Since 1904 when association football arrived in Leeds there have been 10 different badges to adorn our beloved jersey. Indeed it is possible Leeds City Football Club didn't actually start using a badge since 1908 four years after their inception around three years after they were elected to division two. For all the time of their existence up until they were expelled from the league they used only one which is the crest badge seen below or a variation of it. Leeds United on the other hand have used all the badges below at some time in their rich history. The badges you see are the main designs but for each badge there have been many variations. For me the crest of Leeds City itself is more than an appropriate badge for our team and I'd love to see it put in place. Whichever badge trims the shirt of the day though is the badge that is planted firmly in our hearts.

One of my favourites The Crest Badge used for around fifty years, even before Leeds United were formed in 1919 but played as Leeds City. When it was not used, there was no badge or trim on the shirts at all. The badge is based on the City of Leeds coat of arms, and some versions show the same motto as the City's crest which is 'pro rege et lege' meaning 'for the king and the law'. The badge went through a few variations, some in just two colours, some in more. This version comes from around 1933, the, John Charles and early heroes like Wilf Copping and Willis Edwards would have worn one similiar.

The United squad above of 1949-50 sporting the Leeds United City Crest badge on the gold/yellow shirts with blue arms, the kit also had white shorts and blue socks with gold stripes. The United players in this picture:
Back Row: Tony Ingham, Jim McCabe, John Charles, Jimmy Dunn, Harold Searson, Jim Milburn, Tom Burden, Eric Kerfoot. Len Browning, Bob Roxburgh (Trainer).
Middle Row: Stanley Blenkinsop (Director), Harold Marjason (Director), Percy Woodward (Vice-Chairman), Sam Bolton (Chairman), Major Frank Buckley (Manager), John Bromley (Director), Hilton Crowther (Director), Arthur Crowther (Secretary).
Front Row: David Cochrane, Ray Iggleden, Eddie McMorran, Frank Dudley, Harold Williams.

The Owl Badge just doesn't seem right for our club, some would say it is more suitable to maybe sheffield wednesday (nicknamed the owls) than to our Leeds United, there are three owls on the City of Leeds crest though, and this is where the logo will have come from. The badge lasted for a long time, but was often not present on the away shirts which were often different colours we even had a red one. The badge was eventually ditched due to Master Dons belief that birds were bad luck. Youngsters Billy Bremner, Jackie Charlton and Eddie Gray could have been seen wearing this one and it did sit on the Super Leeds shirt

The United team above of the 1964-65 season sporting the Owl Badge for the first time on the all white strip. The all white strip replaced the blue and gold strips in 1961-62 and the shirts had no badge until the Owl Badge was introduced. The United players in this picture:
Back Row: Billy Bremner, Paul Madeley, Willie Bell, Gary Sprake, Paul Reaney, Norman Hunter, Jimmy Greenhoff, Don Weston.
Front Row: Jim Storrie, Johnny Giles, Terry Cooper, Bobby Collins, Alan Peacock, Jack Charlton, Albert Johanneson, Rod Johnson.

A close second to the City Crest for me. The stylish LUFC script is thought by many to be the all time classic Leeds badge, and has made two come backs in later years, once on the retro Asics shirts in the mid 90's and then with the new club crest from 1998. Despite this it was only used originally for two seasons. This was the first Leeds top I owned complete with a sew on number five (Jackie Charlton) bought from Sutcliffes in Leeds City Centre. As well as Jackie the likes of Allan Clarke, hardman Norman Hunter and striker Mick Jones would have worn this beauty. One of the all time Leeds United classics.

The Leeds squad of 1972-1973 in their all white strip with the LUFC script as the United badge. The LUFC script was first inroduced in 1971 and made it's debut in the Fairs Cup Final Triumph over Juventus. The United players in this picture:
Back Row: Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Mick Bates, Allan Clarke, Norman Hunter, Gordon McQueen, Roy Ellam, Paul Reaney, Frank Gray.
Front Row: Terry Yorath, Gary Sprake, Trevor Cherry, Joe Jordan, Johnny Giles, David Harvey, Paul Madeley, Billy Bremner, Mick Jones.

Can you get more seventies than this? Everbody loves the classic Smiley Badge and as since become a true seventies icon, made up of the letters 'L' and 'U' in the sort of bubble writing that is very familiar with psychedelic typography from that era. It arrived along with the new shirt manufacturer, Admiral. It was used exclusively for three seasons, and then came back for two more spells on the away shirts later on. Certainly a loveable effort that certainly didn't fit the hard Leeds image. Heroes like Mini jumping Duncan Mckenzie, goalkeeper David Harvey and Eddies brother Frank Gray would have wore this.

