As can be seen in the individual articles on county flags, sports clubs frequently include locally meaningful devices which have been utilised in county flags on their badges or logos. Football clubs in particular follow this practice, especially smaller amateur clubs that have strong community ties in the county where they are located, making a focus on such usage interesting. The restoration in 2015, by Manchester City, of the red rose of Lancashire to its club badge.
is particularly noteworthy. The new ‘old’ design asserts the club’s heritage and geography as a Lancashire club. The move followed a similar decision to feature the Lancashire rose as part of the club’s badge taken by fellow Lancashire club Bolton Wanderers FC in 2013
Cheshire club, Stockport County, similarly restored the three wheatsheaves (garbs) and sword as found on the county flag, to its club badge in 2015.
It is also present on the badge of professional outfit, Gillingham
Southampton Football Club includes a rose, as found on the county flag, on the club badge. The civic arms borne by the city council feature three roses, two white ones on a red field, over one red one on a white field. The club appears to have reversed the pattern of the lower half of the civic shield. The county’s use of a variety of differently coloured roses through the years, is reflected in this arrangement.
An amateur team named Hampshire FC, established as the county flag was being adopted, included it in the club’s badge
Barrow, located in the Furness portion of Lancashire, also proudly sports the red rose on its club badge
In 2023 Manchester United revealed a new strip which included a red rose on its collar
which was more obvious on the second kit
The Lancastrian rose was also present in the publicity announcing the new design
The county’s famous seaxes appear on the badges of many of its football clubs.
Enfield FC and its successor Enfield 1893, have a vertically divided badge with the crown and seaxes on the observer’s right, while Wealdstone’s badge includes them in the bottom left canton of a quartered shield
Several clubs bear the name Hayes and each includes the Middle Saxon seaxes on its badge; from left to right below, AFC Hayes’s very traditional realisation again places the emblem on a quartered shield, in the top left canton; Hayes FC’s badge includes the county emblem in a modern depiction, skewed to accommodate the left portion of a diagonally divided badge; and the crown and seaxes are included on Hayes and Yeading FC’s badge, which is more akin to a modern company logo.
The county emblem is also present in the upper section, or chief, of both Hillingdon Borough FC’s badge and that of Hampton and Richmond Borough FC
and is on the badge of Yeading Football & Athletic Club Limited in a distinct and unusual realisation!
The seaxes, in a depiction more reminiscent of the pre 1910 council adaptation, without the Saxon crown,
appear on the badge of Southall FC.
This same “early” depiction of the seaxes is found in the badge of Ashford Town FC
which contrasts with the post 1910 arrangement featured on the badge of the town’s hockey team!
Naturally, the Middlesex emblem, again in its original form, is the badge of Middlesex Wanderers, an amateur specialist touring team
Professional outfit, Brentford FC, incorporated the crown and seaxes in its badge until November 2016 when this was sadly replaced with a badge that makes no reference to the county
The Stafford Knot which is the essential feature on the county flag, is present on the badges of non-league Hednesford Town, Stafford Town, Lichfield City, Tamworth and Stafford Rangers
Professional teams Port Vale and Stoke City also sport the Stafford Knot on their club badges.
The three leopard faces that appear on the county flag, which originated in the civic arms of Shrewsbury, are present on the club badge of Shrewsbury Town FC.
The council of the Surrey town of Wimbledon was awarded arms, in 1906, which included a yellow and blue chequered border in reference to the De Warenne earls of Surrey. The original local football team, Wimbledon FC, (since revamped as AFC Wimbledon) adopted a modified version of the civic arms for its own badge
which made notable use of a blue and yellow chequered border in reference to the de Warenne checks, which have since been registered as the county flag of Surrey. This badge has since been discontinued.
The Ringmer village team used the county emblem for its club badge and it also appears on the badge of Catsfield FC.
In the 2017 season Brighton and hove Albion incorporated the Sussex flag into its shirt!
Yorkshire’s white rose is prominently featured on the badges of Leeds United
Football Supporters’ “Naval Ensigns”
In recent years the burgeoning popularity of county flags in England, has led to an interesting trend whereby they have been incorporated into Saint George’s cross flags, in the pattern of the naval ensign
by football supporters, usually with additional elements such as club badges and slogans. Some examples follow
Cheshire
This example, wielded by supporters of Stockport County, is somewhat different from the pattern generally deployed by supporters, which, as described, feature a county flag in the first canton, uppermost next to the flagpole. Here, the lower canton, bears the design and oddly, rather then the full flag of Cheshire, simply depicts the charges found on it, that is, the three golden wheatsheaves or garbs and gold sword.
