Chelsea have their 120th birthday in 2025 and will celebrate by unveiling a new Chelsea badge. The promotional emblem will display the blue lion holding a blue staff, with the letters ‘LDN’ below.
Chelsea have no plans to permanently change their badge to this design but want to brand themselves as London’s true club.
It’s all part of Chelsea’s partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio, promoting a new energy and fire, as seen coming out of the lion’s mouth.
Chelsea have had eight different versions of their badge since being formed in 1905, and the lion has been a part of their branding since the 1950s.
The lion represents ferocity and the flame is the burning ambition of Chelsea. But where did it all begin?
First version (1905-1952)
Chelsea formed as a club in 1905 and their first badge displayed a British army veteran wearing medals.
This was also the logo of the Royal Hospital of Chelsea and was never featured on any matchday shirts. Chelsea didn’t have a badge on their kit until 1960.
Chelsea’s nickname was The Pensioners at the start, which was fitting due to the emblem.
This first version lasted 47 years and the colours are still used to this day – blue and yellow, conveying stability and professionalism which are seen as two pillars of the team.
Chelsea would undergo a rebrand in the 1950s as fans and members of the management team grew tired of The Pensioners being their nickname.
They stuck with the colour scheme but moved away from that their identity to something more modern.
Chelsea were trophyless with the first version of their badge, though they did reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup on multiple occasions while yo-yoing between Division One and Division Two.
Second version (1952-1953)
Ted Drake became Chelsea manager in 1952 and had the club identify more to that of the blue symbol which they adopted as their badge. Drake would also change Chelsea’s nickname to ‘The Blues’, distancing them from The Pensioners.
This badge went from a circle to a shield, conveying fight, strength, and the players being likened to warriors. It featured the initials of Chelsea Football Club (CFC), rather than the full name, which is something the club would go back to in later versions of the badge.
While this change in badge was significant, Chelsea would only have this version for one year. It wasn’t used on their matchday kit either, so it did become a forgotten design.
It took Chelsea more than four decades to undergo some rebranding, but the new idea didn’t last more than 12 months. Chelsea reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1951/52 and would have to wait some more years for silverware.
Third version of Chelsea badge (1953-1964)
Chelsea introduced their third version of the badge in 1953. It was designed by Drake and was the first badge to be displayed on matchday shirts from 1960.
The emblem would celebrate 50 years and brought back the circular shape from their ‘Pensioners’ design. It also displayed Chelsea’s entire name in yellow writing with a blue background.
The third version introduced the iconic the lion with a flame coming out of its mouth and a staff in its hands – a design that Chelsea’s current badge still displays. The third version also showed the Tudor Roses, which were inspired by Chelsea’s link to the Harrow Road youth club of the same name.
The third version also took inspiration from the Coat of Arms crest of Chelsea, which displayed a blue boar and a silver winged bull. Chelsea really stepped into their history and tradition with the design, which might be why their current badge (the 8th version) is so similar to the third.
There is a lot of meaning behind it, not least with Chelsea winning the top-flight title a year after the new badge was unveiled.
Fourth version of Chelsea badge (1964-1967)
Despite the third version being so steeped in Chelsea history, the Blues would scrap it for a more simplistic look in 1964. Chelsea went back in time with their badge design, shortening the name to its ‘CFC’ initials again while scrapping the lion and Tudor Roses.
Chelsea would retain the blue background in line with their nickname, but they changed the colour of the writing from yellow to white. It’s no surprise this design change only lasted three years before they returned to a badge with more meaning and personality.
Despite the design being unpopular, Chelsea enjoyed success on the pitch with it. They had two top-five finishes in the top-flight, won the League Cup, reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, and were FA Cup finalists while reaching the semi-finals twice.
Fifth version of Chelsea badge (1967-1986)
Chelsea would admit defeat with their simplistic design and brought back the blue lion for their fifth version of the badge. The flame in the lion’s mouth is ever-present to reestablish Chelsea’s likeness to fire.
They kept the CFC from their fourth version but opted for blue writing rather than yellow. Chelsea also chose a red staff for the lion rather than yellow. They removed the Tudor Roses but kept the inspiration from the Coat of Arms crest of Chelsea. And the background is clear rather than blue.
This version lasted from 1967 until 1986, so it was a much more popular choice. Chelsea did make variations of this badge, having a white lion on a blue background and ‘CFC’ written underneath in white. Chelsea had a version featuring the FA Cup they claimed in 1970, and they had a version with two stars, celebrating two significant triumphs.
Chelsea were struggling on the pitch in the 1970s and 1980s, suffering relegation to the second tier and regularly finishing in the bottom-half of the table, so the design doesn’t evoke many positive memories.
Sixth version of Chelsea badge (1986-2005)
Chelsea’s fifth version lasted for 19 years before Le Coq Sportif, then-official uniform suppliers, made a significant change to the branding.
Gone was the lion inspired by the Coat of Arms and the flame coming out of its mouth. Gone was the red staff it its’ hand, and gone was the colour scheme of blue writing on a white background.
