Dee

Banks O’ Dee Football Club was established in 1902. The club was originally called the Rechabites, the origins of which are quite peculiar. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the temperance movement was at its height in the United Kingdom. The Independent Order of Rechabites is a fraternal organisation that was established in England in 1835. It was established based on a commitment to total abstinence from alcoholic beverages. (The name was related to the biblical people called the Rechabites, who were committed to abstaining from wine and living a nomadic life.) It was in this vein of thinking that the club set up shop beside the River Dee in Aberdeen. As the story goes, a club committee member discovered that some of the players were enjoying a bevvy in a local hostelry and the Rechabites name was abandoned in 1920 in favour of the current Banks O’ Dee.

For most of its existence, the Dee has competed in regional junior leagues. They have amassed a large number of junior league honours, including winning the Aberdeen District Junior League seven times, the subsequent North East Premier Division eleven times, and the current SJFA North Superleague five times. These figures set Banks O’ Dee apart from other regional junior clubs, though success on a broader stage has evaded the club. Perhaps Banks O’ Dee’s greatest success came in their first-ever participation in the 2008/09 Scottish Cup tournament. Their first-round 10–0 victory against then-Highland League outfit Fort William is of particular note. The following season, the Dee applied to join the Highland League, but were unsuccessful. Despite this, the club became full members of the Scottish Football Association in 2014.

After the ascendence of Cove Rangers from the Highland League to the SPFL in 2019, Banks O’ Dee was invited to submit an application to take Cove’s place in the Highland League. The Dee declined the offer, remaining in the SJFA North Superleague. Their continued participation in the North Superleague wouldn’t last long as the Dee won the league by an overwhelming margin (with 24 wins, two draws and no losses and amassing a +117 goal difference) in the 2021/22 season. This set them up for a two-leg play-off against Fort William for a place in the Highland League. Due to player eligibility rules, Fort William were forced to withdraw, cementing Banks O’ Dee’s admittance into the Highland League, where they compete presently.

I find the current Banks O’ Dee badge endearing in its home-grown minimalism. My redesign is a ‘light’ reboot of the current badge, having clearned up the thistle design and incorporated a more bounded roundel.

The kit redesigns are based on the current colours used by the club.

Established in 1893 by way of a merger between two Dundee football clubs—East End and Our Boys (both formed in 1877)—throughout the club’s history, Dundee Football Club have experienced their fair share of glory. The club won the Scottish Cup in 1909/10, as well as the Scottish League Cup in 1951/52, 1952/53 and 1973/74. The Dee were also crowned 1961/62 Scottish champions and the following season, they reached the semi-final of the European Cup.

But in 2003, Dundee’s future was put in jeopardy. As a result of accruing a £23m debt, the club was placed in administration. The Dee was able to continue operations after selling their stadium and remained in the second tier until 2012, when they gained unexpected promotion into what was then the Scottish Premier League as a result of the financial collapse of Rangers. Unfortunately, Dundee was knocked back down to the second tier after just one season.

Demonstrating their resilience, Dundee fought successfully to win the 2013/14 Scottish Championship (the second tier in Scottish football after the 2013 founding of the Scottish Professional Football League), beating out Hamilton Academical for the title and gaining promotion back to the top tier. Dundee’s fortunes took another knock at the end of the 2018/19 season, when they finished at the bottom of the Premiership table and were relegated to the Championship once again.

In Dundee’s first season back in the Championship, they finished third, but upon the second asking, came in second behind Hearts, earning themselves a place in the Premiership play-off semi-final against Raith Rovers. Having dispatched the Rovers 3-1 over two legs, Dundee went on to face Premiership side Kilmarnock in the final. Dundee were able to hold on, defeating Killie 4-2 over two legs and joining their city rivals Dundee United in the top tier for the 2021/22 season.

In 1952, the Dee first began sporting a club badge on their tops, featuring ‘DFC’ laid out diagonally, enclosed in shield. In 1955, the club began using the current ‘DFC’ badge. By 1970, a new badge, replacing the shield with a circle and red detail, was used on the kit. 1973 saw the return of the ‘DFC’ monogram, though without a shield. This was used until 1987, when a new badge (a variation of the design that appeared after the Second World War on official blazers and publications) was adopted. In 2008, Dundee returned to their original 1955 badge.

While I have long admired the 1955 badge, for my redesign I wanted to draw out more of the club’s history and locale. I drew inspiration from the laurel wreath featured in the badge used from 1987 to 2008 (which has reappeared for the 2019/20 season), as well as the knotted dragons’ tails in the Dundee coat of arms. I also redesigned the lettering of the monogram to be more uniform and proportioned and have added some implied depth by interweaving the letters. In seeking to comply with the ancient Scottish heraldic law forbidding lettering within a shield which is not approved by the Court of the Lord Lyon (something against which clubs like Airdrieonians and Ayr United have struggled), I have omitted the handsome shield surrounding the monogram.

The home shirt makes use of the traditional Dundee FC colour scheme of dark blue, red and white in a striking geometric arrangement. The away kit is inspired by the 1971/72 home kit and various away kits over the years, most recently, the away kit used for the 2016/17 season.

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

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design & illustration

ReBrand: Banks O’ Dee FC

ReBrand: Dundee FC