70,000 people sign petition opposing new Leeds United crest
Opposition to a new badge at Leeds United Football Club mounted yesterday and is still rising, with around 70,000 signatures so far supporting a petition to stop the Championship side using the new ‘Leeds Salute’ crest.
The petition follows an announcement by the club yesterday that after consulting with fans over a six month period, they were launching the new crest after receiving ‘great feedback’ in the consultation period with fans.
However, the new crest received a backlash on social media after its launch yesterday morning, resulting in the club’s managing director Angus Kinnear telling BBC Radio Leeds last night that the club needed to reopen the consultation process.
He added: “Because the direction is so distinctive and breaks with a lot of conventions, that consultation process hasn’t gone deep enough.”
In its launch information yesterday, the club said there has been a rigorous process that spanned six months, consulting more than 10,000 people connected to Leeds United
LUFC said: “Outside of our commitment to herald the club into a new era on and off the pitch, the most significant reason for updating our crest is that, quite simply, it doesn’t say who we are.
The crest was to feature on the 2018/19 season kit onwards. At the time of the launch, Kinnear has said: “Once we heard that there was a desire for change to help herald a new era for club, it became of primary importance that the new crest clearly reflected who we are. Everybody knows how proud and passionate the Leeds United fans are, but since I arrived at the club, I have been in awe at the unique connection between the fans and the team.
“Updating the crest is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we are proud to have a new crest that is authentic to Leeds United and honours the quality and loyalty of our fans. It is a symbol of ‘strength in unity’ and a proud expression of the club’s identity and history.”
