A list of nicknames for English league football clubs, some are well known, other nick names are rarely used anymore and have become obsolete. Updated for the 2008-2009 season.
The tradition of football clubs having a nickname often extends back to when the club was first created. Reasons for clubs being called particular names are varied, some develop from a well known local industry. (Where often the early supporters were employed.) Or the name might be related to a local landmark, or the nickname may be based on the colour of the strip. Sometimes it's just not known why a football club has a certain nick name.
Premiership Football Clubs
Football Team
Football Club Nickname
Reason for nickname
Arsenal
Gunners, Gooners
The club started out as woolwich arsenal, and guns are stored in an arsenal so... the gunners.
Aston Villa
Villains
club named after Villa Cross church in Aston, villains developed from that
Blackburn Rovers
Rovers, The Riversiders
Rovers - common team name like rangers or wanderers implies teams are willing to travel great distances for glory. Riversiders - named after a stand in the ground.
Bolton Wanderers
Trotters
Another way of describing travelling - from the official name wanderers
Chelsea
Blues, or Pensioners
Named after the well known chelsea pensioners - war veterans living in a nearby hospital.
Everton
Toffees, or The Toffeemen, or Blues
local sweet shop gave away toffees and mints, or slang term for Irishmen.
Fulham
Cottagers
Their ground is Craven Cottage
Hull City
Tigers
Black and orange striped kit
Liverpool
Reds
kit colour
Manchester City
Citizens, City, or Sky Blues
Citizens developed from City, sky blues from kit
Manchester United
Red Devils
The club chose the name because they liked it and incorporated a devil into the club badge.
Middlesbrough
Boro
Abbreviation
Newcastle United
Magpies, The Barcodes, The Toon
based on colour of kit - black and white. Toon - Geordie pronounciation of town.
Portsmouth
Pompey
A nickname for the city of navel extraction
Stoke City
Potters
Local pottery industry
Sunderland
Black Cats, The Lads, The Mackems, Rokerites (obsolete)
Black cats voted for by fans. Mackems because shipbuilders used to mak(e)‘em ‘n’ tak(e)‘em. Roker park old ground, so rokerites became obsolete.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs, Cockerels and Lilywhites (obsolete)
A shortening of hotspur, club originally played at Northumberland Park - Northumberland in Shakespeare gave rise to Harry Hotspur, so some literate public schoolboy element appended Hotspur. The story that the club was called Hotspur after an Earl who lived locally is apparently false.
West Bromwich Albion
Baggies, The Throstles (out of use)
Throstle means thrush in the black country and these birds were often seen in the hawthorn bushes around the ground. There are several theories about the nickname the baggies.
From supporters wearing baggy clothing, to the players wearing very baggy shorts.
West Ham United
Hammers, The Irons
Team started life as Thames Ironworks.
Wigan Athletic
Latics
Corruption of athletic
Championship football club nicknames
Football Team
Football Nick name
Reason for nickname
Barnsley
Tykes, The Reds, The Colliers
Red kit colour
Birmingham City
Blues
colour of kit
Blackpool
Tangerines, The Seasiders
Kit colour, famous beach resort.
Bristol City
Robins
A Robin featureed on club badge
Burnley
Clarets
kit colour
Cardiff City
Bluebirds
kit colour
Charlton Athletic
Addicks, the Valiants
A corruption of the word athletic, or named after a local fish shop or because local fish man would shout “Haddocks”. Valiants after the name of the ground.
Coventry City
Sky Blues
Colour of kit
Crystal Palace
The Eagles or Glaziers (obsolete)
Glaziers because crystal palace was made of glass, and the eagles because management liked the name.
Derby County
Rams
Ram on club badge
Doncaster Rovers
Rovers, Donny, Vikings
Abbreviations, viking appears on club badge
Ipswich Town
Blues or Tractor Boys
Kit colour, association with farming community
Norwich City
Canaries
Norwich formerly famous for canary breeding, kit colour from this
Nottingham Forest
Reds, Forest
kit colour, famous forest
Plymouth Argyle
Pilgrims, The Greens
The pilgrim fathers last port of call before they left for the new world
Preston North End
Lilywhites, North End or PNE. Early days known as The Invincibles
kit colour
Queens Park Rangers
The 'R's or The Hoops
Abbreviation, hoops - kit
Reading
The Royals or Biscuitmen (obsolete)
The "Huntley & Palmers" company had a biscuit factory in Reading. The Royals comes from the royal county of Berkshire where Reading is situated.
