The Wacky and Wonderful World of English Football Club Nicknames
Every club needs a few things to have an identity, to become more than a collection of yahoos running after a ball: namely a badge, a couple of colours and of course a couple of nicknames. The nicknames are arguably what make certain clubs feel alive. The best ones, the Reds, The Gunners, the Rossoneri are well known and we can talk about them until we’re Nerazzuri in the face.
Or, and I promise you it’s worth it, we can go down the English football pyramid, from the riches of the Premier League to the vana and the rama of the National League, and take a look at the weird, wacky club nicknames in England. So, if your club has a dog on the badge and you’re called the dogs we will pretend that we are Leonardo di Caprio and your club is a woman over 25 years of age. Since I got a couple of tired jokes in the introduction, we can begin this.
1. Chelsea
I know, I know, Chelsea’s nickname of the Blues is about as interesting as their “Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea” chant. But the club has another nickname, abandoned long ago, namely the Pensioners.
The reason behind that was the association of the club with the Chelsea pensioners, which are residents of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea London, the retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army. During the early 50s newly appointed manager and former England striker Ted Drake sought to distance the club from that image and the pensioner crest was rebranded and the nickname was gradually abandoned.
2. AFC Bournemouth
The most well-known nickname of the South Coast team is the Cherries. But you said no boring nicknames based on kit colours and I hear you. But the Cherries has a secondary explanation.
Back in 1910, Bournemouth, who were named Boscombe FC back then, were given a plot of land to play on by the wealthy Cooper-Dean family, who had an orchard nearby with rows of cherry trees. And if you are wondering about the Boscombe name, that is derived from the suburb the club was originally based in and now has become more of a nickname for the club.
3. Everton
The Blues rank third in the all-time table of English football, and quite high in terms of points deductions and nicknames, numbering 6 as far as I could find. Since the Blues is self-explanatory we can swiftly move on to their most famous nickname, that of The Toffees, which I always found weird before I found out the story behind it.
Most clubs go for nicknames that instill fear in their opponents, like the Lions or the Crusaders, but the Toffees? How is that scary? “We are the toffees, we will stick to your teeth and cause you to have cavities, causing early tooth loss and affecting your overall health, self-image and standard of living?” I guess that’s pretty scary.
The nickname dates all the way back to the founding days of the club and whilst some might think that it comes from the team marking their opponents closely and being sticky like toffees, the explanation lies with the fans of the team who would pick up toffees as a matchday treat from a shop in the vicinity of Anfield Road. And yes you heard that correctly. After playing at Anfield Road for a couple of years, Everton moved away to Goodison Park due to increasing leasing costs and the landlord created Liverpool Football Club to fill his empty ground.
With the move, a new toffee shop appeared in the vicinity continuing the tradition. From their oldest nickname, we now move on to the newest one, coined by David Moyes in 2002. In his first press conference as Everton manager, he called the team “The People’s Club”. Whilst Everton have had this reputation for a long time it was David Moyes’ succinct description of the community spirit of the team that coined this nickname.
Speaking later about that press conference, Moyes stated that driving through Liverpool, he saw kids playing football in the streets of the city and most of them were wearing Everton tops. Their final three nicknames are more on the historic side, the first one being the Black Watch. This name predates the switch to blue colours that happened in 1901, as at first, Everton were playing in black.
This earned them the nickname the Black Watch, which is the name of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. Established in 1881 the battalion has been active since then, seeing service in almost every major engagement the UK participated in, and is said to have gotten the name Black Watch due to the dark-coloured tartans their troops were issued.
Later on, in 1928, their title-winning side got the nickname “The School of Science” from Steve Bloomer, a former England great of the early 1900s, who described Everton’s playing style as scientific in its approach. Their last nickname, “The Dogs of War”, came about in 1995, when Everton won the FA Cup Final. They faced Manchester United in the final, after having battled their way out of a relegation fight for most of the season and won the game through a solitary Paul Rideout goal.
4. Tottenham
I will admit that I am cheating a bit with this one since it’s not actually a nickname but rather the Hotspur part of the club’s name. During the early days of the club from Tottenham, the founders chose the name Hotspur in honour of Sir Henry Percy. Percy was the eldest son of the Duke of Northumberland and during the latter part of the 14th century accompanied his king Richard II to Scotland for an expedition.
