There is a familiar feel to many of this season’s new Premier League shirts. Along with new colours and designs, some clubs are bringing back old badges and symbols from their history.
For example, Liverpool’s 2026/27 home shirt takes inspiration from its adidas kits from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its away shirt also uses an older version of the Liver Bird logo inside a shield. Leeds United have brought back a logo that was last used in 1998, while Nottingham Forest have returned to their well-known tree symbol.
More than 10 major clubs across Europe have used old or alternative badges on their 2026/27 kits, including Wigan Athletic, Bayer Leverkusen and Watford.
Nostalgia is a big reason. Football shirts are often linked to memories. An old badge can remind fans of a favourite player, a big win or even the first shirt they owned. Bringing back an old logo gives a new shirt a link to those memories.
It also comes at a time when football clubs have changed the way they present themselves. Many clubs have made their badges simpler and changed their fonts and designs to work better on websites, apps and social media. While this makes clubs easier to recognise online, some fans feel that these newer designs can lose a connection with the club’s past.
Old logos offer a way to bring some of that history back.
A familiar badge can make a new shirt feel like part of the club’s story rather than just another kit for a new season.
There is also a business reason. Football shirts are expensive and clubs release new ones every season. Giving a shirt a link to a famous period in the club’s history can make it feel more special and collectible.
In a way, football clubs are finding that one of the best ways to make a new shirt interesting is to make part of it look old.
For fans, that may be the biggest attraction. The shirt might belong to the 2026/27 season, but the badge can take them back to a different time in the club’s history.
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