List of English football club nicknames
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 (debatable - see the club's article for more details) |
Bantams |
Bradford City |
A reference to the claret and amber colours of the club's strip |
Bees |
Barnet |
Based on colour of home strip |
Bees |
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. Used to be the nickname of Sheffield Wednesday until they became The Owls in 1899 |
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 |
Blues |
Chelsea |
Colour of home football kit |
Blues |
Chester City |
Colour of home football kit |
Blues |
Ipswich Town |
Colour of home football kit |
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 |
Colour of the Cardinal Red in the home kit |
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 |
Club |
Sheffield F.C. |
Due to the fact they were the "Original Football Club" |
Cobblers |
Northampton Town |
Local links to the shoe making industry |
Cottagers |
Fulham |
From club's ground, Craven Cottage |
Cumbrians |
Carlisle United |
From Cumbria, the county the club are from. |
Daggers |
Dagenham & Redbridge |
Based on club name |
Dale |
Rochdale |
Short version of 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 Wimbledon FC (MK Dons was formed when Wimbledon F.C. owners attempted to translate Wimbledon's footballing history to Milton Keynes. MK Dons has since acknowledged that those honours rightly belong to Wimbledon F.C.and the community of Wimbledon.) |
Dons, The |
A.F.C. Wimbledon |
Derived from Wimbledon have an ancient, football playing school in the area. |
Eagles |
Crystal Palace |
Club logo features eagles |
Fleet |
Ebbsfleet United |
Short version of name |
Foxes |
Leicester City |
Hunting tradition of the county |
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 |
Although this may initially Appear to be based on a simple shortening of the name, observation of the club's crest will reveal crossed metalworking hammers, indicating the club's origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks. |
Harriers |
Kidderminster Harriers |
Short version of name |
Hatters |
Luton Town |
Local links to hat making industry |
Hatters |
Stockport County |
One of Cheshire's and Britain's main hatting industry towns |
Irons |
West Ham United |
Originated as Thames Ironworks football team (see also "Hammers") |
Hoops |
Queens 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 |
Indicates the club's origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks (see "also Hammers"). |
Lambs |
Tamworth |
Team plays at The Lamb Ground, named after a local pub |
Latics |
Oldham Athletic |
Short version of name |
Latics |
Wigan Athletic |
|
Lillywhites |
Preston North End |
Colour of home strip |
Lions |
Millwall |
Featured on badge |
Magpies |
Newcastle United |
Based on colour of home strip |
Magpies |
Notts County |
Based on black and white colour of home strip |
Mariners |
Grimsby Town |
The club is based on the coast |
Mighty Whites |
Leeds United |
Based on the colour of the home strip |
Millers |
Rotherham United |
Based on ground name (Millmoor) |
Minstermen |
York City |
York Minster is a famous landmark in the city |
Monkey hangers |
Hartlepool United F.C. |
During the Napoleonic wars the citizens of Hartlepool allegedly hung a monkey believing it to be a French spy. |
O's |
Leyton Orient |
Initial of name |
Owls |
Sheffield Wednesday |
Based on name of local area (Owlerton), after a visitor to the city drew a cartoon depicting Sheffield Wednesday as an owl. |
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 |
Pilgrims |
Plymouth Argyle |
Local links to the pilgrims who went to the New World |
Pirates |
Bristol Rovers |
Local links to shipping |
Pompey |
Portsmouth |
The nickname for the city |
Pool |
Hartlepool United |
Short version of name |
Pool |
Liverpool |
Short version of name |
Posh |
Peterborough United |
Believed to derive from former manager Pat Tirrel proclaiming that 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 |
Folk song "The Derby Ram", and by extension an emblem of the city |
Rebels |
FC United of Manchester |
The club having been formed by disaffected fans after the takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer. |
Red Devils |
Manchester United |
Nickname originally belonged to nearby rugby league team Salford |
Red Devils |
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 kit |
Reds |
Nottingham Forest |
Colour of home kit |
Railwaymen |
Crewe Alexandra |
Local links to railways |
Riversiders |
Blackburn Rovers |
After a side of the ground adjacent to a river |
Robins |
Cheltenham Town |
Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
Robins |
Swindon Town |
Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
Robins |
Bristol City |
Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
Robins |
Wrexham |
Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
Robins |
Altrincham |
Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest |
Rovers |
Blackburn Rovers |
Shortened name |
Rovers |
Doncaster Rovers |
Shortened name |
Rovers |
Tranmere Rovers |
Shortened name |
Royals |
Reading |
The town is in the Royal County of Berkshire. |
Saints |
Southampton |
The club was originally known as Southampton St. Mary's |
Saints |
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 |
Shakers |
Bury |
Club's first chairman, JT Ingham, said before a Lancashire Cup game with Blackburn, "We will shake them. In fact, we are the Shakers." |
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; alliterative |
Silkmen |
Macclesfield Town |
Local links to the silk industry |
Sky Blues |
Coventry City |
Colour of home strip |
Sky Blues |
Manchester City |
Colour of home strip |
Spireites |
Chesterfield |
Due to famous crooked spire in the town |
Spurs, Lilywhites |
Tottenham Hotspur |
Short version of name, Colour of home strip |
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 |
Club plays in a terracota coloured kit |
Terriers |
Huddersfield Town |
Named after the Yorkshire Terrier breed of dog |
Tigers |
Hull City |
Colour of home strip |
Tigers |
Gloucester City |
Colour of home strip |
Toffees |
Everton |
Unknown. Possibly named after a local toffee shop, or the nickname for the local Irish population |
Toon |
Newcastle United |
Local pronunciation of 'Town', meaning City Centre where the ground is situated |
Tractor Boys |
Ipswich Town |
Local links to agriculture |
Tricky Trees |
Nottingham Forest |
|
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 |
Colloquial name for a Yorkshireman. |
U's |
Cambridge United |
Initial of name |
U's |
Colchester United |
Initial of name |
U's |
Oxford United |
Initial of name |
Valiants |
Port Vale |
Based on official name |
Vics |
Northwich Victoria |
Based on shortening of official name |
Vikings |
Doncaster Rovers |
|
Villans |
Aston Villa |
Based on official name |
Wolves |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
Based on shortening of name |
Yellows (unofficial) |
Cambridge United |
Colour of home kit |