Lists of nicknames in football (soccer)
Encyclopedia
This is a list of lists of the use of nicknames in football.
Club nicknames
- List of football club nicknames in the United Kingdom
- List of mainland European football club nicknames
- List of football club nicknames in the Americas
Squad nicknames
- The InvinciblesThe Invincibles (football)In English football, "The Invincibles" has been used to refer to either the Preston North End team of the 1880s, or the Arsenal team of the 2003–04 season...
/The Untouchables, the ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
team who went 49 consecutive league games unbeaten during the 2002-03 to the 2004-05 seasons - The Black Sea Storm , the TrabzonsporTrabzonsporTrabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
team who dominated the Turkish league in the 70's - The Busby BabesBusby BabesThe Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
, a group of home-grown Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
players trained by Matt BusbyMatt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
and co during the 1950s - The Crazy GangCrazy GangThe Crazy Gang is a nickname used by the English media to describe Wimbledon F.C. during the 1980s and the 1990s.The name, originally that of a well known group of British comedy entertainers popular in the late 1930s, was used because of the often eccentric and boisterously macho behaviour of...
, Wimbledon F.C. in the 1980s/90s - The Entertainers, the Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
team under the first spell of management by Kevin KeeganKevin KeeganJoseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United.... - The Famous FiveThe Famous Five (football)The Famous Five is the collective term for Hibernian's forward line of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond. The north stand at Easter Road was named in their honour when it was rebuilt in 1995...
, Hibernian's forward line of Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond - Fergie's FledglingsFergie's FledglingsFergie's Fledglings were a group of Manchester United players recruited under the management of Alex Ferguson and trained by assistant coaches Brian Kidd and Eric Harrison, before eventually progressing to the first team...
, a generation of home-grown Manchester United players led by Gary NevilleGary NevilleGary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
and Ryan GiggsRyan GiggsRyan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
, who won multiple junior trophies before winning between six and ten Premier League titles each, as well as the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1999. - Golden GenerationGolden GenerationIn sport, a golden generation is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved...
, the group of Portuguese footballers, Luís FigoLuís FigoLuís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
and co, that won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. Several also led Portugal to their best performance at a European Championship - runners-up at Euro 2004. - Iron CurtainIron Curtain (football)"Iron Curtain" was a term used to describe the defensive line of Rangers F.C. during the late 1940s and early 1950s. The normal line-up in the early 1950s consisted of goalkeeper Bobby Brown, full backs George Young and Jock Shaw, centre half Willie Woodburn and wing halves Ian McColl and Sammy Cox...
, Rangers' defensive line in the 1940s and early 1950s - Az Aranycsapat (The Golden Team), the legendary Hungarian national football teamHungary national football teamThe Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
of the 1950s. - La Grande InterLa Grande InterGrande Inter is the name given to the Internazionale team led by Helenio Herrera that won back-to-back European Cup wins in 1964 and 1965, victories but were spotted in the light of a series of revelations published in recent years....
(The Great Inter), InternazionaleF.C. Internazionale MilanoFootball Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
team that won back-to-back European Cup wins in 1964 and 1965. - The Ice Kings, the name given to the Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
side of the 1962-631962-63 in English footballThe 1962–63 season was the 83rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*Everton won the League Championship, their first post-war title.*Manchester United won the FA Cup, their first major trophy since the Munich Air Disaster in 1958....
season who chased the double thanks to a sensational run of form on icy and frozen pitches during the coldest winter in England of the 20th century. - Il Grande Torino, the TorinoTorino F.C.Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
side of the 1940s. - Craiova Maxima, Universitatea CraiovaFC Universitatea CraiovaFotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...
of the late 1970s and early 1980s - Viteziştii (The Speedsters), Steaua Bucharest of the 1980s
- Gaşca nebună (The Crazy Gang), Sportul StudenţescSportul StudentescSportul Studenţesc is a Romanian football club that was established in 1916 . The Bucharest club has won the Balkans Cup once and its best result in the Romanian league is a 2nd place in 1986...
of the 1980s and early 2000s - Spartanii (The Spartans), the Dinamo team, that dominated Divizia ALiga ILiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
in 2007 - La Máquina (The Machine), the River PlateClub Atlético River PlateClub Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
team in the early 1940s. - Lisbon LionsLisbon LionsThe Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Internazionale 2–1. All the members of this team were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic's style was the antithesis of the...
, Celtic's home-grown European Cup winning team of 1967 - La Quinta del BuitreQuinta del BuitreLa Quinta del Buitre is the moniker given by Spanish sport journalist Julio César Iglesias to the five homegrown Real Madrid players who were at the core of the team that dominated Spanish football in the 1980s. The name was derived from Emilio Butragueño's nickname El Buitre, the most charismatic...
(Vulture's Quint), the generation of club grown Real Madrid players that dominated Spanish football in the 1980s - Rolo Compressor (Steamroller), Sport Club InternacionalSport Club InternacionalSport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
's team in the 40's - The Total FootballTotal Football"Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
ers, any team coached by Rinus MichelsRinus MichelsMarinus Jacobus Hendricus Michels OON was a Dutch association football player and coach...
and involving Johan Cruijff and Johan NeeskensJohan NeeskensJohannes Jacobus "Johan" Neeskens is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. As a player, he was an important member of the Dutch national team that finished as runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups. Former England manager Alf Ramsey said Neeskens was "as good as any player" in...
