Aston Villa Narrows New Crest Options Down to Two; Fan Votes to Determine Winner

After announcing earlier this year that it would embark on a review of its crest and overall visual identity, Premier League club Aston Villa has narrowed its options for a new crest down to two, and is asking fans to cast votes to determine the winner.

The club unveiled the two finalists on Friday, November 4. Both feature a lion rampant — a symbol of the club’s Scottish roots that it has used since it first put crests on its shirts in 1880 — and the name “ASTON VILLA” spelled out in full. One crest features a shield shape inspired by the gas lamp from the club’s founding story, while the other is a circular shape that harkens back to some of the club’s most famous victories in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.

*Screenshots courtesy **@AVFCOfficial** / Twitter*

The process of developing the new crest options was extensive. Aston Villa conducted a survey of 12,600 fans and held multiple focus groups with supporters’ clubs.

According to the club, 76% of fans felt their current crest doesn’t represent Aston Villa well, and 93.5% of comments on social media posts about the announcement earlier this year were in favor of a change.

As far as elements of the crest, 94% of fans surveyed wanted the lion to remain part of the crest. Fans were open, however, to a change in direction. Both finalist crests feature the lion facing to the right, a nod to the club’s first crest and a symbol of “a club that looks ambitiously forward.”

The survey also found that fans felt strongly about “ASTON VILLA” being spelled out in full on the crest, rather than using the initials “AVFC,” and that the star representing their European Cup win in 1982 should be included.

The club also heard that claret and blue should be the dominant colours, with yellow being too prominent in the current crest. Only 19% of fans surveyed like the shape of the shield in the current crest, with preferences expressed for more distinctive shapes.

With the final vote taking place now, Aston Villa hopes to have the new crest ready to implement in time for the 2023-24 season, which marks the club’s 150th anniversary.

The crest vote is open to Aston Villa season ticket holders and members until 5:30 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, November 9.