The Chelsea logo is a tribute to the city’s glorious history, but the modern design speaks to the football team’s commitment to progress. A striking combination of present and past blended into one emblem to show the rethinking of tradition.
Chelsea: Brand overview
Founded: | 10 March 1905 |
Founder: | Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Hansjörg Wyss, Mark Walter |
Headquarters: |
Fulham, London, England |
Website: | chelseafc.com |
Chelsea was based in 1905. The first emblem of the club was a collective image of the British army veterans with medals on their chests. It was the logo of the Royal Hospital of Chelsea. It was not put on the form but appeared on the first match programs. So the club was nicknamed “The Pensioners.”
The fate of the club name was determined in 1905 in the pub “The Butcher’s Knife.” There were other options, such as “Stamford Bridge,” as they later named the stadium of the Kensington and FC London teams. Nevertheless, executives decided to save the name of the London district, where Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde lived, and where the club was based.
Meaning and History
The history of the Chelsea club is very rich and long. Chelsea football remains at the highest level in the world. This fact is known to everyone. The Chelsea logo is well recognized in England and throughout Europe, as the club has many world-class awards. It is an integral part of the team.
Chelsea FC emblems have changed repeatedly, adapting to the fashion and tastes of the fans. Most of them depict a lion. This is a relatively late idea – it was presented only half a century after the club’s foundation.
By the middle of the 20th century, both the fans and the club’s management were tired of the old nickname “The Pensioners.” In 1952, manager Ted Drake decided that the emblem should be associated with the team’s new blue lion symbol. In a year, a renowned blue lion appeared in the blue circle. Besides, it was done in the original color of the Royal Blue club. The flowers depicted on the Chelsea Football Club logo and befitting on the emblem of the England team symbolize the country. The soccer ball is the symbol of the game. In the 1960-the 1970s, after victories in the Cup of the country (England), stars and cups were periodically added to the emblem.
What is Chelsea?
Chelsea – a football club located in West London. It is renowned for its victories in major European tournaments and successes in the Champions League. The club’s history began in 1905 when Gus Mears decided to use his stadium instead of renting it out.
1905 – 1952
The first logo depicts a man in an army headdress with a “CH” inscription. Four medals adorn its shape. The image was borrowed from the coat of arms of Royal Hospital Chelsea, where veterans of the British army were treated. The graphics are simple, without detail. The palette is white and blue.
Along with the first emblem, its alternative version was a military man inside a blue ring stylized as a belt. The picture is made in color and contains the club’s full name: “Chelsea Football Club.”
1952 – 1953
In the middle of the 20th century, the team replaced the old symbolism. Ted Drake’s manager proposed a temporary solution in anticipation of the final logo. The intermediate version included a monogram of the letters “C,” “F,” “C” against the background of a blue shield with white contours.
1953 – 1986
In 1953, the new emblem was finally completed. The blue lion standing on its hind legs was taken from the family coat of arms of the then head of the Earl Cadogan club. A lion holds a staff – the same as that of Westminster Abbot. Three Scarlet roses of Lancaster symbolize England and two goals – a commitment to football. The blue ring around the animal represents the coat of arms of the London Chelsea area.
1986 – 1995
In 1986, Ken Bates, the team’s new owner, simplified and modernized the logo. The red lion is inside the white lettering “CFC” blue circle.
1995 – 1997
The circle on the logo has disappeared. Blue letters stand out brightly on a white background. The lion is yellow, with the same blue contours.
1997 – 1999
The emblem of 1986 is returned. The only difference is that the lion is surrounded by yellow stripes, not red.
1999 – 2003
Designers again removed the circle on the logo. The lion turned white and blue, with distinctly outlined shapes.
2003 – 2005
With the arrival of Roman Abramovich, the club returned the 1986 logo, leaving a white lion. The primary color is close to blue.
2005 – 2006
Chelsea FC marked the centenary with a new logo. This is a modernized version of the 1950s club badge. It differs from the original in the arrangement of elements. Balls and flowers are on the sides, the word “Chelsea” – on top, inside the blue ring, “Football Club” – below. The inscription “100 Years Centenary 1905-2005” appeared golden. The figure of a lion is surrounded by shadows that create a 3D effect.
2006 – today
The club left an anniversary logo, removing only the inscription outside the ring. Soccer balls and roses are red, as on the emblem of 1953. The contours are golden-orange – darker than in the previous version.
Font and Colors
Creating a celebratory emblem in honor of the team’s centennial, the current logo was born. True, the primary basis for both versions was a graphic sign from 1953-1986, which depicted the main symbols of the country, city, and local aristocrats.
The classic elements of the club’s visual identity have survived to this day: a blue lion is taken from the coat of arms of the Earl Cadogan family, the same blue ring as on the Chelsea coat of arms, two Red Rose of Lancaster representing England, and a staff reminiscent of the Westminster Abbot pastoral staff. The only “football” signs that still allow the drawing to be identified as the emblem of a sports organization are two balls at the edges.
The Chelsea FC logo’s designers used a sans-serif font for the inscriptions, similar to the Peignot Bold. This typeface was created in 1937 for the Deberny & Peignot foundry. Its author is the renowned typographer, lithographer, and painter Adolphe Mouron Cassandre.
The color scheme was selected by specialists who were able to highlight blue and make it so that it does not interfere with the emblem’s visual perception. They combined the base color with white, red, yellow-gold, and gray. Moreover, the heraldic lion’s image contains several shades, due to which the designers managed to achieve a slight 3D effect.
Chelsea color codes
Blue | Hex color: | #034694 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 3 70 148 | |
CMYK: | 100 83 10 1 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7687 C |
Red | Hex color: | #ee242c |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 238 36 44 | |
CMYK: | 0 98 91 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1788 C |
Gold | Hex color: | #dba111 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 219 161 17 | |
CMYK: | 15 37 100 1 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7555 C |
Light Blue | Hex color: | #6a7ab5 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 106 122 181 | |
CMYK: | 64 51 4 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 2115 C |
Gray | Hex color: | #d1d3d4 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 209 211 212 | |
CMYK: | 17 12 12 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 427 C |