List of football club nicknames in the United Kingdom
England

List of football club nicknames in the United Kingdom

Section Title: England
Table Section Text: None

Nickname	Club(s)	Reason

Addicks	Charlton Athletic	A corruption of the word 'haddocks', named after a local fish and chip shop

Angels	Tonbridge Angels	Based of the club's name

Ash Trees	Ashford Town	The emblem of the town, derived both from the name of the town and from the large tree that stood in the centre of the town for many years

Atom Men	AFC Aldermaston	Named after the local Atomic Weapons Research Establishment

Avenue	Bradford Park Avenue	The club has always been known colloquially as "Avenue"

Baggies	West Bromwich Albion	Acquired when the players played in long shorts

Bantams	Bradford City	A reference to the claret and amber colours of the club's strip

Beach Boys	Concord Rangers	Their first stadium was right next to the beach.

Beavers	Hampton & Richmond Borough	From the name of the ground, Beveree, itself named after a mansion in whose former grounds it is situated.

Bees	Basildon	Based on initial letter of club name

Barnet	Based on initial letter of club name

Brentford	Based on initial letter of club name

Biscuitmen	Reading	Referred to former Huntley and Palmers biscuit factory in the town (not used since the 1980s)

Black Cats	Sunderland	Named after the Black Cat gun battery which stood on the river Wear. Also references the 'lucky' black cat which 'led' to the team winning the FA Cup

Blades	Sheffield United	Local links with steel and cutlery.

Bluebirds	Cardiff City	Based on club crest

Chippenham Town F.C.

Blues	Birmingham City	Colour of home football kit

Chelsea	Colour of home football kit

Everton	Colour of home football kit

Grays Athletic	Colour of home football kit

Ipswich Town	Colour of home football kit

Shrewsbury Town	Colour of home football kit

Southend United	Colour of home football kit

Wingate & Finchley	Colour of home football kit

Worcester City

Wycombe Wanderers	Colour of home football kit. Also known as The Chairboys

Boro	Harrow Borough	Based on club's name

Middlesbrough	Short version of name

Nuneaton Borough	Based on club's name

Stevenage	Short version of original name, Stevenage Borough

Brickies	Sittingbourne

Brewers	Burton Albion	Local links to the brewing industry

Bucks	AFC Telford United	Derived from stadium name New Bucks Head (previously The Bucks Head) which was named after a pub that was formerly situated in one corner of the ground

Bury	St Margaretsbury	Short version of name

Canaries	Hitchin Town	The club's home colours

Norwich City	Due to popularity of canary breeding in Norfolk in the early days of the club. The home strip became coloured to match the colour of the bird.

Castle	Newcastle Town F.C.	Short version of name

Casuals	Corinthian-Casuals	Short version of name

Cards / Cardinals	Woking	From the Cardinal red of the red and white shirt halves, cards being a shortening of the nickname

Carpetmen	Kidderminster Harriers	The modern carpet industry was founded in the area

Chairboys	Wycombe Wanderers	Local links to the furniture making industry. Also known as The Blues.

Cherries	Bournemouth	Stadium built on a cherry tree orchard

Citizens	Manchester City	From the name "City"; historically "citizen" meant "inhabitant of a city".

Norwich City	Derived from 'City'. Original nickname for Norwich, now superseded by Canaries (see above)

Clarets	Burnley	Colour of home strip

Chelmsford City	Colour of home strip

Club	Sheffield F.C.	World's oldest football club

Cobblers	Northampton Town	Local links to the shoe making industry

Cod Army	Fleetwood Town	Local links to the fishing industry

Cottagers	Fulham	From club's ground, Craven Cottage, which has a cottage in the corner

Crusaders	Hungerford Town

Cumbrians	Carlisle United	From Cumbria, the county the club are from

Daggers	Dagenham & Redbridge	Based on club name

Dale	Rochdale	Short version of name

Darts	Dartford	Based of club's name

Diamonds	Rushden & Diamonds	Short version of name, used by its predecessor club

Dolly Blues	Lancaster City	Derived from the fact that team originally played in the same colour as the 'Dolly Blue' washing tablets

Donny	Doncaster Rovers	The regional nickname of the town

Dons	AFC Wimbledon	Taken from latter part of 'Wimbledon'. See also Wimbledon F.C.

Hendon F.C.	Taken from latter part of 'Hendon'

MK Dons	Taken from latter part of 'Wimbledon'. See Wimbledon F.C.

Eagles	Bedford Town	The emblem of Bedford features an eagle

Crystal Palace	Introduced during the managership of Malcolm Allison in 1973. Origin unknown.

FCUM	FC United of Manchester	Abbreviation of the club's name

Filberts	Leicester City	Seldom used, derives from previous ground being located on Filbert Street

Fleet	Gravesend and Northfleet	Short version of name

Fosse	Leicester City	Original name was Leicester Fosse, which derived from The Fosse Way. Name still in use by commentator Stuart Hall

Foxes	Leicester City	Outline of Leicestershire on a map resembles a fox's head, Hunting tradition of the county

Gas	Bristol Rovers	Old ground next door to a Gasworks

Gate	Margate	The ending of the club's name

Gills	Gillingham	Short version of name

Glassboys	Stourbridge F.C.	Stourbridge was a centre of glass making

Glaziers	Crystal Palace	Reference to The Crystal Palace. No longer used

Glovers	Yeovil Town	Local links to the glove making industry

Grecians	Exeter City	Grecians was, for centuries, the nickname for people from the St Sidwells parish of Exeter where the ground is situated

Greens	Hendon F.C.	The club's home colours

Gulls	Torquay United	Seaside link

Gunners	Arsenal	Team was formed from munitions workers at the Royal Arsenal

Hamlet	Dulwich Hamlet	Shortened version of the club's name

Hammers	West Ham United	Although this may initially appear to be based on a simple corruption of the name, the team originated at Thames Ironworks; the club's crest depicts crossed metalworking/rivetting hammers

Harriers	Kidderminster Harriers	Short version of name

Hatters	Luton Town	Local links to hat making industry

Stockport County	One of Cheshire's and Britain's main hatting industry towns

Hawks	Harlow Town

Whitehawk	The end of the club's name

Hillians	Burgess Hill Town	Based on coming from Burgess Hill

Heed	Gateshead	Based on shortening of Gateshead, and the local pronunciation of Head

Hoops	Queens Park Rangers	Design of home strip

Hornets	Watford	Colour of strip

Imps	Lincoln City	Legend of the imp statue in Lincoln Cathedral (also "Red Imps")

Ingfielders	Ossett Town	So nicknamed after the name of the ground, Ingfield)

Invicta	Folkestone Invicta	The end of the club's name

Iron	Scunthorpe United	Local links to the iron industry

Braintree Town	The club was formed as Manor Works, the works team of the Crittall Window Company, from which they gained their nickname Iron.

Irons	West Ham United	The club's origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks. Used more by fans, and on matchdays, than the club's official nickname "The Hammers." Irons can be heard in chants/songs by fans such as "Come on You Irons!"

K's	Kingstonian	The first letter of the club's name

Knitters	Hinckley United	Local links to the Knitwear and Hosiery industry

Lads	Sunderland	Name used by the fans, locals and media on match days and used on the stand has club motto "Ha'way the Lads" fans say "Ganna watch the Lads" True nickname of Sunderland

Lambs	Tamworth	Team plays at The Lamb Ground, named after a local pub

Lashers	Blackpool FC	Known as 'Donkey Lashers' due to donkeys on Blackpool Beach

Latics	Oldham Athletic	Short version of name

Wigan Athletic	Short version of name

Lilywhites	Preston North End	Colour of home strip

Fulham	Colour of home strip

Cambridge City	Colour of home strip

Tottenham Hotspur	Colour of home strip

Linnets	Burscough	Name of a bird sometimes known as the 'green linnet'; nickname used for teams that play in green

King's Lynn Town F.C.	Also formerly used by its predecessor club King's Lynn F.C.

Runcorn Linnets	Name of a bird sometimes known as the 'green linnet'; nickname used for teams that play in green. Also used by related now dissolved Runcorn F.C.

Lions	Aston Villa F.C.	Featured on badge

Millwall	Featured on badge

Guiseley A.F.C.

Makems	Sunderland A.F.C.	From their shipbuilding heritage

Magpies	Newcastle United	Based on black and white colour of home strip

Notts County	Based on black and white colour of home strip

Maidenhead United	Based on black and white colour of home strip.

Chorley	Based on black and white colour of home strip.

Mariners	Grimsby Town	The club is based on the coast

Millers	Rotherham United	Based on ground name (Millmoor)

Minstermen	York City	York Minster is a famous landmark in the city

Moatsiders	Merstham	They play at Moatside

Monkey hangers	Hartlepool United	During the Napoleonic wars the citizens of Hartlepool allegedly hanged a monkey believing it to be a French spy.

Mushrooms	Hayes & Yeading United	Due to the fact that the club's Board keep the club's supporters in the dark.

