Emblematically Speaking - Foley Meir
Tue 4th April 2023 | Foley Meir | By Martin Fallon
This week we try to address something of a conundrum and, by doing so, cordially invite any reader who can add to the story of the emblem and its development to please contact us with any information you have.
When Foley Meir FC first joined the NWCFL there were a number of questions asked about the origins of the name of the club. Perhaps part of this is well known to readers around Staffordshire but lesser known around the central and northern parts of the NWCFL footprint. Given that, we can offer a few words which may help.
It is known that the original Foley name came from a pub in another part of the city (Fenton) where the club was originally based having been formed by a group of friends from the Foley district of East Fenton. For those fond of local food delicacies there is a shop in Foley called Foley Oatcakes and it doesn’t take much imagination to work out what that shop sells. The shop is about 3 miles from the football ground back in the direction of the city.
The addition of the 'Meir' part of the name came about because the club made a decision very early on in their involvement that they wanted to try and establish a Community environment within the club and if possible create an identity with the area where the ground is situated which is Meir – a suburb of Stoke-on- Trent.
Unfortunately it is not one of the best areas of Stoke-on-Trent and quite often has a tarnished reputation attached to it as there is very little for the residents to actually do on a social basis. There was once a working men’s club on the main road which had a very nice bowling green area but that has been burnt down and is currently looking very dilapidated on the side of the main road about 100 yards from the road where the club is situated.
The club has plans for a completely new club house which will be twice the size of what we already have. This will move the club towards their Community Club ambitions as it will provide a large enough facility to hold their own fund raising events on their own premises but also will be available for other local community groups to hire out as well. Work has started and it should be ready for the start of the 2023/24 season.
And now the real conundrum which is the club badge. We readily see a simple shield design known as a fess which features a bold horizontal stripe containing the word “Foley” in black. The major part of the design is red in colour so, from this, we can derive the registered playing colours of red shirts and black shorts. The scroll under the shield is readily understood. However, the reason for the yellow outlining is rather less clear and maybe it simply provides a contrasting colour to the main elements to enhance the visibility.
And then we come to the three flowers. In botany there are any number of five-petalled flowers and to identify this one (of which we see three in the shield design) is perhaps the most difficult element in the interpretation. For sure, the colours involved are designed to blend in with the overall colourways of the shield so would not represent what the flower actually looks like. It may well be that the representation here is entirely stylised so not intended to show a flower which might be indigenous to the area. Maybe we are looking at a symbolic meaning.
Five-petalled flowers are sometimes described as Pentas. Such flower styles were symbolic in Ancient Greece of purity and chastity. The Pentas flower is also seen as a harbinger of good fortune or luck. When they bloom, some cultures believe that something good is about to affect their lives.
Of these two symbolic meanings the latter is most appealing in relation to a sports club so perhaps we can go with that. Unless, of course, you know and, if so, please get in touch.
With grateful thanks to Andy Mapperson of Foley Meir FC for his contribution to this article.
Emblematically Speaking - Foley Meir
Tue 4th April 2023 | Foley Meir
By Martin Fallon
This week we try to address something of a conundrum and, by doing so, cordially invite any reader who can add to the story of the emblem and its development to please contact us with any information you have.
When Foley Meir FC first joined the NWCFL there were a number of questions asked about the origins of the name of the club. Perhaps part of this is well known to readers around Staffordshire but lesser known around the central and northern parts of the NWCFL footprint. Given that, we can offer a few words which may help.
It is known that the original Foley name came from a pub in another part of the city (Fenton) where the club was originally based having been formed by a group of friends from the Foley district of East Fenton. For those fond of local food delicacies there is a shop in Foley called Foley Oatcakes and it doesn’t take much imagination to work out what that shop sells. The shop is about 3 miles from the football ground back in the direction of the city.
The addition of the 'Meir' part of the name came about because the club made a decision very early on in their involvement that they wanted to try and establish a Community environment within the club and if possible create an identity with the area where the ground is situated which is Meir – a suburb of Stoke-on- Trent.
Unfortunately it is not one of the best areas of Stoke-on-Trent and quite often has a tarnished reputation attached to it as there is very little for the residents to actually do on a social basis. There was once a working men’s club on the main road which had a very nice bowling green area but that has been burnt down and is currently looking very dilapidated on the side of the main road about 100 yards from the road where the club is situated.
The club has plans for a completely new club house which will be twice the size of what we already have. This will move the club towards their Community Club ambitions as it will provide a large enough facility to hold their own fund raising events on their own premises but also will be available for other local community groups to hire out as well. Work has started and it should be ready for the start of the 2023/24 season.
And now the real conundrum which is the club badge. We readily see a simple shield design known as a fess which features a bold horizontal stripe containing the word “Foley” in black. The major part of the design is red in colour so, from this, we can derive the registered playing colours of red shirts and black shorts. The scroll under the shield is readily understood. However, the reason for the yellow outlining is rather less clear and maybe it simply provides a contrasting colour to the main elements to enhance the visibility.
And then we come to the three flowers. In botany there are any number of five-petalled flowers and to identify this one (of which we see three in the shield design) is perhaps the most difficult element in the interpretation. For sure, the colours involved are designed to blend in with the overall colourways of the shield so would not represent what the flower actually looks like. It may well be that the representation here is entirely stylised so not intended to show a flower which might be indigenous to the area. Maybe we are looking at a symbolic meaning.
Five-petalled flowers are sometimes described as Pentas. Such flower styles were symbolic in Ancient Greece of purity and chastity. The Pentas flower is also seen as a harbinger of good fortune or luck. When they bloom, some cultures believe that something good is about to affect their lives.
Of these two symbolic meanings the latter is most appealing in relation to a sports club so perhaps we can go with that. Unless, of course, you know and, if so, please get in touch.
With grateful thanks to Andy Mapperson of Foley Meir FC for his contribution to this article.
