Newcastle United namecheck three Champions League clubs that have inspired new crest design - decision made

Newcastle have started a fan consultation process for a new club crest which is planned to be in place for the start of the 2026-27 season. It will mark the first change to Newcastle’s club crest since 1988 and be the fifth permanent crest adopted by the club.

The club have stressed that fans will be at the forefront of the decision-making process but it is clear that several key decisions have already been made.

The badge will change from its current design and the club have listed three potential avenues to explore, using three instantly recognisable club badges as examples.

Newcastle United list Champions League trio as crest change examples

Newcastle have presented three options regarding changest to the club crest - ‘refine’, ‘revive’ or ‘reinvent’.

Inter Milan’s crest has been used as an example of a refined club crest with heavy inspiration taken from the previous design only with a simpler, sleeker finish. While there are key changes to the badge, it ultimately keeps the essence of the crest it has taken inspiration from.

Newcastle then showed Manchester City as an example of a club that have revived a previous club crest with a modern twist. Man City’s previous club crest was complex like Newcastle’s until it changed to a simpler design in 2016 which was heavily inspired by previous club crests.

Newcastle have two old club crests that offer a far simpler design to the current crest.

Newcastle’s official statement recommended a ‘refine and revive’ approach as the look to keep updates to the club crest ‘minimal’.

But a third option was still provided in the form of a reinvented club crest, which simply throws all previous designs out of the window to create an entirely new crest.

The example used for this proposal was Juventus’ abstract ‘J’ design that was initially adopted in 2017 before being refined further in 2020. Based on the initial briefings from Newcastle’s branding team, this is not a direction they would be looking to take at this stage.

Why are Newcastle United changing the club crest?

A statement issued by the club revealed the reasoning behind the crest change.

It read: “As our club grows on the global stage, the symbol that represents us needs to be able to keep pace. It needs to show up clearly and confidently across everything – from kits to screens to merchandise.

“So, we’ve been asking ourselves: how well does our current crest represent the club today? And how well will it serve us tomorrow?

“It’s time to update our crest. This isn’t a decision we take lightly. We love our crest. It’s iconic and has stood us through unforgettable triumphs and testing times.

“But it was created in a different era. Its intricate design doesn’t always translate well in today’s digital world. And it’s difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently.

“As football and the world changes, so too must the symbol that unites us. That’s why we’re coming to you.

“This isn’t about walking away from our past. It’s about carrying it forward with pride. The crest is part of our story. It’s on our shirts and inked in our skin. It deserves thoughtful evolution – shaped by the voices of the people who love it.

“Tell us what matters most. Based on what we’ve heard, updates to the current club crest should be minimal and therefore ‘Refine & Revive’ is our recommended approach.”

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