This genuinely isn’t sour grapes but a big up to a really proud moment this time last year when we were shortlisted down to the final three designers for the Middlesbrough Football Club crest rebrand.

As lifelong Boro fans, it was an incredible honour to be closely considered for such a prestigious and emotional project.

As a Teesside creative collective of ourselves VIA Creative, Max Freer at OOK Agency and Michelle at Pankhurst Design, whilst we were naturally disappointed not to get the final commission, we have to say the newly unveiled crest looks great — congratulations to the chosen designer on a job well done!

That said, as designers with deep Teesside roots, we couldn’t help but feel the club missed a golden opportunity to celebrate more of Boro’s traditional heritage and history through the crest design. We observed closely the fan forums and comments about what was wanted in the new crest, it was always going to be a roundel design but while Roseberry Topping is an iconic local landmark, we’re not entirely sure how it connects directly to the football club’s story and legacy. Our concept would have taken a different route — one that wove together key moments, symbols and pride from both the club and the town’s industrial past shaped to reflect a positive and future proofed direction.

Sadly, our ideas will never be seen by the people of Teesside, but we sincerely hope the new crest soon graces shirts in the Premier League where it belongs!

As part of our tender submission, we created a short video presentation showcasing our passion for the Boro and our creative approach — you can take a look here: https://lnkd.in/eTW-bB9w

And special mention to our designer Nick Budrewicz, who was absolutely buzzing like we all were when we were shortlisted, he had some brilliant ideas lined up for the design process. Here's some of his previous football crest designs:

You can see more in his portfolio here: https://www.nickbuddesign.com/

We’re proud to have been shortlisted — it was a genuine career highlight and a moment we’ll always look back on with immense pride as Boro fans and Teesside designers and we are looking forward to seeing the new crest design hopefully in the Prem next season!

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