Crest

At the end of the 1937–38 season, Everton secretary Theo Kelly, who later became the club’s first manager, wanted to design a club necktie. It was agreed that the colour be blue and Kelly was given the task of designing a crest to be featured on the necktie. Kelly worked on it for four months, until deciding on a reproduction of Prince Rupert’s Tower, which stands in the heart of the Everton district.^[30]

The Tower has been inextricably linked with the Everton area since its construction in 1787. It was originally used as a bridewell to incarcerate mainly drunks and minor criminals, and it still stands today on Everton Brow in Netherfield Road. The tower was accompanied by two laurel wreaths on either side and, according to the College of Arms in London, Kelly chose to include the laurels as they were the sign of winners. The crest was accompanied by the club motto, “Nil Satis Nisi Optimum“, meaning “Nothing but the best is good enough”.

The evolution of the Everton crest featured on kits, from left to right:
1922–30  · 1966, 1972–76  · 1976–78  · 1978–82  ·
1982–83  · 1983–91  · 1991–2000  · 2000–present

The ties were first worn by Kelly and the Everton chairman, Mr. E. Green, on the first day of the 1938–39 season.^[30]

The club rarely incorporated a badge of any description on its shirts. An interwoven “EFC” design was adopted between 1922 and 1930 before the club reverted to plain royal blue shirts, until 1972 when bold “EFC” lettering was added. The crest designed by Kelly was first used on the team’s shirts in 1978 and has remained there ever since, undergoing gradual change to become the version used today.