Championship side Leeds United appear to be flirting with the idea of incorporating a peacock into their badge once more.
The Whites had a peacock in their crest from 1980 to 1984, with the words “Leeds United AFC” in white with a blue background surrounding a blue peacock with yellow plumage outlined in blue within a white circle.
They were known as the Peacocks at that time and a new logo was seen in the foreground of a picture released of summer signing Ethan Ampadu as the Wales international juggled a football in the Whites’ kit, presumably at his presentation.
Of course, the crest on the Welshman’s kit appears to be the same that has adorned the club’s playing attire from 1999 until the last season, except for the 2019-20 season.
The new logo has the year of establishment of the club displayed in blue within a yellow strip, the words “Leeds United Football Club” in yellow, surrounding a yellow peacock with blue plumage that is outlined in yellow in a circular fashion, with an entirely blue background.
It is being said that the 49ers Enterprises, who recently assumed full ownership of the club, are thinking of taking the Elland Road faithful on a merry trip down memory lane in homage to the club’s history.
Another source posited that the logo was just part of a set, made for Ampadu’s first touches of the football as a Leeds United player, with plenty of historically significant imagery relating to the Whites.
Responses to the picture have been mixed with many wondering if a crest change is in the works and one response indicating that it might be easier to market Leeds United as ‘the Peacocks’ in the United States in lieu of ‘the Whites.’
As the Yorkshire-based outfit once again find themselves in the second division, as was the case between 1982 and 1990, the new ownership will be hoping that the players and the coach can make this stint away from the top flight as short as possible.
Daniel Farke has replaced Sam Allardyce as manager during the off-season, with the German tactician having a history of achieving promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
He has done so with Norwich City on two separate occasions, as Championship winners both times, during an almost five-year-long stint at the helm of the Canaries.
The new ownership’s intentions behind seemingly resurrecting an old crest, that is part of the Whites’ history, are unclear.