Instead, Le Coq Sportif included only the lion head and half the body. They flipped the colour scheme to white letters on a royal blue background. And they introduced a transparent roaring rampant red lion rather than a blue one.
This version lasted from 1986 until 1995 and saw Chelsea become a top-flight mainstay when the Premier League was incepted in 1992. During this era, they would be relegated to Division Two and promoted back to Division One, and they reached the FA Cup in 1993/94.
From 1995 until 1997, Chelsea would do away with the blue background, the red transparent lion and the white lettering for a more traditional look.
They brought back the blue and yellow colour scheme, having blue letters and a blue outline of the roaring rampant lion but with a yellow body rather. They kept the CFC initials. The badge was a lighter blue than versions in the past.
Chelsea had some minor success during this period, reaching the FA Cup semi-final in 1995/96 and going all the way in 1996/97.
From 1997 to 1999, Chelsea would make another tweak of the badge for something more visually bold.
They brought back the blue background and circular design, opting to keep the roaring rampant yellow lion with a transparent body. The CFC initials returned to white also.
It was a very successful time for Chelsea too, winning the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup. They finished fourth and third in the top-flight while reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup the season after their triumph.
From 1999-2003, Chelsea would change their mind on the blue background, going transparent again.
They reverted to a blue roaring rampant lion and blue wording on the badge, but it was a pale colour than what fans are used to.
The positioning of the lion and letters didn’t change from 1986’s version and their final 2003-2005 edit.
Chelsea won an FA Cup while reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League during this period, so it was a fairly quiet four years on the trophy front.
From 2003-2005, Chelsea would bring back the circular design and blue background, but it was a sky-blue colour this time. The writing was white again, and the lion design was the same as before.
They also had an alternative design in those two years, introducing blue writing and a blue border but a clear background. This design was the same shade of blue as the bold version, so it was a clear reverse in colour scheme.
The lion had a blue outline and white body, rather than the opposite in the other design. This came with Roman Abramovich’s takeover of Chelsea and saw them enjoy one top-flight title and one League Cup triumph. They were back-to-back Champions League semi-finalists too.
Seventh version of Chelsea badge (2005)
The seventh version of Chelsea badge celebrated their centenary in 2005.
It was 100 years since their formation, so an updated version of their 1953 badge was designed.
It was a design that celebrating all things Chelsea, and their history in London.
The badge brought back the blue lion that was inspired by the Coat of Arms crest. They brought back the fire coming out of its mouth to highlight burning ambition and ferocity. And the lion held the staff again, this time in blue.
The badge also displayed the Tudor Rose and an original heavy football on either side. They were both coloured silver, just like ‘Centenary’ and ‘100 years’ that was written above and below the badge.
Gone were the CFC initials, in favour of ‘Chelsea Football Club’ in white writing. The border of the circular badge was silver coloured too.
Eighth version (2006-present)
Chelsea’s current badge was designed in 2006 and is a subtle tweak of their centenary version.
It didn’t display ‘100 years’ or ‘Centenary’ but kept the ‘Chelsea Football Club’ writing in white.
The blue lion and blue staff were kept, and the red flame from its mouth matched the Tudor Rose and football on either side of the badge. The edges of the badge were yellowish gold not silver, so the yellow-blue colour scheme returned.
This design has so far lasted 19 years and there are no plans to change it permanently yet. Chelsea will introduce their 120-year promotional badge in 2025, but it won’t stay.
This blue badge is synonymous with the most successful period of Chelsea’s history. The Blues have won four top-flight titles, won five FA Cups, won two League Cups, two Europa Leagues and two Champions Leagues.
Chelsea have worn a version of blue for their matchday kits ever since their formation in 1905. The idea came from the racing colours of then-club president Earl Cadogan. They originally lined up in a pale Eton blue but transitioned to a royal blue nearly 10 years later.
Chelsea have alternated socks down the years, going from black until the 1950s, to white until the 1960s, to yellow (when opponents had white socks) until the 1970s, back to white until the 1980s, to blue until the 1990s, and back to white ever since.
Yellow has been a positive colour for Chelsea in the past too, with previous FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners Cup triumphs coming when they wore the yellow kit. So it’s easy to see why yellow featured on many versions of the club badge.
Chelsea are now one of the richest football clubs in the world and have spent more than £2bn since Todd Boehly took over from Abramovich. They’ve had a strong start to the 2024/25 season and will hope more success comes their way with the rampant lion badge. It’s been a very good omen.
It’s obvious what the ‘lion rampant regardant’ represents on the badge, but the ideal to include it came from Chelsea’s connection with then-club president Viscount Chelsea, the staff from the Abbots of Westminster, and former Lords of the Manor of Chelsea.
The current badge is dripping with history and shows real pride in their borough, so it’s unlikely to change significantly. Long-term locals from West London will identify with every element of the badge, and it’s been a staple in some of their most formative years as a club, so it’s more than just branding.
