The Aberdeen logo is the official crest of Aberdeen Football Club, a Scottish Premiership side formed on 14 April 1903 through the merger of three local clubs in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the most recognizable badges in Scottish football.
The club went almost seven decades without a formal crest. The first official version arrived in November 1972, designed by local graphic designer Donald Addison. Wording was added around the outside in the 1980s, the current version dates from the 1997-98 season, and two stars for the club’s European trophies joined it in 2005-06.
Aberdeen FC, nicknamed “The Dons,” has never been relegated from the top flight of Scottish football. The logo carries the weight of four league titles, eight Scottish Cups, six League Cups and two European trophies.
What Is the Aberdeen Logo?
The Aberdeen logo is a round red and white crest built around a capital A drawn as the side view of a football goal, with a ball forming the crossbar. Aberdeen graphic designer Donald Addison created the A in 1972, and the current circular version dates from the 1997-98 season.
| Symbol | Capital A shaped like a goal seen from the side, with a football as the crossbar, plus “FC” and “1903” |
| Designer/agency | Donald Addison (original 1972 A); the designer of the 1997-98 version is not publicly credited |
| Current version since | 1997-98 season; two stars added above it in 2005-06 |
| Colors (hex) | Red (approx. #E2001A, sampled from the current logo) and white (#FFFFFF) |
| Typeface | Flared serif capitals; no named typeface has been publicly identified |
| Previous major version | 1980s crest, which put “Aberdeen Football Club” around Addison’s A and added 1903 |
How Has the Aberdeen Logo Evolved Over Time?
The Aberdeen badge history has three stages since 1972, and before that the club had no official badge at all. Each update added context around the same idea, moving from a bare letterform to a full roundel with the club’s name and founding year.
Before the Crest: AFC Monograms (1903-1972)
- Years Active: 1903-1972
- Design Description: No official crest existed. By the club’s own account the city coat of arms appeared occasionally but was never official. In the 1950s, a laurel-wreathed AFC design appeared on programmes but never on shirts
- On the Kit: A monogram crest was worn briefly in the mid-1960s, and a simple cypher was worn in the 1970 Scottish Cup final
- Color Scheme: White in 1903-04, black and gold from 1904, then red and white from March 1939
- Designer: Not recorded
The Original Addison Crest (1972 to the 1980s)
- Years Active: November 1972 to the 1980s
- Design Description: A capital letter A drawn as the side view of a football goal, modelled on Pittodrie’s goal stanchions. A crosshatched ball forms the crossbar of the letter, and the letters FC sit with it. This old Aberdeen logo had no club name around it
- Color Scheme: Red and white
- Designer: Donald Addison, a lecturer at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen who also designed the club’s programme covers in the early 1970s
- Context: Commissioned when the club opened its first shop on Nelson Street near Pittodrie. It was registered for merchandise and stationery and first appeared on the programme cover for the East Fife match in November 1972
- On the Kit: First worn on team shirts in 1978-79, just in time for the golden era under Alex Ferguson
The European-Era Crest (1980s to 1997)
- Years Active: 1980s to 1997. Sources differ on the exact start, placing it between 1983 and 1986
- Design Description: Addison’s A inside a circular border. The words “Aberdeen Football Club” run around the outside, with the founding year 1903 beneath the goal
- Color Scheme: Red and white
- Designer: Not publicly credited; an adaptation of Addison’s original
- Context: The bare A was little known outside Scotland, and the European success of 1983 made that a real problem. The added text fixed it
- Cultural Significance: This period belongs to the club’s greatest years. Ferguson’s Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in Gothenburg, then won the European Super Cup against Hamburger SV
The Current Crest (1997-Present)
- Years Active: 1997-98 season to the present, with minor alterations
- Design Description: A red roundel with a white ring. “ABERDEEN” arches across the top and “FOOTBALL CLUB” curves along the bottom. Inside sits the goal-shaped A with its football, the letters FC, and 1903 on a white band at the base
- Color Scheme: Red and white
- Designer: Not publicly credited
- Key Changes from Previous: A tidied roundel built on the same goal motif. In 2005-06, two stars were added above the crest to mark the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup wins
- Retro Uses: The 1979-era badge was reinstated for the 2014-15 season only. For 2022-23, the club used a commemorative crest marking 40 years since Gothenburg
What Do the Design Elements of the Aberdeen Logo Mean?
