Radcliffe Borough F.C.
Radcliffe Borough FC, founded in 1949, uses the town's official coat of arms as its badge / crest.
The earliest mention of Radcliffe appears in the Domesday Survey of 1086 when it was a Royal Manor held by Edward the Confessor. After the conquest, when land was apportioned, Radcliffe was given to Nicholas Fitzgilbert de Tablois who then assumed the name of the Manor as his surname, thus becoming Nicholas de Radcliffe.
The arms are the Ancient Arms of the Radcliffe family while to this, the red rose of Lancashire and the red cross (voided) of Pilkington, have been added.
The Lion of England - used by the now defunct Urban District Council of Radcliffe - has been retained for old associations sake. It stands on a mural coronet (reserved for civic heraldry) and rests a paw upon a pheon, taken from the arms of Egerton.
The supporters (bull and lion) are the those of the Radcliffe family crest, but with their colours altered to black and white to represent the local coal, cotton and paper manufacturing industries. The fleurs-de-lis is taken from the Arms of Lancaster.
Sadly the town no longer has working coal, cotton or paper industries which is somewhat ironic as the inscription on the coat or arms, "Industria Ditat" translates into "Industry Enriches".
Radcliffe was granted the "Borough" charter on September 21st 1935 and ceased to exist as an independent autonomy during the boundary changes of the 1970s. As a town, Radcliffe now comes under the control of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council.
Thanks to Graham Evans, Webmaster at Radcliffe Borough FC, for the above crest and information.
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