The famous Smiley Badge sported here by United's 1974-75 squad. Along with the United badge we see the Admiral logo. Admiral, United's kit maker first had their logo displayed on United's kits for the Championship winning season of 1973-74. It was Don Revie who first initiated this kind of partnership between club and kit manufacturer, United were one of the first clubs to show the logo of their kits producers. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Paul Madeley, Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry, Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, David Stewart, David Harvey, Eddie Gray, Allan Clarke, Paul Reaney.
Front Row: Peter Lorimer, Johnny Giles, Billy Bremner, Terry Cooper, Mick Bates, Frank Gray, Terry Yorath.

If it aint broken don't fix it! The inverted smiley was an unusual change, not because it shrank in its original size and was also rotated 45°. Some would say to make it more evident that it was the letters 'LU', but this took away the balance of the design, and later it went back to the original angle. It was used for a year on both home and away shirts, and then made a comeback for another year on the away shirts later on. The second shirt I had as a kid, with all the little admiral logos running down the arm. No one could touch me! Terry Yorath, Ray Hankin and little Brian Flynn would have wore this.

The inverted Smiley Badge here on the kits of the 1976-77 squad. This was Admiral's second United kit, their logo used as the trim that runs down the arms. Notice the goalkeepers wearing the previous season's badge and Paul Madeley is missing the badge. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Paul Reaney, Tony Currie, Byron Stevenson, Ray Hankin, David Harvey, Gordon McQueen, David Stewart, Joe Jordan, Paul Madeley, Peter Lorimer.
Front Row: Allan Clarke, Frank Gray, Carl Harris, Trevor Cherry, Eddie Gray, David McNiven, Peter Hampton.

So the designers added a border! In my opinion a reasonable addition giving the smiley a frame and a more appealing perspective, the times were changing after all and happy to see the original smiley proudly sitting in the new additon. A certain dash of class was delivered to sober up our spaced out seventies smiley. This badge survived for four years on the home shirts, but didn't feature on the away shirts. Wizard winger Arthur Graham, centre back Paul Hart, captain Trevor Cherry and also not to forget the magical banana bending Tony Currie could be seen in their day flying round Elland Road wearing this badge.

The Bordered Smiley badge here on the kits of the 1978-79 squad. Admiral were the makers and they kept the running motifs down the arm and also added their logo to the shirt adjacent to the club badge. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: John Hawley, Paul Madeley, Paul Hart, David Stewart, Ray Hankin, David Harvey, Keith Parkinson, Tony Currie, Byron Stevenson.
Front Row: Frank Gray, Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer, Brian Flynn, Trevor Cherry, Arthur Graham, Carl Harris, Peter Hampton.

A kick up the eighties and along with a new shirt manufacturer which was umbro came a new badge. With almost the same identical circular border to the previous one but this time with the seventies smiley replaced by a stylised peacock which at the time was our club nickname. This took a lot of getting used to but with time it grew on the faithful. A bold graphic fitting well into it's surround and the teams premier colour white now more evident. The Argentinian Alex Sabella our home grown debut scoring Terry Connor and full back turned midfielder Kevin Hird were lucky enough to wear the Peacock badge with pride.

The Peacock badge here on the kits of the 1983-84 squad. Umbro had taken over Admiral by now as the kits manufacturers and with the advances in the technology of shirt material they managed to integrate yellow and blue pin stripes on the shirt. Also on this shirt is the logo of United's second ever shirt sponsor, Systime. The first was RFW and was used on the shirts in the season before this one. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Scott Sellars, Martin Dickinson, Mark Gavin, Neil Aspin, Tony Brown, George McCluskey, Tommy Wright.
Middle Row: Keith Mincher (Coach), Peter Gunby (Coach), Peter Barnes, Andy Ritchie, Andy Watson, David Harvey, John Donnelly, John Sheridan, Barry Murphy (Coach), Geoff Ladley (Physio).
Front Row: Gwyn Thomas, Aidan Butterworth, Kevin Hird, Eddie Gray (Player-Manager), Jimmy Lumsden (Assistant Manager), Gary Hamson, Frank Gray.