The central A shaped like a football goal is the whole idea of the Aberdeen crest. The club describes the letter as shaped like Pittodrie’s goal stanchions, with a ball in the net.
The crosshatched ball does a double job. It forms the crossbar of the letter and also reads as a ball caught in the netting.
The rest is plain information: the club’s name, FC, and the 1903 founding year. There are no lions, shield or motto on this badge, despite claims you may see elsewhere.
What Typography Style Is Used in the Aberdeen Logo?
The current crest uses flared serif capitals for “ABERDEEN” and “FOOTBALL CLUB” around the circular border. The letters follow the curve of the ring, and the 1903 below the goal is set in a matching serif style.
No font name has been published by the club, and no reliable type reference identifies one, so treat any named “Aberdeen font” with caution. It’s a traditional look, and the letter spacing leaves enough room between the capitals to stay readable when the badge is stitched onto a shirt.
What Are the Hidden Meanings in the Aberdeen Logo?
The A as a football goal is the big one. Most people see a letter. Look closer and you see the side profile of a goal with a ball in the net.
There’s a second story behind the shape. The club says Addison was delayed at an airport while working on the crest, noticed the tail fin of a plane outside, and adapted that shape for the badge. He said he might not have reached the final design without the delay.
The two stars above the badge each stand for a European trophy from 1983. Aberdeen remain the only Scottish club with two European trophies.
What Are the Aberdeen Logo Colors?
Aberdeen FC’s colours are red and white. The club first registered white in 1903, then played in black and gold from 1904 until just before World War II, which earned the team the nickname “The Wasps.”
In March 1939, the club switched to red and white, reflecting the red and silver of the City of Aberdeen coat of arms. An all-red kit followed in 1966.
- Red – approx. #E2001A, sampled from the current logo. It’s the dominant color of the badge and kits. The psychology of color often links red with energy, but the documented reason here is the city’s arms
- White – #FFFFFF. Used for lettering, the ring, the goal outline and the stars on the shirt
The club hasn’t published official RGB, CMYK or Pantone values or public brand guidelines that we could find, so treat any exact code as a sample. Shirt reds also vary by season. For general design work, vector graphics hold their sharpness at any size, while transparent PNGs suit web use.
How Does the Aberdeen Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
In Scottish football, Aberdeen’s badge is one of the plainer ones. Celtic build their roundel around a four-leaf clover, and Aberdeen’s own version keeps a similar round shape but swaps the symbol for a letter.
Compared to Glasgow Rangers, Aberdeen’s crest is simpler. Rangers put a lion rampant on a football above the word “Ready,” which gives their badge a more ornate feel.
Heart of Midlothian leans into maroon and the heart in its name. Hibernian uses a harp as a central icon, which gives their badge a different feel entirely.
Dundee United, Aberdeen’s “New Firm” rival from the 1980s, has a lion-based crest. Clubs like Kilmarnock and Motherwell draw on their own local references.
What sets Aberdeen apart is the goal hidden in the letter. It’s a clever design choice that has lasted more than 50 years.
What Cultural Impact Has the Aberdeen Logo Had?
The Aberdeen badge carries a lot of weight for a club from outside Scotland’s central belt. It’s recognized across European football thanks to those 1983 triumphs.
When Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in Gothenburg on 11 May 1983, the club became an example of what a smaller side could achieve. For many fans, that’s still what the crest represents.
The original Addison design has its own following. The club marked the logo’s 50th anniversary in November 2022 with a recreation of the 1972 programme cover. Addison, who died in 2025, was also the subject of a chapter in the book 1 Shilling: The Football Programme Design Revolution Of 1965-85, so his influence on the club’s look runs beyond the badge.
How Does the Aberdeen Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The badge anchors what Aberdeen FC does visually. The red and white color palette carries through from the crest to the kits and merchandise.
Pittodrie Stadium, used by the club since its formation in 1903 and first opened for the old Aberdeen club in 1899, is the home of that identity. The ground holds 19,274. The nickname “The Dons” has been in use since at least 1913, though its origin is unclear, with theories including the River Don and a contraction of “Aberdonians.”
No public brand style guide exists that we could find, so any rules about typographic choices and badge placement stay internal to the club.
