The Tottenham Hotspur logo expresses pride in many competition victories. This shows the fighting spirit and a clear threat to all rivals who dare to challenge the football club. The emblem openly declares that athletes are always on the alert and will not give away their main prize to anyone. And its minimalistic design speaks of a serious approach to business.
Tottenham Hotspur: Brand overview
Founded: | 5 September 1882 |
Founder: | ENIC International Ltd |
Headquarters: |
Tottenham, London, England |
Website: | tottenhamhotspur.com |
The history of the glorious Tottenham Hotspur football club began on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, under a street lamp at the corner of the Tottenham High Road and Park Lane streets. On that day, some of the thirteen-year-old pupils of one of the local schools decided to create their football team. Immediately they collected money and made a list of members of the new club.
The motto of the club in Latin sounds like “Audere est Facere” (in English “To Dare Is To Do”). A cockerel standing on a ball represents the Tottenham Hotspur logo. The main rival of the club is Arsenal, and the meetings between these clubs are called North London derby.
The story of the club name Hotspur F.K is quite interesting. It is believed that this name is associated with Sir Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur), famous for William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV,” who supposedly lived in this region in the XIV century, and whose descendants owned local lands later. In 1884, the club was renamed as Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to differentiate it from another team London Hotspur.
The team has special names among the fans. The byname “Spurs” is an abbreviation from the name of the club. Initially, the team was called hotspur in honor of Sir Henry Percy, who lived in the XIV century and had such nickname due to his hot temper (hotspur – Hot Spurs). The club got another byname from Sir Henry, though, it was less popular – “The hotheads.” According to the color of the form, the team has one more nickname “Lilywhites. Of course, the color of the uniform is now slightly different, but the calling remains the same. In addition to the above-mentioned bynames, Tottenham is often called “Jews” because the Jewish diaspora in London supported them for a long time.
Meaning and History
Throughout the history of the club’s development, the main logo of Tottenham Hotspur has also been changed. A cock, depicted enclosed in a shield or standing on a ball, was the emblem’s invariable attribute. And nowadays, the cock is the main symbol of the team.
In 1882-1884, the symbol of the club was represented by the letter H (the initial letter of the word Hotspur).
Starting with the FA Cup final in 1901, the “cockerel” (Harry Hotspur) became the new symbol of Tottenham Hotspur. In 1909, the former player William James made a bronze model of a cockerel standing on a ball, settled on the top of the West Stand.
Between 1956 and 2006, the Spurs used the coat of arms, where the objects, showing any attachment to this locality, were depicted. Lions, leaning on a shield, was taken from the coat of arms of the Northumberland family. They owned most of the Tottenham land, and Sir Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) was a member of this family. Lions were carrying a shield with the inscription “THFC” (the abbreviation of the official name of the club). The mansion, owned by Bruce Castle, was located 400 yards from the stadium. Now it is a museum. In the upper right, we can see seven elm trees, growing in the London grove of Page Green. Historians assume that these plants point to the place where the witches were burnt. Also, there is a Latin saying “Audere Est Facere” written on the coat of arms.
In 1983, the emblem of Tottenham Hotspur was simplified. The cock, the lions, holding a shield, and the ribbon with a motto remained the same. In this form, the emblem lasted until 2006.
In 2006, the old Tottenham Hotspur logo gave way to a new symbol of the club. Talented designers created a new stylish image of the cock on the ball. Also, the inscription Tottenham Hotspur was added under it.
In the years 1882-1884, Tottenham Hotspur players’ T-shirts featured a red “H” capital letter. And only after 39 years, the club first used the famous logo with a rooster, which became its key symbol.
What is Tottenham Hotspur?
Tottenham Hotspur – is a multiple-time champion and tournament winner, with several major European trophies under its belt. The club participates in the Premier League and has its own Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where it has been hosting home games since 2019. Since 2001, the sports organization has been owned by ENIC International Ltd.
1921 – 1951
A dark blue rooster appeared on the emblem in 1921 when Tottenham Hotspur won a second victory in the FA Cup. His ideological inspiration was the nobleman Henry Percy, nicknamed Harry Hotspur – a lover of longspurs and cockfights. The bird is inside a white shield with a blue frame.
1951 – 1960s
Having received the first championship title in the First Division, the club conducted another logo redesign. The blue color has become lighter. The silhouette of a rooster is stretched upon the legs – two pairs of sharp spurs
1960s – 1971
In the 1960s, the emblem again turned dark blue. The shape of the bird lengthened.
1972 – 1981
The new logo shows a rooster standing on a soccer ball. The image prototype was a bronze statue installed in 1909 over the western wall of the White Hart Lane stadium. A former player, William James, created the statue.
In the background is another ball. Two wide half rings surround it with the inscription “Tottenham Hotspur F. C..”
1973 – 1981 additional
Designers removed the circle of emblems, colored outlines, and the name of the team. Only the bluebird remained, proudly standing on the ball.
1983 – 1984
The 1983 logo shows the club’s historical heritage. To the left of the rooster is Bruce Castle. Below is a small shield with the THFC monogram, on which two red lions rest. These are the heraldic symbols of the Northumberland family, descendants of Harry Hotspur.
All elements are placed inside the blue shield with a yellow border. Under the shield is a scroll with the Latin motto “Audere Est Facere” (“To decide is to do”).
1985 – 1986
To the right of the rooster appeared seven trees. These are Elms from the London Page Green Grove in North London. According to legend, there were burned witches, known as Seven Sisters.
1987 – 1988
The logo has changed insignificantly: the shades have become lighter, and the drawing is closer to the animated one.
1988 – 1989
Designers continued to experiment with style and colors. They used modern graphics on the logo and made the outlines lemon yellow.
1989 – 1995
In 1989, the emblem was simplified. The trees, shield, tower disappeared. Now the rooster stands on the ball with the acronym THFC. On the right and left are red lions. Below – a scroll with the inscription “Audere Est Facere.”
1995 – 1997
From the previous version of the logo, there was only a rooster on the ball. The rooster is placed inside a white shield with a blue outline.
1997 – 1999
On the eve of the new millennium, Tottenham Hotspur returned the 1983 emblem with minor amendments.
1999 – 2006
The team returned to the 1989 logo. Bird color changed from yellow to white.
2006 – 2013
In 2006, the logo was redesigned. The new version of the emblem is similar to the one used in 1973-1981. A rooster with a white head and longspurs stands on the ball. Underneath is the inscription “Tottenham Hotspur.” The font is designed specifically for the club.
2013 – today
Designers removed the black outline on the logo and made the blue color darker.
Font and Colors
Tottenham Hotspur color codes
Dark Sapphire | Hex color: | #132257 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 19 34 87 | |
CMYK: | 78 61 0 66 | |
Pantone: | PMS 2757 C |