Probably one of the most popular and easily indentifiable badges of the lot.The Rose and Ball badge was the longest lived Leeds crest in the modern era lasting for around fourteen years. The design observedly sums up what our club is about, it has the white rose of Yorkshire snugly circling a football and the clubs name running round the roses petals, with a bold blue round background where the logo sits. A very popular piece and for my taste one of the better designs. Many a famous player has worn this beauty including the tireless Gordan Strachan, hardman Vinnie Jones and right back Mel 'Zico' Sterland.

The Rose and Ball badge here on the shirts of Wilko's squad the season after they won the Second Division Championship. Umbro were still United's shirt manufacturers and by now the clucb were on their sixth shirt sponsor which was Top Man. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Chris O'Donnell, Chris Kamara, Vinnie Jones, John Pearson, Lee Chapman, John McClelland, Peter Haddock, Andy Williams.
Middle Row: Alan Sutton (Physio), Gary McAllister, Simon Grayson, Dylan Kerr, John Lukic, Mervyn Day, Chris Whyte, Mike Whitlow, Mel Sterland, Mick Hennigan (Coach).
Front Row: Bobby Davison, Chris Fairclough, Gary Speed, Glynn Snodin, Howard Wilkinson (Manager), Gordon Strachan, Jim Beglin, Imre Varadi, David Batty.

Possibly my least favourite design. Commissioned and passed by the dreamer Peter Ridsdale. Ridsdale wanted a badge that would reflect our European ventures at the time and in his words says the badge was done in an European style. No doubt this was made to appeal to a broader market. A sheild with rib like graphics running symmetrically down either side. It does however bring the classy script into play that flows down the middle and at the top the Yorkshire rose sits proudly. The combative Lee Bowyer, our sublime Lucas Radebe and midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland would have been cheered along wearing this.

The first version of the Shield badge here on the shirts of the 1998-99 squad. This verison had a white rose at the top centre but was replaced a season later. This badge lasted for only one season. Packard Bell were the shirt sponsors at this time and by now Puma had taken over as the kit manufacturer. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Derek Lilley, Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Matthews, David Wetherall, Mark Beeney, Nigel Martyn, Robert Molenaar, Gunnar Halle, David Hopkin, Andy Gray.
Middle Row: Eddie Gray (Coach) Ian McNeill (Chief Scout), Alan Maybury, David Robertson, Clyde Wijnhard, Lee Sharpe, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Danny Granville, Mark Jackson, Stephen McPhail, David Swift (Physio), David O’Leary (Assistant Manager), Jeremy Fenn (Director).
Front Row: Paul Shepherd, Harry Kewell, Ian Harte, Bruno Ribeiro, Lucas Radebe, Peter Ridsdale (Director), George Graham (Manager), Chris Akers (Director), Alf-Inge Haaland, Martin Hiden, Gary Kelly, Tommy Knarvik, Lee Bowyer.

With a reprieve of the popular Rose design to replace the Yorkshire rose and a tidying up of the script that runs down the middle the Shield design was revamped in 1999. I do welcome the Rose and the clean up and now the badge could be growing on me. I chose this one the current badge to work a logo for this site so it must be doing something right. In place now (at the time of writing) for nearly seven years and this badge I think is finally being established. Our Current crop of stars such as on the pulse Rob Hulse, beans shovelling Shaun Derry and American Eddie Lewis do the business in this one.

The current Shield badge here on the shirts of the 2006-07 squad. The former shirt makers Admiral are back with this effort and Bet 24 is now the shirt sponsor. The United players in this pic:
Back Row: Dean Riddle (Head Fitness Consultant), Frazer Richardson, Dan Harding, Matthew Kilgallon, Neil Sullivan, Sean Gregan, Jermaine Beckford, Ian Moore, Darren Mowbury (Performance Analysist).
Middle Row: Sean Hardy (Kit Manager), Martin Hodge (Goalkeeping Coach), Harvey Sharman (Physio), Richard Cresswell, Kevin Nicholls, Gylfi Einarsson, Rui Marques, Shaun Derry, Eirik Bakke, Alan Sutton (Physio), Dave Hancock (Physio),Carl Serrant (Fitness Coach).
Front Row: Robbie Blake, Steve Stone, David Healy, Paul Butler, John Carver (Assistant Manager), Kevin Blackwell (Manager), David Geddis (Reserve Team Manager), Gary Kelly, Seb Carole, Eddie Lewis, Stephen Crainey.