County Durham
It is gratifying to see fans of Sunderland FC acknowledge their status as residents of County Durham, when many people in the city have forgotten their true county status. The flag of County Durham unequivocally sits in the first canton of this supporter flag. It’s also found on the below banners borne by supporters of Bishop Auckland, Shildon AFC and Darlington FC clubs.
Cumberland
Carlise United fans include their county’s flag in circular form on the fourth canton of their flag
and the same arrangement is used by Workington Town rugby league fans!
Cornwall
A somewhat unexpected example from Cornwall which sees the Cross of Saint George ammended by a Saint Piran’s Cross, in the lower right, wielded by supporters from the territory.
Derbyshire
Some fine examples of the county flag of Derbyshire being used by separate clubs from the county, the top four from Chesterfield suporters, with three where the county flag is depicted in the unorthodox fourth canton or quarter and others from supporters of Derby County, with a more conventional location of the county flag, in the first canton but one with a different black cross which is likely intended to reflect the colours of the club’s kit. Another example from that club’s fans again has the county flag in the lower right quarter.
Essex
It’s rare to see West Ham recognised as an Essex club but it is on this supporter’s flag,
where the Essex arms occupy the first quarter.
Gloucestershire
Fans from the countyproduly include their Gloucestershire flag at the 2024 Euros tournament in Germany.
Hampshire
The Hampshire flag, registered in 2019, occupies the first canton of this Southampton supporter’s flag. Aslo seen below at the 2024 Euro tournament in Germany.
Hertfordshire
The county flag of hertfordshire appears in this banner of a Tottenham Hotspur supporter.
Kent
The noble steed of Kent on its traditional red field occupies the first canton of this England flag.
Lancashire
A variation on a theme here with supporters of Leigh Centurions rugby league club, including the flag of Lancashire in the fourth quarter of their ‘ensign’.
Lincolnshire
The county flag appears in the canton of this example from supporters of Scunthorpe
and these flags from supporters of Lincoln City
Middlesex
Two great examples of the Middlesex county flag recognised by Brentford supporters and a third where the design appears in shield form, in the fourth quarter. The club (and its supporters) is alone, amongst several professional teams in the county, in recognising its true county identity in this manner and which, as noted above, previously included the emblem on its own badge, for many years. Both examples have the county flag occupying spaces other than the expected first quarter.
Nottinghamshire
Fans of the county’s cricket team display the flag in the canton of an England flag at this match.
Northumberland
Supporters from Alnwick in Northumberland with that county’s flag
Nottinghamshire
Fans of Nottingham Forest proudly depict their county’s flag in the first canton, as do fans of Notts County!
Oxfordshire
The cxounty flag is seen here at the 2024 Euros tournament in Germany.
Shropshire
England fans from Shropshire display their county’s flag in the first canton.
Staffordshire
The county flag is seen incorporated on the lower right quarter of this one, wielded by supporters from Walasall, Staffordshire.
Suffolk
Fans of an amateur team from Suffolk have incorporated the county flag here in the fourth canton.
Surrey
Supporters of Farnham Town have incorporated the Surrey county flag in their banner.
Supporters of Farnham Town have incorporated the Surrey county flag in their banner.
Sussex
Plenty of examples of the practice from supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion. The club consciously portrays itself as a Sussex club and promotes its county identity persistently. The county flag can be found in abundance at matches. It is also used here
by supporters of Crawley Town and here
by supporters of Horsham FC. With another from Horsham, deploying the martlets alone
Wiltshire
Fans of Swindon Town include the Wiltshire county flag in the traditional first canton
Worcestershire
And a slight twist on the theme here with England rugby fans from Worcestershire
taking up the same idea!
Yorkshire
Two fine examples examples from Leeds United supporters, with dark toned Yorkshire flags in the first quarters, as it initially appeared a third from Scarborough with the commonly seen depiction of the county flag today.
For Welsh clubs of course the arrangement has to be different, here fans of Barry Town include the Glamorgan county flag in their banner
Finally, a different take on the “naval ensign” theme with the flags of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset similarly “amended” with union jacks.
Though wholly unofficial, these designs do certainly make very fine flags!
British County Flags 