Major Sunderland decision ‘on radar’ of new man David Bruce amid long-running fan debate

David Bruce says that Sunderland will consider the future of the club crest in the coming years but added that any decision would only be made after extensive dialogue with supporters.

Bruce returned to the club as Chief Brand and Commercial Officer after a long stint working in marketing for the MLS, and has recently been promoted to Chief Business Officer as a result of Steve Davison's imminent departure. Bruce has already had a key hand in the new commercial agreements with kit designer hummel and retail partner Fanatics, which he believes will transform the offering to supporters.

A key part of Bruce's vision is to work on strengthening the club's brand, believing that doing so can help build a better bond with supporters. That will in turn have a clearly positive impact on the club's commercial revenues in the long run.

The future of the club crest has been a long-running debate amongst supporters, with former minority shareholder Charlie Methven raising the possibility of a change in 2018. Many support a return to the old ship badge, which they feel has a stronger connection with the city and thus the supporters' roots. Bruce says it's a definite discussion point moving forward but there are no definitive plans in place and he added that it would very much be a fan-led process if it happens.

"The badge is definitely on the radar in the next few years," he told The Echo.

"Anything we do, we'll be in a great deal of dialogue with the fans. I think we have three badges that really reflect the football club. "Does one badge reflect it in its entirety? I don't think any badge for any club completely encompasses the business or property, but we have three badges that really speak to the football club in very different ways and still create great memories for fans. We're very blessed in this regard that we can look at the 1973 scripture, the ship badge which clearly speaks really deeply to a heritage of being on the water and building ships and all the good stuff that went with that. Then there's the new identity which is connected to a new era at the Stadium of Light, all the work Sir Bob did and really connects to a younger fanbase - It's all they've known.

"We have three great badges and identities that mean different things to different people. What that means going forward, is there a new identity we might look at? We'll have that dialogue and look at that because maybe there's something out there that better reflects where the club is or could be."

All three of the crests mentioned by Bruce are expected to have a place in the new range of kits and gear offered by hummel when they take over as the club's supplier in June. The home kit is expected to be released later that month, with the away kit released in late July and a third kit released in late August. They will be 'fully bespoke' and speak to significant moments in the club and city's history.