nationalised with the forming of British Rail Engineering Limited and in 1969, the workshops closed in Inverurie. With the workshops closed, the club continued to compete at the junior level. In 2001, the Locos were admitted into the Highland Football League and became a senior side.

Since joining the Highland League, the Locos have won the Highland League Cup on two occasions (2007/08 and 2008/09). They also boast three Aberdeenshire Shields and two Scottish Qualifying Cups (North), but the Highland League title has eluded them.

The current badge is very strong, incorporating the club’s classic colour scheme, though giving far less of a hint of the club’s history and unusual name than a previous incarnation, which featured a generic steam engine in a round badge. For my redesign, I sought to avoid a breach of Scottish heraldic law by avoiding a shield. I also sought to incorporate something more symbolic of the historic Inverurie Locomotive Workshops. I decided upon the use of the distinctive Class F Gordon Highlander engine, which was restored at Inverurie (only ten locomotives would ever be built at Inverurie – the rest of the work done consisted of restorations and enhancements).

ReBrand: Huntly FC

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Huntly Football Club was established in 1928. and was admitted to the Highland Football League that same year. By their second season, they had won the league title. But this early success was not indicative of the club’s future form. Over the next six decades, Huntly would win two Highland League Cups and two Aberdeenshire Cups, but another league title evaded them.

The 1990s proved to be the club’s most successful decade to date. In 1992, they won the Aberdeenshire Cup and in 1993, they won both the Highland League Cup and the Scottish Qualifying Cup (North). The following season, Huntly secured the Highland League title for the first time in 64 years. This triumph was accompanied by their second consecutive Highland League Cup and another Aberdeenshire Cup – a Highland treble. The club would go on to win a record five consecutive Highland League titles (1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98), during which time they also won an additional Highland League Cup (1995/96), three consecutive Aberdeenshire Cups (1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96) and two Scottish Qualifying Cups (North) (1994/95, 1996/97). The club would add to their silverware tally in the 1999/2000 season, winning one more Aberdeenshire Cup and one more Scottish Qualifying Cup (North). Huntly’s most recent Highland League title came in 2005.

The current Huntly badge (and the overall Huntly colour scheme) is derived from the black and gold heraldic blazon of the Stewart Earls of Atholl (who were the Lords of Strathbogie, the former name of Huntly, in the Middle Ages). The stylised stag’s head comes from the arms of the Earl (and later, Marquess) of Huntly. For my redesign, I sought to keep the main features of the current badge, but to bring it into compliance with the heraldic laws of Scotland by removing the club’s initials from the shield itself. Although the stylised stag’s head is a striking design feature, my mind interprets the ears as the stag’s eyes. I decided to make a more anatomically accurate stag’s head for my redesign. The laurel wreath and five stars represent Huntly’s dominant form in the 1990s and standing record of five consecutive Highland League championships.

ReBrand: Fraserburgh FC

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Fraserburgh Football Club was established in 1910. In 1921, they gained admittance to the Highland Football League. Since that time, the club have won the league three times and have won the Highland League Cup on two occasions.

When the Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) was still used to give non-professional clubs the chance to compete in the tournament, Fraserburgh progressed on three occasions. Their most notable appearance came in January 1959, when they faced Dundee at their home ground of Bellslea Park in the first round of the Scottish Cup. At that time, Dundee were a competitive side in the top tier of the Scottish Football League and would finish the season in fourth place before topping the table in 1962. Fraserburgh’s victory was seen as a significant shock. Ultimately, the club would progress no further than the second round, losing narrowly to Stirling Albion 3-4 at home.

The home kit scheme of black and white vertical stripes has been used by the club for many years. It is said to have been inspired by the kit of Newcastle United by way of a local fisherman. Fraserburgh first used a badge on their kit in 1990 to celebrate their 80th anniversary. The centrepiece of this badge consisted of a shield divided into three segments, with the top left displaying two crossing flags, the top right displaying a football and the bottom portion displaying a lion rampant. The shield was topped with a thistle and flanked by mantling. A banner ran underneath the shield bearing the club’s name.

