LAPELS - Quality Enamel Football Badges

I developed a taste for football at an early age alternating between the delights of Johnny Haynes, George Cohen and an up-and-coming Rodney Marsh at Fulham, and the local Non-League scene. When I moved to the Harrow area in 1965 I took a look at all the nearby clubs and was immediately taken with the passion and humour on the terraces, not to mention the considerable talent on the pitch, at Wealdstone FC. Lower Mead Stadium, Wealdstone's home, had the added advantage of being within walking distance for a boy keen to escape the confines of a rugby-playing school on Saturday afternoons.

Within a year I had seen my new team lift the F.A. Amateur Cup at Wembley Stadium as well as witnessing what still remains the most exciting game I have ever attended, the F.A. Cup victory over Stevenage when the "Stones" turned a 5-3 deficit with some 10 minutes remaining into an unforgettable 6-5 victory. I was hooked for life !

In 1973 I set up a Programme Shop at Lower Mead to dispose of my collection and to raise funds for the club. When the Stones played away I was accompanied on the Supporters coach by "Mick" my mischievous but loveable black and white mongrel. "Mick", resplendent in his Royal Blue coat and Wealdstone scarf , soon became a familiar sight around the Southern League and then Alliance (now Conference) grounds up and down the country. As we travelled around I got in the habit of purchasing an enamel badge for Mick's coat. Within a few seasons his legs began to buckle under the weight of dozens of badges adorning that coat! It was those badges years later that made up the first "Lapels" display in the Wealdstone Club Shop.

It was in 1973 that I sought the services of Mike Woolnough, a badge producer and member of the British Badge Collectors Association (BBCA) to assist with the design and production of an enamel badge for Wealdstone. The badge was much admired by visiting clubs and Boston United asked if I could design a similar badge for them. With Mike's help the Lincolnshire club became my first customer and "Lapels" was launched.

Since those early days over 200 clubs have benefitted from Lapels' services. Lapels has twice won the coveted Badge of the Year title for the best badge produced in the country by clubs of any level. Members of the Association of Football Badge Collectors (AFBC) introduced the award in 1985. As can be seen from regular appearances in the top placings below, Lapels has developed a reputation for quality productions and eye-catching designs. Click on Manufacture for terms of production.


		ASSOCIATION OF FOOTBALL BADGE COLLECTORS
		BADGE OF THE YEAR VOTING - "LAPELS" BADGES

		1985 - 5th BARROW
		1986 - 3rd WITNEY TOWN
		1987 - 1st WEYMOUTH
		1990 - 5th BRISTOL ST GEORGE
		1991 - 2nd JOHN BULL FC WIGAN
		1992 - 2nd WEALDSTONE FC LOWER MEAD
		1994 - 2nd BRAINTREE TOWN CENTENARY
		1995/6 - 2nd BLYTH SPARTANS
		1996/7 - 1st WEALDSTONE ICIS DIVISION 3 CHAMPIONS
		1998/9 = 3rd WEALDSTONE RYMAN DIVISION 2 PROMOTION
		3rd = ASHINGTON

As badges grew in popularity in the Wealdstone Club Shop, stocks were also purchased from and exchanged with other clubs to increase variety. Thus the Lapels mail order selection arose which has now grown into a quarterly 20 page catalogue. All English and Scottish League clubs and the widest Non-League stocks on sale in the U.K. are featured together with the badges of the top clubs from around the world, again the best selection in England. Click here to view the current catalogue. For ideas on storage and display of badges, click on Badge Storage

The Lapels catalogue is available by annual subscription (£2 UK, £3 Eire / Europe, £5 Rest of World for four quarterly issues). An Order Form can be printed to purchase badges by mail order