. - A Academia (The Academy), PalmeirasSociedade Esportiva PalmeirasSociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
's team in the seventies - WunderteamWunderteamWunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team was based on the Scottish school of football that focused on quick passing introduced...
(Wonder Team), the Austria national football team that had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932 - Ye-yéYe-yé (Real Madrid)The Yé-yé team was the name given to the generation of all-Spanish Real Madrid players that dominated Spanish football in the 1960s. The team was captained by the veteran player Francisco Gento who won the European Cup 5 times with Alfredo Di Stefano in the 1950s...
, the generation of all-Spanish Real Madrid players that dominated Spanish football in the 1960s - Os MagriçosMagriçosOs Magriços was the nickname of the Portugal national football team which reached third place in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.It was based on the Benfica team that won the European Cup in 1961 and 1962, and included Mário Coluna, Eusébio, José Augusto, José Augusto Torres, and António Simões...
, the Portugal national football team which reached 3rd place in the 1966 World Cup in England - Wembley WizardsWembley Wizards- Aftermath :When asked for his comment after the game, Alex James simply beamed a smile and said, “We could have had ten!”Back in Scotland the pubs did rather well and the newspapers were not slow in piling praise on the heads of those little no-hopers of the Scottish side...
, the Scottish national team which defeated England at Wembley Stadium in 1928 - The Dream Team, name was given for FC BarcelonaFC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
's team that, led by Johan Cruijff, won the European Cup in 1992 and 4 consecutive La Liga titles (1990–1994). - KK Eleven, The Zambian National Team of the 1980s.
Fan body nicknames
- UltrasUltrasUltras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...
, various supporter groups - CVUCS, supporters of FC Timişoara
- Cainii rosii, supporters of Dinamo Bucharest
- The Toon Army, supporters of Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
- The Tractor Boys, supporters of Ipswich TownIpswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
- The Jacks, supporters of Swansea CitySwansea City A.F.C.Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
- Wednesdayites, the supporters of Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
- The Cider Army, supporters of Bristol City
- The Lardy Army, supporters of Horsham F.C.Horsham F.C.Horsham F.C. are a non-League football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.-History:...
- The Falcons, supporters of Spartak Varna
- Red Patch BoysRed Patch BoysThe Red Patch Boys is an officially recognized supporters group for Major League Soccer'sToronto FC. The group was founded in late 2006 by football fans in...
, supporters of Toronto FCToronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... - The Black & Amber Army, supporters of LivingstonLivingston F.C.Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
- The Gooners, supporters of Arsenal
- The Yid Army, supporters of Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
- The Bushwacker, supporting of MillwallMillwall F.C.Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
- The Southsiders, supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- The Timbers ArmyTimbers ArmyThe Timbers Army is an independent supporters group of Portland Timbers, a football club in Major League Soccer—the top tier of the United States soccer pyramid. Its members are known for their loud, enthusiastic support and the raucous atmosphere they create at Timbers games...
, supporters of the Portland TimbersPortland TimbersPortland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011.... - The Black and White Army, supporters of Fulham FC
- The Cove, supporters of Sydney FCSydney FCSydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
- Viies Sektor, supporters of FC Flora TallinnFC Flora TallinnMTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system...
- Villains, supporters of Aston Villa
- Arabs supporters of Dundee United FC
National team
- The Tartan ArmyTartan ArmyThe Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work...
, travelling supporters of the Scotland national football teamScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872... - Sam's ArmySam's ArmySam's Army is an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team. The name of the group derives from Uncle Sam, a national personification of the United States, and the Scottish supporters' group the Tartan Army. Sam's Army debuted at a 1995 U.S. Cup game following the...
, supporters of the USA national football teamUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF... - Red Devil, supporters of the South Korea national football teamKorea Republic national football teamThe Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
- Green and Gold Army, supporters of Australia national football team
- Green and White ArmyGreen and white armyThe Green and White Army is the name given to the very noisy and energetic fans that follow the Northern Ireland national football team. Famed for their passionate support, the Green and White Army turn every Northern Ireland match, whether home or away, into a sea of green.With the backing of the...
, supporters of Northern Ireland national football teamNorthern Ireland national football teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association... - The VoyageursThe VoyageursThe Voyageurs is an unofficial Canadian soccer supporters group founded in 1996, notable for their support of Canada's national teams, awarding of the annual Voyageurs Cup for men's soccer at the MLS and former USL-1 levels and influence in the Canadian soccer media.-History:The group's first...
, supporters of the Canada men'sCanada men's national soccer teamThe Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
and women'sCanada women's national soccer teamThe Canada women's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association. The team reached its all-time high of 6th in the March 2011 rankings. The team reached international prominence finishing in 4th place at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003, losing to their archrival American team...
national football teams - RoliganRoliganThe Roligan movement are Danish football fans, who are well-mannered, yet cheerful, during the match and before and after. This behavior is the opposite of that exhibited by hooligans. The term roligan is a pun based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish.The movement was founded during the...
s, supporters of the Denmark national football teamDenmark national football teamThe Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU... - Jalgpallihaigla, supporters of the Estonia national football teamEstonia national football teamThe Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....