List of football club nicknames in the United Kingdom

Baggies

West Bromwich Albion

Acquired when the players played in long shorts (debatable - see the club's article for more details)

Bees

Barnet

Based on colour of home strip

Bluebirds

Cardiff City

Based on colour of home strip

Blades

Sheffield United

Local links with steel and cutlery. Used to be the nickname of Sheffield Wednesday until they became The Owls in 1899

Blues

Chelsea

Colour of home football kit

Blues

Grays Athletic

Colour of home football kit

Blues

Shrewsbury Town

Colour of home football kit

Boro

Middlesbrough

Short version of name

Brewers

Burton Albion

Local links to the brewing industry

Bulls

Hereford United

After the local breed of cattle

Canaries

Norwich City

Initially due to popularity of canary breeding in Norfolk, later home strips are the same colour as the bird, and is now used in the club's logo.

Chairboys

Wycombe Wanderers

Local links to the furniture making industry

Citizens

Manchester City

Developed from 'City'

Club

Sheffield

Due to the fact they were the "Original Football Club"

Cod'eads

Grimsby Town

Local links to the declining fishing industry

Cumbrians

Carlisle United

From Cumbria, the county the club are from.

Dale

Rochdale

Short version of name

Dolly Blues

Lancaster City

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

Dons, The

AFC Wimbledon

A contraction of Wimbledon. See Wimbledon F.C.

Filberts

Leicester City

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

Fosse

Leicester City

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

Gas (unofficial)

Bristol Rovers

Old ground next door to a Gasworks

Glovers

Yeovil Town

Local links to the glove making industry

Gulls

Torquay United

Seaside link

Hammers

West Ham United

Although this may initially appear to be based on a simple shortening of the name, observation of the club's crest will reveal crossed metalworking hammers, indicating the club's origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks.

Hatters

Luton Town

Local links to hat making industry

Heed

Gateshead

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

R's

Queens Park Rangers

Final initial of club abbreviation, QPR

Imps

Lincoln City

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

Irons

West Ham United

Indicates the club's origins as the football team of Thames Ironworks (see "also Hammers").

Lambs

Tamworth

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

Latics

Wigan Athletic

Shortened version of name

Lillywhites

Fulham

Colour of home strip

Lions

Millwall

Featured on badge

Magpies

Notts County

Based on black and white colour of home strip

Mighty Whites

Leeds United

Based on the colour of the home strip

Millers

Rotherham United

Based on ground name (Millmoor)

Monkey hangers

Hartlepool United

During the Napoleonic wars the citizens of Hartlepool allegedly hung a monkey believing it to be a French spy.

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.

Pilgrims

Boston United

Local links to the pilgrims who went to the New World

Pirates

Bristol Rovers

Local links to shipping

Pool

Liverpool

Short version of name

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"

Quakers

Darlington

Local links to religious movement

Rebels

FC United of Manchester

The club having been formed by disaffected fans after the takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer.

Red Devils

Crawley Town

The Reds

Liverpool

Colour of home kit

Railwaymen

Crewe Alexandra

Local links to railways

Robins

Cheltenham Town

Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Robins

Swindon Town

Colour of home kit same as a robin's chest

Rovers

Blackburn Rovers

Shortened name

Rovers

Tranmere Rovers

Shortened name

Royals

Reading

The town is in the Royal County of Berkshire. |-

Saddlers

Walsall

Links to the saddle making industry

Sandgrounders

Southport

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."

Shots

Aldershot Town

Short version of name

Shrimps

Morecambe

Possibly related to the fishing/shrimping industry in the region

Silkmen

Macclesfield Town

Local links to the silk industry

Sky Blues

Manchester City

Colour of home strip

Sports

Eastbourne Borough

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

Stags

Mansfield Town

Stripes And the Boro

Stevenage Borough

Based on the pattern of the home strip

Terras

Weymouth

Club plays in a terracota coloured kit

Tigers

Hull City

Colour of home strip

Toffees

Everton

Unknown. Possibly named after a local toffee shop, or the nickname for the local Irish population

Tractor Boys

Ipswich Town

Local links to agriculture{{Cite web

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.

Tynesiders

Gateshead

Gateshead is located on Tyneside

U's

Colchester United

Initial of name

Valiants

Port Vale

Based on official name

Vikings

Doncaster Rovers

Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Based on shortening of name

Yellows

Mansfield Town

Colour of home kit

Blues

Linfield

Original kits were blue in colour

Glens

Glentoran

Abbreviation of team name Glen(toran)

Reds

Cliftonville

Kit colour is red

Blues

Ballymena United

Colour of team shirt

Whites

Lisburn Distillery

Kit colour is white

Arabs

Dundee United

Bhoys

Celtic

From early promotional material. The 'h' was used to capture the Irish accent of the team's original fanbase.

Black and Whites

Elgin City

Blues

Stranraer

Buddies

St Mirren

Cabbage and Ribs

Hibernian

Rhyming slang for Hibs

Celts

Celtic

Diamonds

Airdrie United

Doonhamers

Queen of the South

Gable Endies

Montrose

Gers

Rangers

Hibees

Hibernian

Short version of the name

Hoops

Celtic

From the horizontal hooped home strip

Jam Tarts, Jambos

Heart of Midlothian

Rhyming slang for Hearts

Light Blues

Rangers

Loons

Forfar Athletic

Local name for 'lads' which were given to Angus Athletic's 2nd XI, largely comprised of younger players who broke off to form Forfar Athletic.

Red Lichties

Arbroath

Saints

St. Johnstone & St Mirren

Sons

Dumbarton

Staggies

Ross County

Super Js

St. Johnstone

A reference to St. Johnstone being the only League club in Scottish (or English) football with a J in its name

Terrors

Dundee United

play on words with the team playing in tangerine and black.

Ton

Morton

Short version of the name

Wasps

Alloa Athletic

Wee Rovers

Albion Rovers

Exiles

Newport County

Club were forced to play several seasons in Gloucestershire by the FAW

Red Dragons

Wrexham

Featured on logo

Swans

Swansea City

Short version of the name. Another popular name for swans fans is' the jack army ' the citizens of Swansea are referred to as jacks