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During the subsequent fighting, the Scots bestowed the nickname Hotspur on the young knight for his “speed in advance and readiness to attack”. His star would continue to grow in England with further campaigns in France, Ireland and Scotland until he rebelled against Henry IV and died in battle.
5. Fulham
Their nickname of the Cottagers alludes to their beautiful ground called Craven Cottage. Whilst most clubs in England dream of ultramodern stadiums that look like shopping centres or office buildings, Fulham have kept the vintage look of their ground, complete with an actual cottage-looking structure called The Pavilion. This houses the team’s changing rooms and during games the families of the players are invited to watch the game from there.
The name Craven Cottage, however has nothing to do with the team lacking bravery or the Pavilion, but instead dates back to 1870. William Craven, the sixth Baron Craven had built a cottage on roughly the exact same location that the ground stands on now. During its time it had many inhabitants that were part of the high society and is even rumoured to have housed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Florence Nightingale or Queen Victoria, although these claims could never be verified.
The cottage burned down in 1888 and six years later Fulham chose the site for its new ground. The club had been somewhat homeless, playing at 8 different grounds before that and leased the land with an agreement to rehabilitate the abandoned area and give the owners part of the gate receipts.
6. West Ham
The club’s connection to the famous Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company gave the club its well-known nicknames like The Irons or the Hammers. And just like Chelsea it also has an older nickname not often used nowadays, The Academy of Football.
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This came about during the 50s when the club started emphasizing youth development. The culmination of their efforts came the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, when three West Ham players, including captain Bobby Moore and goal scorers Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, were pivotal to England’s win (alongside the referee), but we’ll gloss over that for the time being.
7. Leeds United
Apart from the classic colour nickname, in this case, the Whites or the Lillywhites, Leeds are also known as The Peacocks, especially amongst older fans. Whilst most teams with such nicknames take theirs from an animal on their crest, The Peacocks came about in a very different way.
Before it was called Elland Road, Leeds’s stadium was known as the Old Peacock ground. The reason behind it is the land on which the first ground was built was owned by Bentley’s Brewery. That same brewery operated a pub opposite the ground called the Old Peacock, hence the nickname.
8. Newcastle United
Looking at Newcastle’s badge with the two seahorses you’d expect them to be called the horse boys or something, but instead their nickname derives from another animal. The Magpies, as the club are known, comes from their black and white kits who resemble the birds’ colours.
And I know seahorses are fish and magpies are birds but I just used animal because I’m too lazy to look up other terms. Anyway, the fans of Newcastle also have two nicknames, that are used for the team as well, namely the Geordies and the Toon. The Geordies is a general term used to describe people who come from Newcastle and The Toon, is how Geordies pronounce the word town in their accent.
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9. Nottingham Forest
Currently, the oldest club in the football league, although some people debate that fact, Forest have one of the coolest nicknames ever, namely the Tricky Trees, which makes them sound like Ents from Rord of the Rings. The one I’m more interested in however is an older one that is much less used today.
In the club’s first-ever meeting, back when players still used to wear caps, the records show that the decision was made to purchase 12 tassel caps coloured Garibaldi Red. And if you’re wondering what Garibaldi red is, the colour stems from the Redshirts, the most loyal unit of Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was instrumental in the unification of Italy.
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10. Crystal Palace
A club I am very excited to watch this season under Oliver Glasner, Palace’s name and identity are tied to the Crystal Palace, which was built for the 1851 Great Exhibition. The Exhibition was a showcase of the newest technology and all-round interesting things from all over the world. With such a great occasion, the decision was made to build a palace-like structure from steel and glass to house the fair.
It was at this house that Crystal Palace the football club is said to have been founded in 1905. The club’s crest features the palace and an eagle giving the club it’s two nicknames. The first one, The Eagles is pretty self-explanatory and since they couldn’t call themselves the exhibitionists the other nickname is the Glaziers. A glazier, as I have just found out is the term used for a tradesperson who works with glass.
11. Southampton
The South Coast Club has a very strong religious connection as they were founded in 1885 by members of the St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association. During its history the club has developed one of the best academies in England and their previous association with the church has given them the nickname of the Saints alongside their stadium which is called St. Mary’s.
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12. Norwich City
The canary on the team’s badge will probably ensure that most fans will guess that the club is nicknamed the Canaries. The story behind the name is quite interesting as it involves the local breeding of this type of bird. In 1565 the town of Norwich, suffering the effects of past rebellions and reeling from a particularly harsh winter invited 30 Dutch immigrants to settle in the area.
This opened the gates for well over a thousand protestant immigrants from Flanders, and all over the Spanish Netherlands to settle in Norwich, fleeing the religious persecution at the hands of the Spaniards. They became known as the Strangers, and their arrival not only boosted the local economy but also brought the art of canary breeding to the area, leading the Norwich canary to be recognized as an official type of the species.
13. Blackburn Rovers
The first club to ever be relegated from the Premier League after winning it, Blackburn has had a torrid time under the Venkys since their takeover in 2010. Their stadium, Ewood Park hasn’t seen any major redevelopment since the early 90s when most of the stands were built.
One of them, the Riverside Stand, named after the river which flows in its vicinity is the oldest one, built in 1988. Blackburn’s nickname of the Riversiders is attributed to this stand’s name.
14. Bristol City
The little bird on the club’s badge will probably tell you that their first nickname is The Robins, but the more interesting one is the Cider Army. The city of Bristol and the greater region surrounding it have a rich history in cider making, and since 2022 Bristol University even has a learning module for its students around the process. Another very interesting connection to the cider-making business is the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland.
I’ll do this one quickly so you don’t fall asleep. Basically the merchants of Bristol were big financial backers of Richard de Clare, who led the invasion and later received the title of Justiciar of Ireland. How is he connected to the cider-making business you might ask? Well, Richard’s nickname (see, it’s all connected) was Strongbow, which nowadays stands for one of the most popular cider brands out there.
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15. Huddersfield Town
Best remembered for their tumultuous Premier League stay during the mid-2010s to today’s fans, Huddersfield won three league titles in a row during the 1920s, but sadly haven’t reached a comparable level since. Their intricate badge features a little dog at the top, which I only noticed when making this video, which represents Huddersfield Ben.
Little Ben was a dog that lived during the 1860s and is said to have been the template for the Yorkshire terrier breed. Due to the town’s connection to this famous dog, the football club has adopted the nickname of the Terriers.
16. Luton Town
Luton’s rise from non-league status to the heights of the Premier League has been documented extensively last year and not even their subsequent relegation could sour this feel-good story. What did sour it for me however was the incessant posting about that goddamned entrance to Kenilworth Road.
We get it, they have a small quirky stadium, now go get clicks and views with something else your two-bit sports pages. Their new nickname might as well have been the LadBiblers after last season, but instead, the local industry once again gets featured. And I’m not talking about the cheap flights that land at Luton airport.
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The hat-making industry flourished in the town around the 17th century before Vauxhall opened a massive factory in 1907. Still, the connection to hat-making has remained and Luton Town’s nickname The Hatters shows this heritage, as let’s be honest what team would want to be known as the Vectras?
17. Preston North End
Looking at their white shirt blue shorts combo and their nickname of the Lillywhites, to the untrained eye Preston might look like a Tottenham tribute band. However, if you look into the history of the two clubs you will see that it was the London club that took inspiration from Preston.
Back in 1899, when Tottenham adopted their current colours, Preston were the best team in England. In fact their prowess saw them win an undefeated league and FA Cup double in that very same season, making them the original Invincibles of England. Nowadays when fans hear The Invincibles, they invariably think of Arsenal, but this name is in fact the well-deserved nickname of one of the most historic teams in the country.
18. Reading
The Ding as they are known amongst fans have two other nicknames. The most common one is The Royals, given to them due to their location. The county they are located in, Berkshire is been home to Windsor Castle, home to the English kings for around 900 years.
Furthermore, the Magna Carta, was signed in the county and later the prestigious Eton College and Royal Ascot horse race further added to the county’s royal prestige. A much older nickname of the team, that of the Biscuitmen comes from Reading having one of the largest Biscuit manufacturers in the world.
Established in 1822, Huntley & Palmers was one of the first brands to become recognizable across the world. Their operations in Reading ended in the 70s and the brand has since been reformed in 2006 in Sudbury, making the semi-professional AFC Sudbury the official heirs to the Biscuitmen nickname.
19. Sunderland
Home to the biggest footballing charity in the UK, Sunderland’s nickname of the Black Cats doesn’t have a certain background. The imagery has been associated with the club for decades and the way in which the nickname came about is more interesting than its origins. Contrary to other clubs Sunderland chose their nickname, conducting a poll in 2000, where supporters voted on their current nickname.
20. Derby County
Derby’s famous Rams nickname alongside their badge is a nod to both the First Regiment of Derby Militia and the tale of The Derby Ram. In this folk tale, the people of Derby reportedly dealt with a ram of gargantuan proportions and the difficulties involved in butchering, tanning, and processing it. The tale’s popularity, especially during the 18th century, meant that it followed the English settlers to America also being told in the form of a song that George Washington is said to have sung.
21. Swansea City
One of two Welsh teams to ever play Premier League football, Swansea have two nicknames. An obvious one and a more obscure one. The Swans as they are called by most people are also known as the Jacks. The origin of this one is quite murky and I have found two possible explanations.
Firstly, the seaside location of the city naturally meant that quite a lot of its inhabitants joined the navy and seamen back then were sometimes called Jack Tars, with jack being a name for a common man and tar coming from the tar that had various maritime uses. The second possible explanation is the town’s connection to Swansea Jack, a black retriever that lived near the docks of Swansea and rescued a total of 27 people from drowning throughout his life, earning the ‘Bravest Dog of the Year’ award in 1936.
22. Watford
Watford’s nickname is a bit of a curveball due to their badge redesign of 1978. Originally called the Brewers during the 1920s due to the local Benskins Brewery, founded all the way back in 1693, the club changed their colours from blue and white to gold and black, causing them to be called the Hornets. Their badge, which depicted a hornet was changed to the current one depicting a hart, the ceremonial animal of Hertfordshire, but their nickname has stayed the same.
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23. Cardiff City
The only team from outside England to have ever won the FA Cup, Cardiff’s badge, depicting a bluebird also gives the club its nickname of you guessed it, the Bluebirds. initially, the club played in amber and gold kits but changed their colours to royal blue and white in late October 1911 when the New Theatre in Cardiff staged a play called The Bluebird written by the Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck. the play’s success prompted the club to adopt the new identity.
24. West Bromwich Albion
A founding member of the Football League in 1888 and ten-time FA Cup finalist, West Brom’s early history is quite prestigious. During those early days, they were known as The Throstles since their badge depicts said bird on top of a Hawthorn branch. In later decades the nickname Baggies has overtaken the first one in popularity, although its origin is unknown.
Some theories state that archrivals Aston Villa bestowed this nickname upon their fans, mocking the baggy trousers many of them wore to work, whilst others think it came from the baggy shorts many players wore in the past. Club historian Tony Matthews however believes it to be linked to the bag men that would carry the incomings from the turnstiles to the club offices across the halfway line.
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25. Wigan Athletic
Sometimes club colours, local trades or club badges have nothing to do with a club’s nickname, but instead, those can be shaped by local dialects, as is the case with Wigan Athletic. The Lattics, sometimes abbreviated to the Tics (no connection to blood-sucking vermin whatsoever) are how people from this region would pronounce Athletic or Wigan Athletics.
26. Sheffield Wednesday
The only club in the world to be named after a day of the week Wednesday are named this way because its founding members had Wednesdays off and could meet up. Their nickname of the Owls alongside their badge comes from their stadium being called Owlerton. The nickname was cemented in 1912 when player George Robertson presented the club with an owl mascot. How he came to own an owl, I do not know.
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27. Stoke City
At one time during the 2010s, the Potters fielded five former Champions League winners in their starting lineup. To see how they fared after the Stokelona bubble burst into pieces you can head over to my channel where I have a video on the topic. As for the nickname of the club The Potters, we need to look to the Staffordshire Potteries, comprising six towns, with Stoke on Trent among them, considered the home of pottery making in England.
The area saw a significant boom in the industry in the 17th century when local potter John Astbury discovered that adding flint or quartz to the local clay made a ceramic that came out a nice clean creamy colour. After that, with the advent of rail transport, the Potteries of Staffordshire increased their production to fill the needs of the entire country.
28. Barnsley
The club that has spent more seasons in the second flight than any other English club, Barnsley’s nickname is tied to the location of the club. The first one The Tykes can be viewed as a general term for Yorkshire people, but has been used mostly to identify people from Barnsley.
