Charlton Athletic’s badge is a stark red roundel containing a white hand gripping an upright sword, ringed by a black border with the club name in white. The weapon, adopted in the mid-1960s after a supporters’ competition, was inspired by the sword on the City of London coat of arms and chosen to give the club a bold, “valiant” emblem as it moved away from earlier robin and borough-arms crests.

The hand-and-sword mark was soon enclosed in a circle and has changed little since, becoming one of English football’s most recognisable minimalist crests—despite occasional myths about obscure family heraldry and even a 2002 April Fools’ prank teasing fans with spoof replacements.

--

About Charlton — Charlton is a professional football club from England competing in the EFL Championship. This page provides the primary crest and social media icon (SVG & PNG) with transparent backgrounds for editorial/reference use. For official brand rules, consult the club’s official site. Charlton crest and related marks are trademarks of their respective owners; high‑quality logo files are provided above on this page.