The crest connects the football club and the city through color rather than heraldic detail. That’s what makes it so easy to recognize.
How Should the Aberdeen Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not the club’s own rules. No public usage guide from Aberdeen FC turned up in our research.
The crest is club-owned branding. In 1972 the club described the motif as officially registered, and commercial use, such as merchandise or advertising, normally needs permission from the rights holder. Editorial use, like news coverage, is treated differently, but check the rules that apply where you are.
FAQ on the Aberdeen Logo
Who Designed the Aberdeen FC Logo?
Donald Addison, an Aberdeen graphic designer and lecturer at Gray’s School of Art, created the first official crest. It first appeared in November 1972. No designer has been publicly credited for the 1997-98 update.
What Does the “A” in the Aberdeen Badge Represent?
The capital A is drawn as the side view of a football goal, based on Pittodrie’s goal stanchions. A crosshatched ball forms the crossbar. It’s clever visual emphasis through simple shapes.
What Are the Aberdeen FC Colours?
Red and white, adopted in March 1939 to reflect the City of Aberdeen’s arms. The red in the current logo samples at about #E2001A. Before that, the club wore black and gold.
What Is Aberdeen FC’s Nickname?
Aberdeen are known as The Dons, a name used since at least 1913, though its origin is unclear. They were earlier called The Wasps for their black and gold stripes, and are also known as The Reds.
When Was the Current Aberdeen Crest Introduced?
The current version launched for the 1997-98 season. Two stars were added above the badge in 2005-06 to honor the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup wins.
What Did the Old Aberdeen Logo Look Like?
The 1972 original was just the goal-shaped A with a ball and the letters FC, without the club name. Before that, the club used informal AFC monograms, including a laurel-wreathed version on 1950s programmes.
Does the Aberdeen Crest Include “Bon Accord”?
No. “Bon Accord,” French for “good agreement,” is the motto of the city, tied by legend to a password used in 1308. It appears on the city’s arms rather than the club’s crest, though it’s part of the story around the club’s home city.
Why Does the Aberdeen Badge Have Two Stars?
Each star represents a European trophy won in 1983: the Cup Winners’ Cup against Real Madrid and the Super Cup against Hamburger SV. On recent red shirts the stars are white rather than gold. Aberdeen remain the only Scottish club with two European trophies.
Has Aberdeen FC Ever Changed Its Logo Completely?
Not since the first official crest of 1972. The club added wording in the 1980s and released the current version in 1997-98, but Addison’s goal-shaped A has stayed at the center throughout.
Why Did Aberdeen FC Bring Back Its Old Logo on Kits?
The 1979-era badge returned for 2014-15 only, and a commemorative crest marked the Gothenburg anniversary in 2022-23. The minimalist design of the original still has plenty of admirers.
Can I Use the Aberdeen FC Logo for Personal Projects?
The crest is protected club branding, so commercial use needs permission from the club. Personal use is a gray area that depends on local law. Selling merchandise with the badge without a license isn’t allowed.
What File Format Is Best for an Aberdeen Logo PNG or Print?
A pixel-based format like transparent PNG works for web use. Vector formats such as SVG are better for print and large displays, since they stay sharp at any size.
Conclusion
The Aberdeen logo has done something most football crests never manage. It has stayed relevant for over 50 years while keeping Donald Addison’s original goal-shaped A at its core.
From the informal monograms to the current roundel with its European stars, each update reflected real milestones rather than trends.
The red and white color scheme ties the club to the city’s arms. And those two stars above the badge remind everyone that Aberdeen once beat Real Madrid to a European trophy.
Few Scottish Premiership badges carry that kind of weight with so little on them.
Sources
- Aberdeen FC, Red Matchday Issue 10 – https://www.afc.co.uk/en/news/red-matchday-issue-10
- Wikipedia, Aberdeen F.C. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_F.C.
- Historical Football Kits, Aberdeen – https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Aberdeen/Aberdeen.htm
- Football Crests, Aberdeen FC – https://footballcrests.com/clubs/aberdeen-fc
- Pogmogoal, Crest Love 3: Aberdeen FC – https://pogmogoal.com/crest-love/crest-love-3-aberdeen-fc/12309/
- Wikipedia, Coat of arms of Aberdeen – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Aberdeen
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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