Thierry Henry remembers well the response in 2002 when his club, Arsenal, revamped its famous crest, streamlining the shield and font, stripping away the motto and ermine texture and turning the iconic cannon to the right. It was a dramatic evolution from an almost medieval feel to something clean and corporate.
“When that happened, fans were going crazy, and it can take a minute for everyone to understand what is happening. … Some people were upset because they had tattoos of the old badge,” Henry recalled. “I do understand how people feel about something that they feel belongs to them.