Nailers	Belper Town	The manufacture of nails was formerly a widespread cottage industry locally

O's	Leyton Orient	Based on initial letter of club name. Before squad numbers on shirts, Orient players wore large letter Os on their shirt backs

Owls	Sheffield Wednesday	Based on name of local area (Owlerton), after a visitor to the city drew a cartoon depicting Sheffield Wednesday as an owl

Peacocks	Leeds United	(Virtually obsolete). Stems from the former name of the Elland Road stadium, The Old Peacock Ground, which was in turn named after the nearby The Old Peacock pub

Pilgrims	Boston United	Local links to the pilgrims who went to the New World

Plymouth Argyle	Local links to the pilgrims who went to the New World

Pensioners	Chelsea	A reference to the Chelsea Pensioners

Pirates	Bristol Rovers	Local links to shipping

Pompey	Portsmouth	The nickname for the city of Portsmouth and HMNB Portsmouth, possibly originating from HMS Pompee (1793)

Pool	Blackpool	Short version of name

Liverpool	Short version of name

Pools	Hartlepool United	Short version of name when known as Hartlepools United

Poppies	Kettering Town	Stadium built on a former poppy field

Posh	Peterborough United	Believed to derive from former manager Pat Tirrel proclaiming that he was looking for: "Posh players for a posh team"

Potters	Stoke City	Local links to the pottery industry

Puritans	Banbury United	Traditionally in the town's history, many inhabitants were strongly involved in the Puritan movement

QPR	Queens Park Rangers	Abbreviation of club name

Quakers	Darlington	Local links to religious movement

R's	Queens Park Rangers	Final initial of club abbreviation, QPR

Brightlingsea Regent	The first letter of the word Regent

Railwaymen	Crewe Alexandra	Local links to railways

Rams	Derby County	Folk song "The Derby Ram", and by extension an emblem of the city

Hendon	A ram is on their logo.

Rebels	Slough Town	Created the Corinthian League in protest against the Spartan League

Worthing	Resigned from the West Sussex League due to a rule change in 1920

Red Rebels	FC United of Manchester	The club having been formed by disaffected fans after the takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer. None of the fans refer to the club by this, it is purely a media name, primarily used by the Manchester Evening News.

Red Devils	Crawley Town

Manchester United	Nickname originally belonged to nearby rugby league team Salford

Red Imps	Lincoln City	Colour of home kit and legend of the imp statue in Lincoln Cathedral

Reds	Liverpool	Colour of home kit

Nottingham Forest	Colour of home kit

Manchester United	Colour of home kit

Ricay	Billericay Town	Based of the club's name

Riversiders	Blackburn Rovers	After a side of the ground adjacent to a river

Robins	Altrincham	Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Bracknell Town

Bristol City	Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Charlton Athletic	Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Cheltenham Town	Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Carshalton Athletic	A robin is on the club's logo

Evesham United

Ilkeston

Swindon Town	Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Rocks	Bognor Regis Town

East Thurrock United

Romans	Bath City

Rooks	Lewes	A common bird of the town

Royals	Reading	The town is in the Royal County of Berkshire

Saddlers	Walsall	Links to the saddle making industry

Saints	Brackley Town

Southampton	St. Mary's Young Men's Association

St Albans City

Salop	Shrewsbury Town	Traditional name for the town of Shrewsbury and also Shropshire as a county (Latin name Salopia)

Sandgrounders	Southport	Town is on a stretch of coast known for its expansive sandy beaches

Scholars	Potters Bar Town	In reference of the original name of Mount Grace Old Scholars

School of Science	Everton	1928, comment of Everton's attractive style of play with the team being called 'scientific' or 'the school of science'

Seagulls	Brighton & Hove Albion	Based on coast, also a response to the similar-sounding nickname 'Eagles' of their rivals Crystal Palace

Seals	Chester City	Old ground named Sealand Road

Seasiders	Blackpool	Based on coast

Shakers	Bury	Club's first chairman, JT Ingham, said before a Lancashire Cup game with Blackburn, "We will shake them. In fact, we are the Shakers."

Shaymen	Halifax Town	Originates from the club's ground, same nickname as its predecessor club

Shots	Aldershot Town	Short version of name

Shrews	Shrewsbury Town	Short version of name

Shrimps	Morecambe	Related to the fishing/shrimping industry in the region and Morecambe Bay's famous "potted shrimps"

Shrimpers	Southend United	A historic local industry; alliterative

Shopmates	Raunds Town	A reference to the local boot and shoe industry, which was largely workshop-based.

