In 1951, the Spartans Football Club was established by Elliot Wardlaw and Jimmy Beaumont, two former Edinburgh University players. It was their intention that the club would field graduates of the university, though the constitution soon allowed for the admission of ‘other interested parties’.

Upon their founding, the Spartans were admitted into the East of Scotland Football League, where they would compete for more than six decades and amass nine league championships (including a spell of three consecutive championships between 2009 and 2011). It was also during this time that the Spartans pulled off some impressive Scottish Cup runs – advancing to the fourth round in the 2003/04 season after defeating Buckie Thistle and league sides Alloa Athletic and Arbroath. Eventually, this run would end at the hands of top-tier side Livingston. The club would reach the fourth round on two more occasions — in 2005/06 and in 2008/09 — defeating many league sides in the process.

In 2013, the Spartan’s long stay in the EoSFL ended when they became founding members of the Lowland Football League. During that first season, the club topped the table for the first time. Their greatest Scottish Cup performance came in the 2014/15 competition. By the fifth round (the round of 16), the Spartans were the only non-league side remaining. On 7 February 2015, the Spartans drew 1-1 with Berwick Rangers, forcing a replay. Ten days later, the Spartan’s run would end in England, with a 1-0 loss away at Berwick.

After winning the Lowland League in the 2017/18 season, the Spartans qualified for the League Two play-off semi-finals. As Lowland League champions, they faced the Highland Football League champions, Cove Rangers. Cove proved too strong over two legs and the Spartans went away losing 2-5 on aggregate.

For the badge redesign, I sought to capture and build upon the boldness and strength of the current badge. I decided upon a minimalist badge, incorporating a depiction of the Spartan helmet alone. Within the crest of the helmet is found the club’s initials and the year of the club’s founding.

The home kit incorporates the traditional Spartans strip of a white shirt with red shorts and white socks. The top features red details in a scheme resembling the handsome Admiral strips from the early 1980s. The away kit also incorporates a bold 1980s athletic feel, making use of the badge’s blue and red colour scheme while presenting the redesigned badge in white.