Editing Swindon Town F.C. (section)

==Kit and badge==
===Crest===
[[File:Swindon town fc badge 1970.PNG|thumb|left|The 1970 "steam train" crest]]
[[File:STFCtrafficsignbadge.jpg|thumb|right|The "traffic sign" badge used from the mid-1970s until 1986]]
[[File:Swindon town fc badge choice 2007.PNG|thumb|right|The three designs which were voted on by supporters in 2007]]
Swindon Town have used at least five different kit badges since their inception.<ref name="badges1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/images/Title/TitleBadgeHistoryWhite.jpg|title=Badge History|access-date=15 January 2007|publisher=swindon-town-fc.co.uk|format=jpg|archive-date=13 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113020410/http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/images/Title/TitleBadgeHistoryWhite.jpg|url-status=dead}}</ref> The original badge depicted a robin inside a shield with the letters STFC in the four corners, this changed to the "steam train" badge which was a coat of arms for the club based heavily on the coat of arms used by the local council.<ref name = "crest"/> The "steam train" badge was in the form of a traditional shield, bisected with the club's name, a GWR steam locomotive (as Swindon is a [[railway town]]), a football and with a [[European robin|robin]] sitting on top. Beneath the shield was a motto on a scroll – "''Salubritas et Industria''" – meaning "health and industry".<ref name = "crest"/> This motto is also that of the town of [[Swindon]] itself.<ref name="coatofarms">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/heritage-coatofarms|title=Borough of Swindon Coat of Arms|access-date=7 February 2007|publisher=[[Borough of Swindon|Swindon Borough Council]]|work=Heritage|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029215412/http://www.swindon.gov.uk/heritage-coatofarms|archive-date=29 October 2007}}</ref>

During the 1970s the club changed the badge to one referred to as the "ST arrow" or "traffic sign" badge.<ref name="programme">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=1019&p=2&stid=7962086 |title=STFC programmes 1985 |access-date=15 January 2007 |publisher=My Only Swindon |year=2000 |author=Dave Hanley |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050227221418/http://www.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=1019&p=2&stid=7962086 |archive-date=27 February 2005 }}</ref> This was circular and had the letters ''S'' and ''T'' interlocked, which both ends of the letter ''S'' being made into an arrow. Also shown was a simple football and the club name.<ref name = "crest"/>

Following the 1985–86 season, the "steam train" badge was re-introduced onto the kits. The crest was re-styled and the text "Division Four Champions 1985/1986" replaced the motto.<ref name = "crest"/>

A diamond shaped crest for Swindon Town was introduced at the beginning of the 1991–92 season following a series of financial problems for the club. The idea behind the new crest was to give the club a new fresh image.

[[File:Swindon Town FC logo (1991-2007).svg|thumb|100px|left|The "diamond" crest unveiled in 1991]]
:"The 'travelling' football represents the club that is looking to the future with successful progress. The diamond shape clearly has the letter ''S'' (for Swindon) running through it, while a green section was also introduced to match a new 'green trim' on the team's home (red and white) shirts."<ref name="crest">{{Cite web|url=http://www.footballcrests.com/swindontownfc.htm|title=Swindon Town FC|access-date=15 January 2007|publisher=footballcrests.com}}</ref>

On 5 April 2007, the club unveiled plans to change the badge, claiming the diamond badge was correct for the time, but did not represent or show any of the club's heritage or history.<ref name="new badge choose announced">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisisstfc.co.uk/news_headlines_Story.asp?NewsID=6528 |title=Swindon's crest set to change |access-date=1 May 2007 |date=5 April 2007 |publisher=[[Swindon Advertiser]] }}{{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Swindon offered fans the chance to vote on-line for the three new choices, which were all similar to the original steam train design, and a fourth option of keeping the 1991 design.

On 23 April 2007, it was announced that option three of the logo vote was the winner of the poll (it can be seen on the far right of the picture).<ref name="new badge">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisisstfc.co.uk/news_headlines_Story.asp?NewsID=6587 |title=Town decide on new badge |access-date=1 May 2007 |date=23 April 2007 |publisher=[[Swindon Advertiser]] }}{{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Winning the vote with 68% in favour, the new badge includes the club name, a robin, a GWR steam locomotive – the rail industry being an important part of the Town's heritage – a football, and re-introduces the town's motto – 'Salubritas et Industria'. It has been in use since the beginning of the 2007–08 season.
{{Clear}}

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  title      = Original home kit from 1879/80–1893/94
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===Home kit===

Originally playing in black and white with the addition of blue [[sash]] for away games,<ref name = "founded"/> the club changed to black and red quarters on entry to the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] in 1894.<ref name = "founded"/> The club changed again in 1897 with the ''[[Swindon Advertiser]]'' reporting:

:"The new colours of the Swindon Town F.C. are to be green shirts, with white sleeves. Good-bye to the old well known red and black."<ref name = "founded"/>

With problems obtaining green dyes, the kit was short-lived and Swindon Town changed their shirts to the more familiar red in 1901.<ref name = "founded"/> Initially a dark maroon, a lighter shade was chosen for the start of the 1902–03 season and also resulted in the club's nickname "the Robins" appearing in print for the first time in programme notes for the first game.<ref name="robins">{{cite book | title=The Robins – The Story of Swindon Town Football Club | last=Mattick | first=Dick | year=1989 | publisher=Sporting and Leisure press | location=Buckingham | isbn=0-86023-460-6 }}</ref> The nickname is a reference to the former name of the [[European robin]] – "redbreast".