Silkmen	Macclesfield Town	Local links to the silk industry

Sky Blues	Coventry City	Colour of home strip

Manchester City	Colour of home strip

Smoggies	Middlesbrough	From the industrial pollution, or smog, from the steel and chemical plants surrounding the town

Spireites	Chesterfield	Reference to famous crooked spire in the town

Spitfires	Eastleigh	The first test flight of the Supermarine Spitfire was at the airport in Eastleigh

Sports	Eastbourne Borough	Due to team's previous name of Langney Sports F.C.

Spurs	Tottenham Hotspur	Based on the spurs that the fighting cockerel wears on its leg, of which comes from Harry Hotspur's fighting cockerels in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part1

Spartans	Blyth Spartans

Stags	Mansfield Town	Stag head on their crest

Stones	Maidstone United	Based on the club's name

Wealdstone F.C.	Based on the club's name

Stripes	Stevenage Borough	Based on the pattern of the home strip

Swans	Swansea City	Based on abbreviation of city name

Super Hoops	Queens Park Rangers	Based on the pattern of the home strip

Superwhites	Tranmere Rovers	Colour of their home strip

Tanners	Leatherhead

Tangerines	Blackpool	Colour of their home kit

Tarn	Barnsley	'Town' spoken in the local accent.

Terras	Weymouth	Club plays in a terracota coloured kit

Terriers	Huddersfield Town	Named after the Yorkshire Terrier breed of dog - based on a vote of their supporters to create a nickname

Teyn	Northampton Town	Town said in a Northampton accent

The Throstles	West Bromwich Albion	Based on the large number of Song Thrushes (Throstles) near the ground.

Tigers	Gloucester City	Colours of home strip

Hull City	Colours of home strip

Tivvy	Tiverton Town	Based on club's name

Toffees / Toffeemen	Everton	The origin of the Toffee nickname dates back almost to the formation of the club. Ye Ancient Everton Toffee House was a sweet shop owned by Old Ma Bushell, who created Everton Toffee.

Toon	Newcastle United	Local pronunciation of 'Town', meaning City Centre where the ground is situated

Towners	Enfield Town	To show they belong to the town i.e Enfield Town

Tractor Boys	Ipswich Town	Local links to agriculture

Tricky Trees	Nottingham Forest	Crest is a tree

Trotters	Bolton Wanderers	In the 19th century, one of their pitches was adjacent to a piggery and clearances often end up in there. Players had to 'trot' through the pig-pens to retrieve the balls.

Tudors	Hemel Hempstead Town	Their logo contains an image of King Henry VIII

Two Blues	Bishop Auckland	The kit features two shades of blue, originating from the colours of Oxford University and Cambridge University.

Tykes	Barnsley F.C.	Colloquial name for a Yorkshireman.

Tynesiders	Gateshead	Gateshead is located on Tyneside

U's	Cambridge United	Initial of name

Colchester United	Initial of name

Oxford United	Initial of name

Sutton United	Initial of name

United	Manchester United	Short version of name

Sheffield United	Short version of name. Also used to differentiate between the two Sheffield clubs of Wednesday and United.

Urchins	A.F.C. Hornchurch

Valiants	Port Vale	Based on official name

Vics	Northwich Victoria	Based on shortening of official name

Vikings	Doncaster Rovers	Based on the club badge, as well as Rovers being a term for Vikings

Goole AFC	Based on the town's Viking history.

Villans	Aston Villa	Based on official name and for being traditional rivals of Birmingham City

Wanderers	Dorking Wanderers	Short name of the club

Wednesday	Sheffield Wednesday	Original name of the club

Whites	Dover Athletic	Based on the chalk from the White Cliffs of Dover

Fulham	Colour of their home strip. Sometimes referred to as the Lillywhites

Leeds United	Main colour of home strip

Preston North End

Salisbury	Same nickname as its predecessor club

White Tigers	Truro City

Wings	Welling United	Has a horse with wings on the logo

Wolves	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Based on shortening of name

Wombles	AFC Wimbledon	Reference to the Wombles of Wimbledon

Yellows	Cambridge United	Colour of home kit

Mansfield Town	Colour of home kit

Sutton United	Colour of home kit

Yeltz	Halesowen Town	Origin of the name has been lost track of

Yids	Tottenham Hotspur	Based on the high concentration of Jewish fans

Sentence(s)

The Wimbledon F.C club's nickname was the Dons.

final_sentence: The Wimbledon F.C club's nickname was the Dons.