Their second nickname the Colliers is tied to the coal mining industry of the region. A collier is a person who works in a coal mine and the people of Barnsley were really spoilt for choice during the 60s where they could choose between 70 mines to get black lung disease in all in a 15-mile radius.
29. Bolton Wanderers
Under the tutelage of Big Sam Allardyce, Bolton reached the Premier League during the early 2000s and were a stable mainstay in the league up until their relegation in 2012, when financial issues and further falls down the pyramid followed. The club based in greater Manchester sometimes known as the Wanderers or the Whites are also known as the Trotters.
Once again its origin is lost to time and various theories emerged such as it being a variation of Wanderers or it being a local term for a practical joker. Another theory states that one of the early grounds of the club, before they settled at a permanent venue was located next to some pigeon coops and the players would have to trot through the birds’enclosures to retrieve the ball every time it went out of play.
30. Bristol Rovers
Not only is Bristol one of the most important historical port cities of England, but it is also is the birthplace of the most famous pirate in history, Blackbeard. The club’s nickname of the Pirates is thus easily explained, however, their second one, the Gas, isn’t nearly as cool sounding. Despite Bristol City fans possibly arguing otherwise it is not connected to the Rover’s fans’ propensity for flatulence but instead comes from their old ground being located next to a gas works.
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31. Burton Albion
Located in Staffordshire, just like Stoke, Burton upon Trent’s connection to pottery making is still strong, but an even stronger local tradition has taken over the town’s heritage. Beer making has been such an important part of the town’s economy that at one point Burton accounted for a quarter of England’s beer production and exported its goods all across the world.
The influence of this craft could be felt in the politics of the town with wealthy brewers attaining numerous public offices. There is even a process called Burtonization named after the beer-making process of the town. Naturally, Burton Albion and their fans are known as the brewers.
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32. Charlton Athletic
Charlton’s current nickname and badge were decided in 1963 through a contest. The sword-in-hand design was chosen, as well as the nickname The Valiant, probably stemming from their ground called the Valley. The club also features another nickname, The Addicks, not the Addicts. This one comes from the local way of pronouncing the word haddock and it is said that a local fishmonger would reward the team with fish and chips after their wins, which was a pretty neat bonus for the players if you ask me.
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33. Exeter City
The club has one of the most mysterious nicknames on this list. They are known as the Grecians and no true explanation could be found for the name so far. Speculation ranges from a jeweler’s shop close to the ground having a clock with Grecians inscribed on it to the location of the grounds being outside the city walls.
Hence, like in the siege of Troy, the Grecians with their pretty hair and what historians like to call male best friends were the ones outside the walls. Several other names that might have morphed into Grecians later on have also been proposed, namely the original Welsh name of the settlement Caerwysg, which meant that the locals would be known as Caer Iscuns.
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34. Ipswich Town
Despite Ipswich being a quite prestigious club, winning a league title in 1962 and finishing runners up twice during the early 80s, when they also picked up the UEFA Cup, they were viewed as unfashionable outsiders during their premier league spell in the early 2000s.
Possibly during a game against Leeds, when Ipswich were winning, Leeds fans started lamenting that they were being beaten by a bunch of tractor drivers. This alludes to Suffolk’s agricultural heritage and thus the Tractor Boys nickname was coined. The club adopted the nickname and their derby against Norwich is even known as the Old Farm derby.
35. Peterborough United
Sometimes known as the Brickies due to the local industry, and not due to the fact they are bricked up all the time, their current nickname came about during the 1920s. Then manager Pat Tirrell stated that he was looking for “posh players for a posh new team”. Since then the club has been known as the Posh.
All was well in the world until the early 2000s came around and Posh Spice and Becks were the hottest thing in England. Then in 2002, Victoria Beckham filed a claim with the UK patent office against the club, who wished to register their nickname as a trademark to be used on merchandise. Despite claiming that her brand of Posh Spice was known internationally and was synonymous to her, she was unsuccessful in her suit.
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36. Plymouth Argyle
The cultural heritage of the United States, especially when it comes to freedom of worship is heavily tied to the pilgrims that fled persecution from England on the Mayflower. Just hang on , ’m getting to the nickname. A second group had also left Holland earlier but nobody talks about them.
