Crest

The Barry Town United players' shirts bear the same crest as that used by the the Barry Town Council; a motif with considerable meaning to our town and our club. We hope this page will be able to explain the origins of the elements that comprise the badge, as worn by our players and now also our supporters.

The blue fleurs-de-lis (stylised flowers) that adorn the central shield are symbols traced back to Lord David Davies – whose statue stands tall outside the Barry Dock Offices in the town to this day.

Davies, a “self-made man from lowly origins” built the Barry Docks in the late 1800s; transforming Barry from a tiny dwelling of 100 people or so to a town of 12,000+ in a decade. It is said that Davies "persevered where many others gave up”.

The red bars (barrulets) on both the shield and the pendants come from the de Barry family motif. 12th-century scholar Gerald of Wales wrote that "not far from Caerdyf is a small island situated near the shore of the Severn, called Barri, from St. Baroc” - and that its name was bestowed upon the “noble family, of the maritime parts of South Wales” who “owned this island and the adjoining estates”.

The family was founded by a knight called Odo, who assisted in the Norman Conquest and was granted land in Barry as a reward for his military services. As customary, the de Barry family held a coat of arms; which prominently contained the same red bars that feature in this crest.

The silver unicorn supports are heraldry from the Earl of Plymouth – another figure of significance to Barry’s footballing origins. The Earl owned much of the land across South Wales in the era that football began to emerge as a pastime. A prominent member of the Earl’s family was Lady Jenner, who provided both the land and indeed the name for our Jenner Park ground. The Earl himself had opened Barry’s first public library several years beforehand.

In a related, albeit perhaps slightly tenuous note, each of Barry’s earliest football strips are thought to have come from Plymouth Argyle; with the green enduring for decades and being brought back by today’s Barry club as a change kit.

The red dragon at the base on the main shield is Y Ddraig Goch of Wales; a symbol of patriotism worn by Barry sides in recent decades, both domestically and across Europe. The dragon itself has been linked with the Welsh region for centuries, though its precise origins have been lost to history and wrapped in myth. ‘The Dragons’ first appeared as a nickname for the Barri team exiled in Worcester back in 1992-93, after dispute with the Football Association of Wales. Twenty years on, and in spite of further dispute, today’s Barry team continues the tradition of wearing Y Ddraig Goch on its shirts.

At the bottom of the crest, the sand and sea is symbolic of Barry’s coastal location, while the black ship (or “lymphad sable”) with black diamonds on its sail draws allusion to the historic exporting of coal from Barry’s world-renowned docks. The first dock basin opened three years before the first recorded football match in Barry, and thus the docks-driven development of the town can be regarded a constant backdrop to sporting affairs. By 1913, the year of Jenner Park’s first match, Barry was home to the largest coal exporting port in the world.

The motto 'CADERNID CYFIAWNDER CYNNYDD', as now adopted by the club, can be translated as ‘STABILITY JUSTICE PROGRESS’; a mantra that has provided much resonance in recent times. These three elements act as a reminder of what we fought for and what values we must strive to maintain. Finally, the auxiliary wreath is symbolic of strength and enduringness; foundations that have guided the club to where it is today. It is hoped such attributes will continue to serve us well.