What Does "Albion" Mean In Football Team Names?

9 January 2018, 15:40 | Updated: 20 July 2020, 14:38

White Cliffs of Dover
Picture: N/A

Mystery Hour Question

What does the word Albion mean in a football team names?

Freddy, Whetstone.

ANSWER

Name: Dave, Sandhurst

Qualification: Read a Football Encyclopaedia as a child.

Answer: The word Albion was originally used to mean Britain, then only for parts of Britain with white cliffs. The name was first applied to a football team by Brighton and Hove as there are white cliffs in Dover. The name was later copied by other teams, eg. West Bromwich.

(James O'Brien: As a Midlands boy, I think West Bromwich Albion came before Brighton and Hove Albion.)