World Football Club Crests

Perth Glory, the pride of Western Australia, is today one of the best known football clubs in the country.

Although the domestic National Soccer League began in 1977, it wasn’t until the 1996 season that Perth Glory made their entrance. And how! During the eight seasons that followed, the club from Australia’s west coast reached six play-offs, played four finals and won two. A new football dynasty was born. But all dynasties have problems sooner or later.

When the NSL was replaced by the A-League, Glory was one of just three clubs that survived the transition (Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets were the other two). Even so, this was followed by some unsuccessful years. The club needed a fresh start, which came when Tony Sage became sole majority owner in 2008. His takeover would eventually allow the team to live up to their name, but in the shorter term it meant the third change to the club’s crest in 13 years.

‘Our sponsors, partners, members and supporters have a strong connection with and loyalty to Perth Glory’s emblem and associate it with progress, passion and innovation. The new logo will strengthen this link,’ said the owner Tony Sage when the club was rebranded and the emblem updated. Sage realised the value of Perth Glory’s history, something that has made the club live up to their fame today.

CLUB: Perth Glory FC

NICKNAME: The Glory

FOUNDED: 1995

STADIUM: nib Stadium, Perth (20,500 capacity)

HISTORIC PLAYERS: Scott Miller, Bobby Despotovski, Alistair Edwards, Jamie Harnwell, Robbie Fowler, Shane Smeltz and William Gallas

1996–2003. When Perth Glory was founded, it was essential, given Australia’s history, to create an identity that was appealing for everyone, without ethnic undertones, an identity that could represent the rebirth of football in Western Australia. Perth Glory fought for a multicultural country, and to this end the club broke away from traditional European football design by avoiding names like ‘United’, ‘City’ and ‘Wanderers’. Instead they chose the suffix ‘Glory’, and the colours orange and purple also represented a departure from tradition. The rays of sunshine represent the famously warm summers on Australia’s west coast.

2005-2008. When the A-League was created, a new era was ushered in. The harbinger of this new age was the updated emblem, which focused still more on the word ‘Glory’ than on its home town of Perth. This was a monument to times past and to hope for the future. The football itself inherited the club’s orange colour.

2009–present. After a couple of lean seasons, Perth Glory could sense a new optimism when Tony Sage became the club’s sole owner in 2008. ‘We have set out on a journey of renewal,’ said Sage when the new crest was unveiled. In response to concerns from the supporters, the emblem kept both its colours and its name as the club moved into a new era. Two design agencies (KURV and Whitekite) collaborated on the logo for several months. The result was a recognisable but modernised image that retained the ball, the rays of sunshine and the colours from before. The biggest change was that the form was now a traditional heraldic shield. The home city of the team was also enlarged, for commercial reasons, and silver was added to the palette.

2011–2012. Like many other clubs, Glory created a special jubilee emblem to celebrate its rich history. This was used in the club’s 15th season.