In 2010, the current badge came into use to commemorate the club’s centenary. The club’s nickname, ‘The Broch’, is taken from the Scots word for Fraserburgh. I find this current badge to be somewhat striking in concept, though lacking in execution. The ‘kink’ on the sides of the shield as it begins to curve in the lower-third rubs me the wrong way. Additionally, the presentation of the text is very basic (though I suspect that this is intentional) and apart from the nickname, it displays no symbols linking it to the club’s history nor the locality. I won’t even get started on the issue that the Court of the Lord Lyon might have with this badge.

In redesigning this badge, I wanted to keep with the stark black-and-white colour scheme, but I wanted to present something that echoes some of the club and town’s history. Inspired by the Fraserburgh coat of arms, I designed a shield and divided it into four parts. The three cinquefoils and lion rampant mirror those included on the coat of arms. In the lower left quadrant, I included a shell as Fraserburgh is the largest shellfish port in Scotland and one of the largest in Europe.

For the home kit, I did not stray from the boldness of Fraserburgh’s traditional black and white vertical stripes. The current away kit uses a sky blue, but I opted for a more of a sea green, reflecting the community’s dependence on the sea.

ReBrand: Formartine United FC

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Formartine United Football Club was established in the village of Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire, in 1948. The exact circumstances of the club’s formation are something of a mystery. It is known that an amateur club, Pitmedden FC, played in the village prior to the founding of United, but the relationship between the two is unclear.

Formartine United played in the amateur league in Aberdeenshire until 1960, when they became a junior side. They continued to compete as a junior side for the nearly 50 years until, in 2008, the Highland Football League was expanded, opening three new places. These places went to Strathspey Thistle, Turriff United and Formartine United. By the end of the 2012/13 season, Formartine United had reached second-top in the Highland League table. That same season, the club secured their first senior honour, winning the Aberdeenshire Cup. United repeated their Aberdeenshire Cup victory in the 2017/18 season, a campaign during which they also won their first Highland League Cup.

When looking at the current badge, we notice a red-and-white-striped shield upon which is found a golden griffin rampant. A golden banner wraps around the badge and includes the club name and the French motto SANS PEUR, ‘without fear’. The stripes on the shield echo the traditional red and white stripes of Formartine United home shirts. The French motto, that of Clan Sutherland, might have some connection to the club’s founding (perhaps one of the early movers in the club was called Sutherland). Given that United are based in Pitmedden, I decided to make greater use of the club’s locality. I omitted the French motto from this badge redesign (and included it in the redesign of Brora Rangers‘ badge) as Formartine is far from the traditional homelands of Clan Sutherland. The griffin has been replaced by a version of the Clan Seton coat of arms. This ties to the historic Pitmedden Gardens, which feature the coat of arms of Sir Alexander Seton, Lord Pitmedden (c. 1639-1719).

The home strip makes use of the traditional Formartine United red and white stripes, while the away strip inverts this colour scheme and replaces red with dark blue.

ReBrand: Deveronvale FC

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Deveronvale Football Club was established in 1938 at the union of two pre-existing clubs, Deveron Valley and Banff Rovers. The club name comes from the River Deveron, which separates the twin fishing towns of Banff and Macduff on the northern Aberdeenshire coast.

The name ‘Deveronvale’ was chosen so as to demonstrate that the club belonged to the communities of both Banff and Macduff. The current badge is a version of the first and only badge worn by the club, first employed in the 1970s. In order to further emphasise this shared ‘ownership’ of the club, the designer, local schoolteacher Chris Murray, decided upon a depiction of a seagull in order to avoid favouring one town over the other.

A year after the union, the club joined the Highland Football League, though it was not until 2003 that they won their first Highland League title. This achievement was repeated three years later. In addition to these two Highland League championships, Vale’s honours include eight Aberdeenshire Cups, two Aberdeenshire Shields and secured their place in the Scottish Cup tournaments of 1951/52 and 2001/02 by winning the Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) during those campaigns.