Sheffield United
Blades
Steel industry, famous for knives
Sheffield Wednesday
Owls
Former ground at Owlerton
Southampton
Saints
Team originally called St Mary's YMA
Swansea City
Swans
Abbreviation
Watford
Hornets, Golden Boys
Yellow and black football kit
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves
An abbreviation of Wolverhampton
League One club nick names
Team
Football Nickname
Explanation of nickname
Brighton
Seagulls
A coastal football club, so named after a sea bird
Bristol Rovers
Pirates, The Gas
Pirates - City's seafaring history. Gas - nearby gasometers
Carlisle United
The Cumbrians
County of Cumbria
Cheltenham Town
Robins
based on red and white kit
Colchester United
The 'U's
Abbreviation of United
Crewe Alexandra
Railwaymen, The Alex
Town renowned for building trains. Alex - an abbreviation.
Hartlepool United
Pools, The Pool
Abbreviation
Hereford United
The Bulls
Well known breed of cattle
Huddersfield Town
Terriers
Yorkshire Terrier on club crest
Leeds United
United or The Whites or Peacocks (obsolete)
Abbreviation, kit colour, peacock - local pub, ground name
Leicester City
Foxes
Large local fox hunting industry
Leyton Orient
The'O's
Abbreviation
Millwall
Lions
Lion on club crest
Milton Keynes
MK Dons
incorporates past club history as Wimbledon dons
Northampton Town
Cobblers
Local shoe manufacturing industry
Oldham Athletic
Latics
A corruption of the word athletic
Peterborough United
The Posh
a former manager wanted "posh players for a posh team"
Scunthorpe
The Iron
local iron foundries
Southend United
Shrimpers
local shrimping industry
Stockport County
The Hatters, County
Famous hat making industry
Swindon Town
Robins
club crest used to feature a robin
Tranmere Rovers
Rovers
Abbreviation
Walsall
Saddlers
local saddle manufacturing industry
Yeovil Town
Glovers
Town renowned for glovemaking
League Two football nicknames
Team
Football Nickname
Explanation
Accrington Stanley
The Reds
Kit colour
Aldershot Town
Shots
abbreviation
Barnet
The Bees
kit colour
Bournemouth
Cherries
kit colour
Bradford City
Bantams
kit colour suggests plumage of bantam
Brentford
Bees
B for Brentford
Bury
Shakers
clubs chairman once said "We will shake them. In fact, we are the Shakers."
Chester City
The Seals
Old ground named Sealand Road
Chesterfield
Spirites
Famous twisted spire on church in town
Dagenham & Redbridge
The Daggers
derived from Dagenham
Darlington
Quakers
A large local population of Quakers
Exeter City
The Grecians
Unknown reasons, parishioners of a local church also known as Grecians
Gillingham
Gills
Abbreviation
Grimsby Town
Mariners
Association with fishing industry
Lincoln City
The Red Imps
from the legend of the Lincoln imp
Luton Town
Hatters
The town had a famous straw boater hat industry
Macclesfield Town
Silkmen
Once had a large local silk industry
Morecambe
The Shrimps
local shrimping industry
Notts County
Magpies
black and white kit
Port Vale
Valiants
derived from "Vale"
Rochdale
Dale
abbreviation
Rotherham United
Millers
derived from the name of the ground - Millmoor
Shrewsbury Town
Shrews
abbreviation
Wycombe Wanderers
Chairboys
local furniture factories
Conference - National Football Clubs
Team
Football Nickname
Explanation
Altrincham
The Robins
kit colour
Barrow
The Bluebirds
kit colour
Burton Albion
The Brewers
Town renowned for the brewing industry
Cambridge United
The U's, The Yellows
abbreviation, kit colour
Crawley Town
The Red Devils
kit colour
Eastbourne Borough
The Sports
based on an old name of the club
Ebbsfleet United
The Fleet
abbreviation
Forest Green Rovers
Rovers
abbreviation
Grays Athletic
Grays
abbreviation
Histon
The Stutes
originating from the club's previous name Histon Institute,
Thanks to several Pub Quiz Help users who pointed out a few less well known nicknames and/or provided explanations. Drop me an email if you know of any good explanations for why a team has a particular nickname. There are quite a few gaps, so any help would be appreciated!
