The guernsey is changing

[barry]

Is this because the opera house wants more money for use of its symbol?

Of course it is. Spun as a new innovative design.

[stevoswan]

I don't mind the logo, I just hope Tom misspoke, when he suggested it was a project that took a couple of years.

He may have just said that to take it outside of the Opera House 'cash grab' timeline.....as I'm sure that actually has got something to do with the clubs desire for a new logo design. Although he did also say that our jumper design will not change....just the club logo.

[Mel_C]

I like the logo but I wish it said Sydney Swans instead of just Sydney.

[Thunder Shaker]

Yes, I hope that whoever designed the logo, didn't get two years worth of wages.

They probably didn't, but they didn't design only one logo. They apparently designed several, some with slight tweaks of the others, and the club chose one.

You can see the variants here: A new chapter, see the still image of the video.

Edit: I will not be updating my harbour-bridge (1995) scarf and flag with the current logo.

[bloodspirit]

They probably didn't, but they didn't design only one logo. They apparently designed several, some with slight tweaks of the others, and the club chose one.

You can see the variants here: A new chapter, see the still image of the video.

Edit: I will not be updating my harbour-bridge (1995) scarf and flag with the current logo.

If you look at their website it appears they may have had something to do with the Western Bulldogs logo/jumper too.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Nup, I can't let it slide

The club that was founded by a bunch of wowsers in 1874 used blue and white. It didn't go red and white until the last amalgamation in 1880.

The club that gave us our red and white colours had been playing games since 1867, and continued to after the amalgamation to the present day.

No amount of verbal sleight of hand changes those facts.

Including the 1874 date on a red and white logo is at best a contradiction.

If the Swans could pay a design team to spend 2 years to produce hundreds of near identical logos, why couldn't someone at the Swans show sufficient respect for our history to spend 5 minutes looking at the digitised newpapers in Trove?

Speaking of verbal sleight-of-hand "feathers" - pull the other one Tom, it plays jingle bells.

[bloodspirit]

I suspect that the decision to use the 1874 date is a conscious one for unknown reasons rather than a complete oversight. Although it wouldn't surprise me if the reason is that at some stage when they were commemorating an anniversary (or perhaps when they omitted to commemorate 150 years after 1867) they made a mistake and now they feel committed (kind of embarrassing to have missed the club's 150th anniversary). Maybe they'll wait 15 years and then quietly change the date? Although now that they have gone all in by adding '1874' to our merchandise it may get set in stone.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Just between you me and the fencepost bloodspirit, I suspect the original reason for celebrating 1874 instead of 1867 may have something to do with Catholicism.

In the interests of brevity -

19th century Melbourne was settled by free (as distinct from convict) labour and was predominantly protestant, and therefore prone to teetotalism. The gold rush made it far wealthier, but also increased the size and make-up of it's population.
The Albert Park / South Melbourne area had a working class Irish immigrant taint, with a strong (but not universal) Catholic presence and had no issues with grog.

The 1867/Red-and-White club was founded in a pub and even elected a couple of office bearers with Irish surnames.

Despite, or perhaps because of this . . .

The 1874/Blue-and-White club was founded in a Temperance Hall - no alcohol whatsoever and no office bearers were elected with an Irish surname.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Maybe, just maybe rather than celebrating a Foundation date, we should celebrate a Unification date, ie 1880.

It's later than 1874, but at least it's unequivocally correct.

[Big Red]

This is only my first post, but a unification date sounds nice.

[stevoswan]

This is only my first post, but a unification date sounds nice.

.....but not your last! Welcome.

[bloodspirit]

Just between you me and the fencepost bloodspirit, I suspect the original reason for celebrating 1874 instead of 1867 may have something to do with Catholicism.

In the interests of brevity -

19th century Melbourne was settled by free (as distinct from convict) labour and was predominantly protestant, and therefore prone to teetotalism. The gold rush made it far wealthier, but also increased the size and make-up of it's population.
The Albert Park / South Melbourne area had a working class Irish immigrant taint, with a strong (but not universal) Catholic presence and had no issues with grog.

The 1867/Red-and-White club was founded in a pub and even elected a couple of office bearers with Irish surnames.

Despite, or perhaps because of this . . .

The 1874/Blue-and-White club was founded in a Temperance Hall - no alcohol whatsoever and no office bearers were elected with an Irish surname.

Fascinating - thanks for sharing. It's hard to imagine the prejudices that existed against Catholics back then given how things have changed to the present day. It's particularly intriguing to notice the Melbourne flavour, with the topicality of the higher concentration of free labour there at that time. Sharing our history with us is your real point of difference, R'n'R. Much appreciated.