Stoke City Unveil New Club Crest
Championship club Stoke City has officially confirmed that it will adopt a newly designed crest starting from the 2026-27 season. The decision was made following an extensive fan consultation process and a final vote, in which over 20,000 supporters participated, with 68% of voters opting for the new design. The new crest aims to blend the club's rich heritage with a modern aesthetic while strengthening its connection to the local Stoke-on-Trent area.
The new Stoke City crest features a classic shield silhouette, drawing direct inspiration in its shape and colours from the fan-favourite crest used between 1977 and 1992. The crest uses the club's iconic red and white vertical stripes as its background. At the top, the club's name, "STOKE CITY," is inscribed in a white traditional typeface, maintaining a sense of familiarity with the current crest.
The crest's core visual elements include several symbolic icons: the Staffordshire Knot in the upper-central position and a pottery kiln below it. Both motifs are rendered in white with two-tone shading to add detail and depth. The kiln's six sections represent the six towns that form Stoke-on-Trent, honouring the area's profound industrial heritage in pottery. At the bottom, the year "1863" is clearly marked in gold, signifying the club's founding year—a key element that fans strongly requested during the consultation process.
Compared to the current crest, which has been in use for over two decades, the changes are both significant and profound. The current emblem features a more minimalist design, primarily highlighting the red and white stripes and the club's name. In contrast, the new crest reintroduces a wealth of symbolic imagery, particularly the kiln and the Staffordshire Knot, greatly enhancing its local identity and historical weight.
Despite the major visual changes, the new crest is not a complete break from tradition. It inherits the club's core red and white colour scheme and selectively retains the typographic style from the current crest, ensuring a smooth visual transition. In essence, this update is a "return and renewal"; it moves away from the minimalist trend of recent years to embrace a period of history that holds a special place in the hearts of fans, rejuvenating it with modern design techniques.
Stoke City's crest has evolved several times throughout the club's history, with early versions incorporating the city's coat of arms. Among all historical versions, the crest used from 1977 to 1992 was voted by fans as the most popular in the club's history and served as the core inspiration for this new design. In 2001, the club adopted the current, simplified crest. This latest update marks another significant milestone in the club's visual identity.
The new crest will be officially implemented from the start of the 2026-27 season, with new kits being the first to feature it. Subsequently, it will be rolled out in phases across digital channels, merchandise, and key locations like the bet365 Stadium.
This crest update for Stoke City is not merely a visual refresh but a reaffirmation of the club's identity and heritage. By extensively listening to supporters and involving them in the final decision, the club has successfully created a crest that both carries historical memory and looks to the future. Starting in the summer of 2026, this emblem of honour, tradition, and local pride will accompany "The Potters" on their new journey and is poised to become an enduring symbol of the club's identity for decades to come.
