West Ham London: Hammers unveil proposed new badge for when they move to Olympic Stadium in 2016/17

West Ham invite supporters to cast deciding vote on the design



‘London’ is incorporated in the badge to help the ambitious club make strides in global football market

Boleyn Castle make way for two gold Hammers in the proposed badge

West Ham will have the word ‘London’ inserted on their new club crest when they move into the Olympic Stadium in 2016, if fans approve.

As the Hammers enter their penultimate season at Upton Park, the Barclays Premier League club have proposed plans to evolve their emblem with supporters invited to cast a deciding vote on the design.

Sportsmail understands the inclusion of ‘London’ in the sleek design is a nod to West Ham’s historic standing in the capital, while helping the ambitious Hammers make strides in a competitive global football market when they move into their new Stratford home in less than two years.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch West Ham unveil their new kit for the 2014/15 season



Five England flags displaying West Ham's crossed-hammers badge were confiscated in Spain

The Boleyn Castle, a symbolic feature on the badge for many years, has been replaced as part of a ‘bolder, cleaner and more vibrant crest’ following a detailed supporter consultation from thousands of fans which concluded last week.



Two gold Hammers will remain through the centre, maintaining a link to the club’s Thames Ironworks inception back in 1895.



The design has received a mixed reaction from some supporters on social media, however.



Twitter user @westhamtransfer wrote: ‘Why do we need ‘London’ on our badge? If you want to know where West Ham is then use Google’.



Another fan, @LDHarv, said: ‘The new badge has the right idea but the font used is rubbish.’



Legends: The likes of Moore (above) and Brooking (below) have worn the famous crossed hammers

But @TezzyWilsonWHU gave his backing to the new design, saying: ‘The badge is nice. All they have done is remove the castle and added the word London’.



And @JC_Kemp added: ‘Talks about the updated West Ham badge sound positive. Finally some proper design thought being applied.’

West Ham fans, who have a history of buying tickets with the club, have until this Friday to submit their vote on what will be the 16th evolution of the badge that has been worn proudly over the years by greats such as Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Trevor Brooking.



An statement on the club’s official website read: ‘The board understand that the success of the club’s move depends on its acceptance among supporters as the home of West Ham United.



‘The club is therefore on the cusp of a multi-million pound investment at the stadium and so it is imperative to ensure that, together, we get it right from the outset.



New home: The change of badge will coincide with West Ham's 2016 move to the Olympic Stadium

Evolution: The current badge, as seen on new signing Diego Poyet, is the 15th version of the crest

‘The crest’s evolution is the handiwork of world-class designers, who, crucially, are lifelong supporters of the club too.



'Its final design is the product of careful deliberation following supporter consultation and the comprehensive feedback received, as well as a reflection of feeling among the club’s stakeholders.’



West Ham are not the only Premier League club to propose plans to modernise their crest. Everton have also set up a voting process for fans to pick their new badge.

Sportsmail has obtained further images of how the flat design would look, with the 3D version only being used for digital purposes.



A club source said: 'The two shades of claret are a graphical representation of the HMS Warrior's bow, the inspiration behind the new crest shape.



'However, they will only ever be visible in a 3D form and this is not how the crest will appear in the majority of its applications. The 3D presentation of the crest will primarily be used across digital platforms.



New look: The two shades of claret are a graphical representation of the HMS Warrior's bow, the inspiration behind the new crest shape

Changing times: The proposed badge will be the 16th evolution of the West Ham crest

'As the following variations show, the two shades do not apply to single colour versions of the crest, nor to the more traditional flat crest, as would appear on the playing shirt.



'The proposed crest has been carefully designed to be adaptable with a variety of colour applications and will follow a colour palette that has represented the cub's historic colours since 1900.



'That said, the club is still fully absorbing feedback and, should there be overall support for the direction of the crest, these factors can be considered and potentially incorporated ahead of producing final brand guidelines.'

What do you think of the new West Ham badge? Tell us in the comments box below…



West Ham supporters with a ticket purchase history aged 16 and over can register their vote here. Mobile users can access the poll via the following: https://start.yougov.com/refer/v0Vgd8jpPpyJM5. The results will be announced on the club’s official website, whufc.com, in due course.

West Ham supporters seeking clarification on matters pertaining to the crest should consult the Club’s wide-ranging Q+A here.





