Row over Edinburgh amateur club '˜copying' badge of Gala Fairydean

It is an unlikely plagiarism row involving an historic Borders town, a quiet Edinburgh suburb, and a 14th century emblem depicting foxes eating plums.

The similarities between the two club badges has attracted comment online

The dispute erupted on social media this week after a well-known Galashiels football club demanded answers from a recently established Edinburgh amateur side over striking similarities between their two badges.

Gala Fairydean Rovers claims Sunday league side Longstone AFC has included “every detail” of its club crest.

The Galashiels team were formed in 2013 as a result of a merger between Gala Fairydean and Gala Rovers, with the Borders town’s distinctive emblem of two foxes reaching up to eat plums from a tree at the centre of its badge.

Gala bosses discovered last week that a team Longstone - a suburb of the capital with no apparent links to the Borders - is using an almost identical badge.

“It would be one thing to have a similar badge to ours as a template but they’ve included every detail,” Fairydean Rovers secretary Graeme McIver told the Borders Telegraph.

“The foxes and tree originate from the Galashiels coast of arms.

“I have no idea why they would want to use our badge? What connection has the sour plums emblem got with Edinburgh?”

Borders tradition dictates the ‘soor plums’ shield refers to an incident in 1337 when a raiding party of English soldiers were spotted picking wild plums on the banks of the Gala Water, which led to their defeat in a skirmish with a local band of Scots troops.

The emblem was used for almost a century by Gala Fairydean before being incorporated into the new club’s design.

“I don’t think they have broken any laws or rules but it’s not exactly playing fair,” Mr McIver added.

“We’ve tried to get answers but they just blocked us.”

No one from Longstone AFC was available for comment when approached by the Evening News.