Newcastle United confirm new badge ‘leak’ after supporter backlash - time to do better

Newcastle United have officially confirmed the badge ‘leak’ revealed by NewcastleWorld last week is REAL - which should be a huge concern to fans everywhere.

Now, having also revealed it was just ‘part of the process’ and ‘one of many’, we must all ask the question - are those in charge of rebranding our great football club up to the job? The early evidence suggests not - it’s time to do better.

Around 2,000 people tuned in online on Wednesday evening, with around 200 fans gathered in a room in the Milburn Stand, to hear Magpies’ chiefs present their vision - and discuss possibilities - as part of a workshop on the club’s ‘new’ crest. Newcastle have already decided change is necessary, largely, they say, due to the intricate and often inaccurate current offering, with its 1980s designed detailing, overly complex, in their words, elements, as well as often changing colour palate. They say this creates major issues when trying to create a consistent brand, scale up or down.

And it was revealed to all of those watching - and presumably those who will be in attendance on Monday, where a second workshop will take place - that the image released by NewcastleWorld last week was genuine. They confirmed this was their ‘artwork’ that has been ‘developed’ by those tasked with creating a new club crest. They confirmed it was done prior to the consultation process as ‘due diligence’ in order to be ‘confident’ the club could actually ‘do something’ with the crest.

The club’s director of brand, marketing and digital media, Dan Ginger, then went on to explain there are ‘multiple iterations’ of the club crest being looked at - but what he didn’t say was, as revealed by NewcastleWorld, that THIS was the one that club chiefs liked the look of the most. And they DID NOT want you to see it yet - this was no clever marketing ploy, as some self-titled social media experts would have you believe.

NewcastleWorld can reveal it has also seen other designs cooked up by club designers, but none of those were given the same prominence as the one we decided to release.

And, in truth, while we fully understand this version is now unlikely to ever see the light of day, and, if that’s the case, we’re delighted - that was our hope when putting it out there. This wasn’t about the story to us - it was so much more that.

We wanted you to be disgusted, like we were. We wanted the design - put forward as a ‘proposal’ in documents seen by NewcastleWorld, to end up on the cutting room floor and be swept into the bin, never to be seen again. Hopefully that will be the case. We NEVER want our football club to be a cause for national and international embarrassment. We wanted the club to change its course of action. This club deserves better - YOU, as fans, deserve better.

What next?

This abomination of a design - rightly ridiculed by fans online, who could scarcely believe it was genuine until confirmed by the club - WAS made by the club’s design team. That has to be a worry. The same team will be making future versions - and we have to pray they’re much better than this amateur offering.

The big hope would be, that the online backlash will see them drift away from such designs and towards something much more befitting of the club. A castle will be prominent, we’re told, while complex seahorses and lions won’t be. Nor will it be round, or any alteration of popular 1970s and 1980s versions.

It’s time for those with the skills and powers, tasked with change, to ensure they don’t take that responsibility lightly. They need to ensure the badge is something we can all be proud of, no matter what it looks like. This isn’t some high school art project - it’s the brand of Newcastle, the people, the players, the past, all of us and all we stand for. Change is nothing to be scared of - in fact, it can be positive if done right. But it has to be for the better.

You now know what you wanted before was not up to scratch, NUFC. Time to deliver something that is.

See the full story, from Friday, below.

Exclusive: Newcastle United new badge design 'leaked' as supporters react to bombshell reveal

Newcastle United fans are in uproar about the club’s decision to change their club crest - and NewcastleWorld has seen leaked images of what it could look like.

Images shared with the publication show exactly how designers on the project have reimagined the badge to be, as the Magpies confirm they’re ending their association with the current crest, which has been in place since 1988. Those images are also doing the rounds on social media.

Plans were revealed to fans in a Noon announcement on Friday, May 9, and were instantly hit with almost blanket condemnation by supporters on social media. Fans criticised the club’s need and want for change, especially with things going so well on the park.

The message was loud and clear from supporters - ‘no to change’. But as outlined in a press briefing by Dan Ginger, Newcastle’s director of brand, marketing and digital media, the club is not seeing the status quo as an option. At this stage, as much as fans don’t want change, it’s coming, whether you like it or not. The current badge will either be redesigned, revived or refined. The preferred option, as outlined by Ginger, is for it to be revived and refined, confirming it will 100% be changed for the 2026/27 campaign.

Newcastle United qualified their need for change in a statement, it read: “As our club grows on the global stage, the symbol that represents us needs to be able to keep pace. It needs to show up clearly and confidently across everything - from kits to screens to merchandise. So we've been asking ourselves: how well does our current crest represent the club today? And how well will it serve us tomorrow? It's time to update our crest.”

They explained in the briefing that the current badge is not fit for purpose it’s current complicated form and must be simplified in order to ease its use and reproduction on club-branded products. The statement, released on the club website, continued: “This isn't a decision we take lightly. We love our crest. It's iconic and has stood us through unforgettable triumphs and testing times. But it was created in a different era. Its intricate design doesn't always translate well in today's digital world. And it's difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently.

“As football and the world changes, so too must the symbol that unites us. That's why we're coming to you. This isn't about walking away from our past. It's about carrying it forward with pride. The crest is part of our story. It's on our shirts and inked in our skin. It deserves thoughtful evolution - shaped by the voices of the people who love it.

“And while some fans may inevitably welcome that change is part of progress, and even the most vociferous of dissenting voices may soften over the weeks and months, they may not feel that way, when they see what the proposal entails.”

Season ticket holders and members will now have until 5pm GMT on Friday, May 16 to voice their opinions via an online form sent out. There is a workshop to discuss the proposals on Wednesday at St James’ Park.

The change comes hot on the heels of Newcastle’s decision to relocate from St James’ Park - a plan not yet officially announced - but expected to green lighted, then presented to fans at some point this year.

Below is the image of the design seen by NewcastleWorld, and labelled as a ‘proposal’. We understand this image has been shared with a number of staff members and further afield. The proposal design was drawn up prior to the fan consultation process. And at this stage, we do not know if it will be implemented, changed or presented to fans as a proposal at the end of the seven-day process. However, we understand this was a concept the club have been presented with as an alternative option to the current crest.

The above image is not a crystal clear version of the proposal, which is being kept under wraps by NUFC, along with any other proposed designs.

The club statement continues: “Based on what we've heard, updates to the current club crest should be minimal and therefore Refine & Revive is our recommended approach. We've spoken to our Fan Advisory Board, now we want to hear from you. What should stay the same? What needs to be updated? And how can we embrace our history - not just by honouring it, but by preserving its spirit and building on it, so we can thrive in the years ahead?

“We're inviting Season Ticket holders and Members to share their views in an independently ran survey. A link to that survey will be emailed directly to those fans. The cut off is 5pm on Friday 16th May!

“Want to hear more? We will be holding a fan consultation workshop for Season Ticket Holders and Members on Wednesday 14th May, both in person at St. James' Park and online, to provide more detail on why we're undergoing this process and offer you an opportunity to share your thoughts. A link will be supplied to register your interest to this event in the same email.

“The Fan Advisory Board have recommended that the wider fan base should be given a choice of options to select from during the second stage consultation. This second stage will be delivered via a separate survey, dates to follow.”

Newcastle United, when approached by NewcastleWorld, insist it will be fans who make the final decision on any new badge.