Tottenham Hotspur Logo

The famous Spurs Cock and ball logo is one of the most renowned logos in world football. It is certainly one of the most famous logos in the Premier League, one look at the logo, and you know unmistakable that it’s Spurs. But how did the famous logo come about?

We have to go way back to the year 1920 to find the roots of the Spurs logo. Having won the FA Cup in 1920, Spurs introduced a new logo and their first official crest as part of their representation. The logo that the club finalized upon was inspired from Tottenham’s history, as they were kindred with fighting cocks!

Tottenham also derived their nickname Hotspur from a historical figure in the name of Harry Hotspur, who used to dig in his Spurs when he would go into battles, and the reason why this information is important is that Tottenham’s symbol before the Cockerel used to be Spurs. 

Spurs, until the 1970s, used the Crest and a Cockerel standing inside it as their logo, there were various design and looks changes within that parameter, but the core remained the same. A Cockerel standing inside the Crest was Spurs’ logo. 

By 1972, Spurs brought a variation to a whole new logo. They settled on two designs, out of which one would be finalized. The Crest was there, and inside the Crest – The Cockerel would now be standing atop of a ball. 

The logo yet again evolved in the 1980s, the cock was more stylized and there was also a reference to the English flag with two red lions – one each side of the ball also included in the logo. Inside the ball, initials of the football club were put up as well, and also a motto beneath that read – Audere-Est-Facere. They also added the Red lions because Spurs were afraid of Pirate merchandising, and hence this variation of logo. 

As the turn of the millennium grew closer, the logo again went through a couple of more changes. Spurs, by the 1990s, had simplified the logo with just a triangular crest with a cock on the ball inside it. 

In one final twist of fate, Spurs went back to the 80s in 1999, they again changed the logo to the one they had in the 1980s sans the Shield, but the rest of the logo remained the same that included the red lions, cockerel, monogram, and the motto. 

In 2006, Spurs finally landed on a more permanent logo, which we see to this day. No shield, no crest. It is just a cockerel standing on a ball with Tottenham Hotspur written beneath the ball. Spurs have been using this logo till date.

So, that was a brief history on the logo of Tottenham Hotspur, that has certainly gone through some changes down the years, with each variation symbolizing something.