“Ladies” no more, Arsenal's women get equal branding on their 30th anniversary

Did you know Arsenal had a women’s team? I think you may have known that, because the Arsenal women are a big part of recent Arsenal history. They’re celebrating their 30th season this year, and in those 30 years, they have won All The Things - 43 trophies in that time, including 12 league titles and the Womens’ Champions League. They have also been one of the leaders in developing top female players in England, including Kelly Smith and Laura Harvey, current coach of the NWSL’s Seattle Reign.

As part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, Arsenal Ladies have announced a...rebrand? Sort of? They’re dropping the “Ladies” from their name, except in cases where not doing so would cause confusion (overlapping match days, mostly), and they are now to be known as Arsenal.

This is a fantastic move, for a lot of reasons - it signals that the women’s team is on the same footing as the men’s (and far more successful, if trophies are your metric), for one, and it recognizes that no matter what gender is underneath that red and white shirt, you’re Arsenal. It’s a very progressive move and I’m proud to be a fan of a club that doesn’t care what gender you are, as long as you’re a Gunner.

Happy 30th anniversary, Arsenal.