When the Bundesliga first formed in 1963, one of the original members was the club we now know as MSV Duisburg. While they currently play in the third division of German football, their badge remains one of the best in the country. Based in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, MSV Duisburg are nicknamed ‘Die Zebras’, after their traditional striped jerseys. This nickname is also referenced in their badge set-up, where a large zebra looms over the crest itself.     ..read more

A new week brings another eye-catching badge, this time from Saudi Arabia in the form of Al-Wehda FC (who incidentally, I discovered while recently playing FIFA 21). In the past we’ve seen badges that are arguably reminiscent of Pokémon characters – from Scotland all the way to the Philippines… but Al-Wehda FC surely takes the biscuit on that front. A fierce Onix-meets-Ponyta-meets-Gyarados is the main feature visible on the crest, part of a new design that was initially met with some social media backlash when the club first unveiled it. This memorable and stylised effort was aimed at a new ..read more

The seventies was an era of change, in and out of football. Many countries saw some massive downturns, and in England we saw successive governments fail. In France, it was a time of St. Etienne and the UEFA Cup. However, a small Corsica club in SC Bastia, for a minute moment in time, was the talk of European Football. They made their mark for a bit, and when they did, it left an everlasting imprint. ​Like the rest of Europe, after the Second World War Corsica found itself with a problem. Corsica is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but with World War II came high unemployment, pov ..read more

Stars, stripes and Stetsons, stellar stadiums soaked in sunshine and soccer played in searing heat. Welcome to the USA and the 1994 World Cup. It was the tournament of Diego Maradona’s wild eyed jubilation and Diego Maradona’s drugs ban humiliation. It was the tournament of Brazilian swinging cradle goal celebrations, of Roberto Baggio’s divine ponytail, and of the tragedy of Andrés Escobar. It was also a tournament marked by those absent as much as those taking part. England, so unfortunate to lose their semi-final in 1990, had failed to qualify. Wales missed a penalty to miss out. Although t ..read more

A tale of occupation, corruption, yet also considerable admiration. That the Palestinian national team competes on the international stage is an inspirational story in itself. Any success, despite the adversity faced, is a feat deserving of attention. A true David and Goliath story played out in the same region (if we believe the Bible), the Palestinian national team have consistently overcome the odds to develop the beautiful game in their land. The history of Palestinian football is long, complex, and riddled with ambiguity. It is a saga reflecting the social and cultural climate of the regi ..read more

Costa Rica. A tropical paradise, located in Central America, known for its friendly citizens, rich coffee and countless tourist excursions throughout the natural landscapes that bless its 51,100 square kilometers of territory. However, as many fellow Costa Ricans and I would agree, what is most characteristic about our country, is the intense passion for football that dominates our culture. Just like the endless traffic jams that clog up our roads on a daily basis, there is no way around football and its passionate supporters in Costa Rica. Individuals are inevitably bombarded by street vendor ..read more

From the Edinburgh of the South last week, we head over 18,000 kilometres away to the OG Edinburgh… in order to look at the badge of Hibernian F.C. The club was formed in 1875 by Irishmen living in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh. Often known as ‘Hibs’, the name ‘Hibernian’ is derived from Hibernia – an ancient Roman name for Ireland. The Irish connection is also reflected in the club’s badge – with a harp representing Ireland, along with a ship for the Port of Leith, and Edinburgh Castle displayed at the bottom. Hibernian F.C. have won the Scottish league championship four times, most recently ..read more

The year is 2004, the month February. Harry Kane, a mere ten years old, is firing goals past a helpless classmate at his Chingford primary school, while at Manchester City, the only trace of Middle Eastern pulling power is a shawarma joint on the walk up from Piccadilly Station. At the summit of the Premier League, a seemingly unconquerable Arsenal are gallivanting towards a thirteenth English title with a five-point lead over the chasing Manchester United, with Chelsea a close third and a country mile ahead of the rest of the competition.  With eyes fixed on the leading pack – and the pr ..read more

Ian St. John became part of an exclusive band of footballers – he scored the winning goal in a Wembley FA Cup final, a crouching header that broke the hearts of Don Revie’s fledgling Leeds United and gave Liverpool their first FA Cup. But St. John’s career in football went way beyond the usual route. After his playing and managerial career, he suddenly turned up in the mid-1980s as the co-host of the laddish football show, “The Saint and Greavsie”. This duo became something of a characature of two former pros having a good time talking about the game they loved. Always smiling, always ribbing ..read more

The name Dunedin comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh – and this city in New Zealand has actually been referred to as ‘The Edinburgh of the South’. It turns out that a local football team has also homaged some British heritage in its highly slick badge. Dunedin Technical AFC was first formed in 1920 by several night pupils of the King Edward Technical College. It would be six decades before this Kiwi football club took on the name it is known by today. More recently a new badge has been adopted by the club, containing references to the roots of Dunedin Technical. Th ..read more