Designing a new badge for Vale was a challenge. The current badge is both unique to Scotland in its shape (it resembles Liverpool FC’s full badge very closely, especially the badge first included on Liverpool’s 1987/88 kits) and striking in its aesthetics and simplicity. But, although the centrepiece of the current badge is meant to be a seagull, I find it difficult to see – a Native American thunderbird or an eagle comes to my mind more readily.

Ultimately, I chose to reuse the current badge shape. In order to emphasise both the River Deveron and the twin fishing towns of Banff and Macduff, I placed a blue stripe through the middle of the badge, crossed by two fish (salmon). The salmon coming from the left crosses in front of the salmon coming from the right, emphasising that, while Deveronvale belongs to both Banff and Macduff, the town on the western bank of the River Deveron, Banff, has always been home to Deveronvale’s home ground.

The kit redesigns make use of traditional Deveronvale home and away colour schemes.

ReBrand: Peterhead FC

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Peterhead Football Club was established in 1891 by a number of local football enthusiasts. The passion of this young club caught the attention of the town’s Feuars Managers and a plot of land was gifted to the club within Peterhead’s Raemoss Park. Recreation Park, as it this original home ground was called, opened that same year. Although the stage was set for competition, Peterhead would have to wait until their admittance into the small Aberdeenshire Football Association (consisting of only six sides) in 1900 before playing competitive football.

In 1931, Peterhead would join the larger Highland Football League, where they would be crowned champions three times in four seasons (1946/47, 1948/49, 1949/50) and then twice more, in 1988/89 and 1998/99. The club also won the Highland League Cup on five occasions (1962/63, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1980/81 and 1988/89).

After competing for over a century as a non-league side, Peterhead would gain admittance into the Scottish Football League in 2000. Their application was aided by their relocation to Balmoor in 1997.

In 2013/14, Peterhead topped the Scottish League Two table, gaining promotion to League One. Their stay in League One lasted only three seasons, though they came close to returning to the third tier after finishing second in the 2017/18 League Two season. This led to a play-off, in which the club was defeated by fellow League Two side, Stenhousemuir over two legs, despite the latter having finished the season 22 points behind Peterhead. Undeterred, Peterhead returned to the third tier after winning League Two in the 2018/19 season.

Peterhead adopted their nickname ‘the Blue Toon’, from their town, which itself probably comes from the fact that the historical fishermen of the port town were known for wearing blue worsted stockings. Accordingly, blue has been Peterhead FC’s primary colour since their early days.

The club’s kit first featured a badge in 1947. This badge consisted of the club’s ‘PFC’ initials within a shield and was used for one season before being revived during the early 1960s. Several variations of the club’s initials appeared on their kits at various points in the 1980s.

In 1989, when Peterhead won the Highland League title (their first such honour since 1950), the club adopted a new badge to celebrate the achievement. This badge featured of a version of the Peterhead coat of arms. In 1993, the club became a limited company and adopted their current badge. This badge consists of a downward-pointing triangle with a wavy top, representing the sea. Within the triangle is an illustration of a football and a fish—the fish representing the town’s fishing industry—superimposed over a net. The badge also features an outer ring and the club’s nickname.

For my redesign, I wanted to create something more unified and balanced than the current badge. I decided to omit the triangle so as to avoid any resemblance to the much older Dunfermline Athletic badge. I illustrated a new football, encircled by two haddock fishes for the centrepiece of the badge. I also included blue and white waves to represent the sea.

For Peterhead’s home shirt, I employed a blue and white colour scheme, with the waves on the body of the kit echoing the waves in the badge. The home socks are all blue, calling back to the blue worsted stockings from which the Blue Toon gets its nickname. The away shirt colour scheme of red, white and black is taken from many historical Peterhead away strips.

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

ellliottt

design & illustration

Aberdeenshire

ReBrand: Turriff United FC

ReBrand: Inverurie Loco Works FC

ReBrand: Huntly FC

ReBrand: Fraserburgh FC

ReBrand: Formartine United FC

ReBrand: Deveronvale FC

ReBrand: Peterhead FC