After the Leeds crest horror show – here are six other classic PR fails

Social media was for once 'united' on Wednesday... in hilarity at Leeds United, who unveiled their new official club crest

Social media was for once united on Wednesday. United, that is, in hilarity at Leeds United, as the club unveiled their new official club crest – which, already, appears to be under ‘reconsideration’:

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The graphic design monstrosity in question features the figure of someone who looks ready to unleash some kind of right-wing salute (and not the footballing kind).

Vowing that the horrendous new badge sees them ‘ready for the next 100 years’, one Twitter user was quick to point out how that might be an over-ambitious projection…

But however embarrassing it was for Leeds fans, their club isn’t the first to fall foul of a PR atrocity – here’s a few of the other GREATEST FAILS of all time…

THE NEWCASTLE UNITED STADIUM-NAMING FIASCO

Once he’d got his iron grip on Newcastle United, Mike Ashley wasted no time in ensuring that his other big business was able to benefit from the acquisition. Thus, for a short period of time, the loyal foot-soldiers of the Toon Army were forced to march into what had been rebadged as the SportsDirect.com @ St. James’ Park Stadium.

Sort of like an email address but reversed. Jaw-dropping stuff, but common sense eventually prevailed and the name was dropped.

THE MK DONS TRAGEDY

In 2004, with Wimbledon FC struggling to stay afloat, the club’s owners accepted a proposal from music promoter Pete Winkelman to relocate the club 80 miles away to Milton Keynes, renaming it ‘MK Dons’ into the bargain.

Amazingly, the Football League were fine with this, but disgusted Wimbledon fans refused to acknowledge the new club and started all over again, setting up AFC Wimbledon and working their way up the footballing pyramid. Today, they are two places and one point above Milton Keynes in League One, which is kind of nice.

THE CARDIFF CITY RED STRIP ABOMINATION

When Vincent Tan jetted in from Malaysia and snapped up Cardiff City, he decided he fancied changing the club’s kit from blue to red and replacing the bluebird on their badge with a Welsh dragon. Maybe he didn’t realise how set in their ways some football fans can be when it comes to the identity of the club they worship – that, or he was in the mood for months of angry protest from Cardiff fans.

Eventually, Tan got the message and reversed his decisions, quoting John F. Kennedy in his official statement, which is pretty cool.

THE CHELSEA ELECTRIC FENCE FARRAGO

Back in the 1980s, then-Chelsea owner Ken Bates was, to put it mildly, a controversial figure. Arguably his finest (maddest) moment was when he erected electric fences around the perimeter of the Stamford Bridge turf in an attempt to deter pitch invaders.

Bates figured that it did the trick with the cows on his farm so it should work just as well when deployed against his paying customers. But the local council weren’t impressed by his scheme to frazzle Chelsea fans, and refused to let him turn on the juice.

THE HULL CITY TIGERS DEBACLE

Another example of a club owner completely lacking the ability to read the subtle mood of his club’s fans – in 2013, Assem Allam announced that he would be adding ‘Tigers’ on to Hull City’s name, later deciding to drop the ‘City’ bit altogether. At one point, Allam even said that if he was in charge of Manchester City, he would change their name to ‘Manchester Hunter’, which is just plain weird.

Vociferous resistance from Hull fans and the Premier League followed and eventually Allam dropped his rebranding attempt, although he’s still got the hump about it and the club’s official website name includes the unwanted ‘Tigers’.

THE LIVORNO INSULT OUTRAGE

Aldo Spinelli might have been the owner of Livorno for 15 years, but he seemed to hate every minute of it, regularly whinging about and everything on a regular basis. Arguably his greatest outburst cam when he was asked about dwindling attendances at the Tuscany club, bemoaning that it was a ‘Commie town’ and that no one wanted to come to a ‘420-year-old, lousy, cess-pit stadium’. Attendances levelled out after that though, so perhaps the Livorno supporters agreed with Spinelli.

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