The departure point of the English pilgrims was Plymouth and they ended up setting up a colony in the New World. Their journey and settlement has given us silly hats, the tradition of overeating and infecting natives with smallpox, also known as Thanksgiving and Plymouth Argyle’s nickname, The Pilgrims.
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37. Harrogate Town
Fans of the team and the team itself are known as the sulphurites. This hasn’t got anything to do with their ground smelling a bit funky or anything but with the town of Harrogate itself. In the 16th century, the health benefits of its waters were discovered and in the next couple of centuries it became Britain’s spa town. This brought immense wealth to the town and during the mid 2010s, it held the title of happiest place to live in in the UK.
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38. Wimbledon
Whilst the current club is 16 years younger than James Milner, the old Wimbledon FC’s nicknames have carried over, namely the Dons and the Wombles. The dons can be pretty easily explained, not by referencing the structure of Italian organized crime but rather it is a contraction of Wimbledon.
On the other hand, in order to explain the Wombles name we need to turn to the works of author Elizabeth Beresford. Her series of children’s books called the Wombles, covering the adventures of the little creatures named Wombles came about as she was taking her children for a walk on Wimbledon Commons during the 60s. Her youngest kept mispronouncing Wimbledon as Wombledon, giving her the idea for the books and Wimbledon AFC its nickname.
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The old Wimbledon team had another nickname that didn’t carry over, The crazy gang. Originally given to reference the team of the late 80s, containing Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise, Dave Beasant, John Fashanu and Lawrie Sanchez, it referenced a comedic troupe with the same name active in the 30s in Britain. The team’s propensity for practical jokes on each other and the club management, as well as their hard playing style meant that this moniker was quite fitting.
39. Bradford City
The Citizens as they are often called have two more nicknames: The Bantams and the Paraders. The bantam is also depicted on their crest and refers to a species of fowl. Usually found amongst chickens or ducks bantams are smaller versions of the standard-sized bird.
Think Manchester City after their takeover being the bantam version of Chelsea. Their other nickname, the paraders doesn’t have anything to do with the festive inclinations of their fans but comes from Bradford’s stadium, called Valley Parade.
40. Crewe Alexandra
Often called The Alex, Crewe Alexandra was named in honour of Alexandra of Denmark, the wife of Edward VII. Their other nickname, the railwaymen, is a nod to the local rail industry, with Crewe Works being one of the most important railway engineering facilities in the UK. And if they had been a better team and not stuck in League Two, I could have made some jokes about how they rail their opponents, but they aren’t, so I can’t.
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41. Hartlepool United
If it were down to me, Hartlepool United would take the crown for the best nickname in English football. The term monkey hanger applies to natives of the town and by extension has been used as a nickname for the local football club. The term monkey hanger has its origins in local folklore when at the height of the Napoleonic wars a French merchant vessel was marooned off the coast of Hartlepool.
The only survivor on board was a monkey dressed by the crew as a French maritime officer for their amusement. The townsfolk apparently put the monkey on trial and based on its inability to defend itself surmised that it must be a French spy and hanged the poor creature. The validity of this folk tale of animal cruelty can be debated but if this is true the mascot of Hartlepool United “H’Angus the Monkey” is a slap in the face to the poor animal that was treated so cruelly by the locals.
42. Chesterfield United
To the rest of the world, Chesterfield is just a brand of cigarettes, but to the many fans of League Two football, they are a team with a very interesting nickname. The Spireites as they are called draw their name from the crooked spire of the local church.
According to local folklore, the spire of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints looks this way because a blacksmith from a neighbouring village fitted the devil with some inadequate horseshoes causing him to leap in pain over the church, kicking its spire. A more realistic cause for this is the absence of skilled labourers during the aftermath of the Black Plague.
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43. Eastleigh FC
The club were without a nickname until in 2005 a contest was held and The Spitfires was chosen for the team. The reason behind it was that the Supermarine Spitfire, one of the most famous World War Two fighter planes, was first flown from Eastleigh aerodrome, now known as Southampton airport.
44. York City
York is home to the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England. Naturally, such a high office is deserving of an important cathedral. Dating back to the year 627, the current York minster – an Anglo-Saxon term for a church – was constructed between 1220 and 1472. The local football team York City thus carry the name Minstermen.
By: Eduard Holdis / @He_Ftbl
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / James Gill – Danehouse / Getty Images