Swindon Town have played their home games in variations on the red and white theme since then, wearing a red shirt with white collars and white or red shorts for much of their history which has led to the team being known as the "Red and White Army". For example; the kit worn during the 1985–86 Division Four Champions season consisted of a red shirt with white pinstripes, white shorts and red socks and chants of "[[Lou Macari]]'s Red and White Army" were heard from the supporters at the final stages of the season.

Following the rebranding of the club in 1991, green elements were re-introduced onto the home strip and badge to represent the team's short-lived kit from the turn of the century. These were removed in 2007.<ref name="2007kit">{{Cite web|url=http://www.footballshirtculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=26|title=Swindon Town in Lotto until 2009|access-date=8 August 2007|publisher=footballshirtculture.com}}</ref>

===Away kit===

The club's [[away kit]]s have only begun to change since the 1990s and the advent of the lucrative replica kit market. Swindon's first away kit (that was entirely separate to the home kit) consisted of an all-blue strip; this was not used for the club's [[Football League Cup Final 1969|1969 League Cup Final]] victory where they elected to wear an all-white strip.

For a period in the 1980s the club changed their away kit to white shirts and black shorts and introduced a new third kit of yellow shirts and blue shorts.<ref name="away kits">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Kits.asp?Season=1984-1985|title=Season 1984–1985|access-date=15 January 2007|publisher=swindon-town-fc.co.uk|work=Kits}}</ref> The club alternated between these two schemes as its away kit for the 1980s.

When the club re-branded in the 1991 close season, it introduced a new away strip: the white and green "potato print" shirt with dark blue shorts.<ref name="away kits2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Kits.asp?Season=1991-1992|title=Season 1991–1992|access-date=15 January 2007|publisher=swindon-town-fc.co.uk|work=Kits}}</ref> This remained in use until its replacement in 1993 with another yellow and blue strip, integrating the new colour scheme by adding a green collar.<ref name="away kits3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Kits.asp?Season=1993-1994|title=Season 1993–1994|access-date=15 January 2007|publisher=swindon-town-fc.co.uk|work=Kits}}</ref>

A special third kit was added for the 1996–97 season and was coloured "petrol green" in honour of sponsors [[Castrol]].

Swindon wore black and gold striped away shirts for the 2003–04 season with an all-white third kit, following this with variants on the blue theme until returning to all-white in 2007.<ref name="2007kit"/>

In 2008–09 they returned to the dark blue away kit that was used previously for the 2006–07 season but this time they had white shorts instead of a whole dark blue strip. In 2009–10 they returned once again to the all-white kit, but unlike the home kit, which showed ''[[FourFourTwo]]'' on the front, this showed ''[[FIFA 10|FIFA10]]'' on the front as a part of sponsorship with [[Electronic Arts|EA]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Coca Cola League One 2009 – 2010|work=Historical Football Kits |url=http://historicalkits.co.uk/English_Football_League/season/2009-2010/league-one.html |access-date=21 January 2013}}</ref> They also this year had an all-blue third kit which was featured for the FA Cup and also the play-off away game to Charlton.

In 2010–11 they had an all-black third kit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Npower League One 2010 – 2011|work=Historical Football Kits|url=http://historicalkits.co.uk/English_Football_League/season/2010-2011/league-one.html|access-date=21 January 2013}}</ref> The all-black kit became the club's away kit for the 2011–12 season with an all-white kit as a third kit used for the FA Cup run. This kit caused controversy among some fans, because it had the sponsors ''[[The People (newspaper)|The People]]'' printed on the shirts.

For 2012–13 they had a blue and yellow away kit, again controversial as these are the colours of Swindon's close rivals [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]].

For the 2021–22 season, they released a checkered gold and green kit. The colours of the [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]] national team, paying homage to the new Australian owner Clem Morfuni. Later in the season they also released a special all black third kit. This included a darkened club badge, intended to signify the club coming "out of the darkness" following the take over of the new owner.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Swindon launch all-black third kit in nod to takeover journey|url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/19745854.swindon-town-launch-all-black-third-kit-rest-2021-22-league-two-season/|access-date=10 December 2021|website=Swindon Advertiser|date=27 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

===Shirt sponsors===
The current manufacturer is Adidas, restarting in 2024. From 2015 - 2024 Swindon's kit had been manufactured by [[Puma AG|Puma]]. Previous manufacturers include Umbro, Admiral, Adidas, Coffer Sports, Spall, Diamond Leisure, Loki, Mizuno, Lotto, Xara, DGI, Strikeforce, and Lonsdale. The club's shirt sponsors have included ISIS, Lowndes Lambert Group, GWR FM, Burmah, Castrol, Nationwide, Kingswood Group, FourFourTwo, Samsung, EA Sports FIFA, C&D, Imagine Cruising, Bartercard, First City Nursing & Care and MiPermit.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.footballshirtculture.com/Sponsorship/swindon-town-in-lotto-until-2009.html| title= Swindon Town in Lotto until 2009| publisher=Football Shirt Culture| date=31 January 2007| access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref>