Football Shirt Culture.com

Wigan Athletic unveiled their brand new club crest . It appears to be a re-working of Latics' famous tree and crown crest.

That image was the one displayed on Wigan's blue and white shirts when the club was elected into the Football League in 1978, far pre-dating the town crest that appears on today's shirt.

Latics Commercial Director Paul Hunt has been the driving force behind the new crest and hopes that it will mark the beginning of a new era for the club.

He said: "Wigan Athletic does not, in terms of a badge and crest, have its own identity; it is the town's identity.

"We feel we are strong enough as a football club to have our own identity."

This new identity will combine the club's past and future, and idea captured in the slogan, 'Remembering our Roots, Heralding our Future'.

Mr Hunt said: "It is about modernising but still keeping a hold on our history and our links with the local community and local supporters."

There is also a commercial aspect to the new crest as it will be fully owned by the club and will be protected from counterfeiters who make and sell fake Latics' merchandise, a growing problem for many football clubs.

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