List of English football club nicknames
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of nicknames for English football clubs. All the nicknames are usually preceded by 'The'. The origins of some nicknames are unclear with various stories being put forward.
The usual basis for nicknames are:-
- Local industry
- Colour(s) of home strip
- Name of club
- Name of area or ground
- Logo
| Nickname | Club(s) | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Addicks | Charlton Athletic | A corruption of the word 'haddocks', named after a local fish and chip shop |
| Baggies | West Bromwich Albion | Acquired when the players played in long shorts |
| Bantams | Bradford City | Considered lucky due to myth of a Bantam getting on the team bus during the FA Cup winning season of 1911. |
| Bees | Barnet | Based on colour of home strip |
| Brentford | Misinterpretation of an 1890s chant "Buck up Bs" | |
| Black Cats | Sunderland | Named after the Black Cat battery gun that was where the stadium is now on the bank of the River Wear |
| Blades | Sheffield United | Local links with steel and cutlery |
| Bluebirds | Cardiff City | Colour of home football kit & possibly named after 1909 children's play 'Blue Bird' |
| Blues | Birmingham City | Colour of home football kit |
| Chelsea | ||
| Chester City | ||
| Ipswich Town | ||
| Boro | Middlesbrough | Short version of name |
| Brewers | Burton Albion | Local links to the brewing industry |
| Brummagem | Birmingham City | Local pronunciation of "Birmingham" |
| Bulls | Hereford United | After the local breed of cattle |
| Canaries | Norwich City | Home strip is same colour as bird, used in logo |
| Cardinals | Woking | |
| Chairboys | Wycombe Wanderers | Local links to the furniture making industry |
| Cherries | Bournemouth | Colour of strip described as 'cherry stripes' |
| Citizens | Manchester City | Developed from 'City' |
| Clarets | Burnley | Colour of home strip |
| Cobblers | Northampton Town | Local links to the shoe making industry |
| Cottagers | Fulham | From club's ground, Craven Cottage |
| Daggers | Dagenham & Redbridge | Based on club name |
| Diamonds | Rushden & Diamonds | Short version of name |
| Dolly Blues | Lancaster City | Derived from the fact that team originally played in the same colour as the 'Dolly Blue' washing tablets |
| Dons | Milton Keynes Dons | Short version of, and homage to original team name (MK Dons is the relocated Wimbledon FC) |
| Eagles | Crystal Palace | Club logo features eagles |
| Fleet | Gravesend & Northfleet | Short version of name |
| Foxes | Leicester City | Leicestershire is renowned for its many foxes |
| Gas (unofficial) | Bristol Rovers | Old ground next door to a Gasworks |
| Gills | Gillingham | Short version of name |
| Glovers | Yeovil Town | Local links to the glove making industry |
| Grecians | Exeter City | |
| Gulls | Torquay United | Seaside link |
| Gunners | Arsenal | Local links to military arsenal |
| Hammers | West Ham United | Based on shortening of name |
| Harriers | Kidderminster Harriers | Short version of name |
| Hatters | Luton Town | Local links to hat making industry |
| Stockport County | ||
| Hoops | Queen's Park Rangers | Design of home strip |
| Hornets | Watford | Colour of strip |
| Imps | Lincoln City | Legend of the imp statue in Lincoln Cathedral (also "Red Imps") |
| Iron | Scunthorpe United | Local links to the iron industry |
| Irons | West Ham United | Team originated from an ironworks |
| Lambs | Tamworth | |
| Latics | Oldham Athletic | Short version of name |
| Wigan Athletic | ||
| Lillywhites | Preston North End | Colour of home strip |
| Lions | Millwall | Came about due to their acts of giant killing |
| Magpies | Newcastle United | Based on colour of home strip |
| Notts County | ||
| Mariners | Grimsby Town | The club is based on the coast |
| Millers | Rotherham United | Based ground name (Millmoor) |
| Minstermen | York City | |
| O's | Leyton Orient | Initial of name |
| Owls | Sheffield Wednesday | Based on name of local area (Owleton) |
| Pensioners | Chelsea | Originates from the Chelsea pensioners, based at the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea |
| Pilgrims | Boston United | Local links to the pilgrims who went to the New World |
| Plymouth Argyle | ||
| Pirates | Bristol Rovers | Local links to shipping |
| Pompey | Portsmouth | The nickname for the city |
| Pool | Hartlepool United | Short version of name |
| Liverpool | ||
| Posh | Peterborough United | A former manager proclaimed he was looking for: “Posh players for a posh team" |
| Potters | Stoke City | Local links to the pottery industry |
| Quakers | Darlington | Local links to religious movement |
| Rams | Derby County | City mascot |
| Red Devils | Manchester United | Nickname originally belonged to nearby rugby league team Salford |
| Crawley Town | ||
| Red Dragons | Wrexham | Featured on logo |
| Red Imps | Lincoln City | Colour of home kit and legend of the imp statue in Lincoln Cathedral |
| Reds | Liverpool | Colour of home football kit. |
| Nottingham Forest | ||
| Railwaymen | Crewe Alexandra | Local links to railways |
| Robins | Cheltenham Town | Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
| Swindon Town | ||
| Bristol City | ||
| Wrexham | ||
| Altrincham | ||
| Rovers | Blackburn Rovers | Shortened name |
| Doncaster Rovers | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | ||
| Royals | Reading | The town is in the Royal County of Berkshire. |
| Saints | Southampton | The club was originally known as Southampton St. Mary's |
| St Albans City | ||
| Saddlers | Walsall | Links to the saddle making industry |
| Sandgrounders | Southport | |
| Seasiders | Blackpool | Based on coast |
| Seagulls | Brighton & Hove Albion | Other than the obvious, a response to the similar sounding nickname 'Eagles' of their arch rivals Crystal Palace |
| Shaymen | Halifax Town | Originates from the club's ground |
| Shots | Aldershot Town | Short version of name |
| Shrews | Shrewsbury Town | Short version of name |
| Shrimps | Morecambe | Possibly related to the fishing/shrimping industry in the region |
| Shrimpers | Southend | A historic local industry, Aliterative |
| Silkmen | Macclesfield Town | Local links to the silk industry |
| Sky Blues | Coventry City | Colour of home strip |
| Manchester City | ||
| Spireites | Chesterfield | Due to famous crooked spire in the town |
| Spurs | Tottenham Hotspur | Short version of name |
| Stags | Mansfield Town | |
| Stanley | Accrington Stanley | |
| Super Hoops | Queens Park Rangers | Based on the pattern of the home strip |
| Swans | Swansea City | Short version of the name |
| Terras | Weymouth | |
| Terriers | Huddersfield Town | Named after the Yorkshire Terrier breed of dog |
| Tigers | Hull City | Based on colour of home strip |
| Toffees | Everton | Named after local toffee shop that sold Everton Mints |
| Toon | Newcastle United | Local pronunciation of 'Town', meaning City Centre where the ground is situated |
| Tractor Boys | Ipswich Town | Local links to agriculture |
| Trotters | Bolton Wanderers | In the 19th century, one of their pitches was adjacent to a piggery and clearances often end up in there. Players had to 'trot' through the pig-pens to retrieve the balls. |
| Tykes | Barnsley | Coqual name for a Yorkshireman. |
| U's | Cambridge United | Initial of name |
| Colchester United | ||
| Oxford United | ||
| Valiants | Port Vale | Based on official name |
| Vics | Northwich Victoria | Based on shortening of official name |
| Villains | Aston Villa | Based on official name |
| Wolves | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Based on shortening of name |
| Yellows (unofficial) | Cambridge United | Colour of home kit |
