Football quiz: British club nicknames

Plenty of clubs have unusual nicknames, but Hartlepool United’s might be the strangest of all. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

1. Manchester City are nicknamed the Citizens. Which other Premier League club once had this nickname?

   1. Manchester United

   2. Bournemouth

   3. Newcastle United

   4. Norwich City

2. In which country would you find the Exiles, the Archers, the Martyrs and the Wingmakers?

   1. England

   2. Northern Ireland

   3. Scotland

   4. Wales

3. Manchester United are known as the Red Devils. Which Football League club shares the nickname?

   1. Rotherham United

   2. Crawley Town

   3. Salford City

   4. Exeter City

4. What is the unusual nickname of Scottish league club Clyde?

   1. The Bully Wee

   2. The Blue Brazil

   3. The Gable Endies

   4. The Honest Men

5. Which body of water would be a few miles away if you were watching the Bannsiders play Stute in a league game?

   1. English Channel

   2. Irish Sea

   3. Atlantic Ocean

   4. North Sea

6. Which former Premier League club were once known as the Biscuit Men?

   1. Blackpool

   2. Derby County

   3. Huddersfield Town

   4. Reading

7. Sunderland AFC were formed in 1879, but when did they officially become the Black Cats?

   1. 1907

   2. 1937

   3. 1967

   4. 1997

8. In which division of the English football pyramid would you find the Beach Boys, the Beavers, the Rebels, the Romans and the Tudors?

   1. League Two

   2. National League

   3. National League North

   4. National League South

9. Which London club was nicknamed the Pensioners and even had a pensioner on their badge until the 1950s?

   1. Charlton Athletic

   2. Chelsea

   3. Fulham

   4. QPR

10. The Throstles is a lesser-known nickname for which great West Midlands club?

    1. West Brom

    2. Wolves

    3. Aston Villa

    4. Birmingham City

11. Plenty of clubs have animal-based nicknames, but none are quite as bizarre as Hartlepool United's. What is it?

    1. Cow Catchers

    2. Deer Hunters

    3. Monkey Hangers

    4. Lion Tamers

12. Finally, Bristol Rovers are known officially as the Pirates, but what is their rather more abstract unofficial moniker?

    1. The Light

    2. The Heat

    3. The Gas

    4. The Smoke

Solutions

1:D - Norwich were probably called "Citizens" because of the word "City" in their name - but in the early 1900s the press started referring to them as "the Canaries". After the club adopted yellow and green as their colours, one local paper reported: "The Cits are dead but the Canaries are very much alive." , 2:D - In order, the teams are Newport County, Cardiff Met, Merthyr Town and Airbus UK., 3:B - Salford's rugby league side are known as the Red Devils; the football team are the Ammies., 4:A - Cumbernauld's finest are thought to have earned their nickname due to a giant-killing reputation. The other three are all real - applied to Cowdenbeath, Montrose and Ayr respectively., 5:C - You would be on the north coast of Northern Ireland watching Coleraine play Institute. Coleraine were enjoying a spectacular season before lockdown began and had hopes of winning a treble. They had already won the League Cup, were looking forward to a local derby in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup and were second in the league, having won their last five games on the trot. , 6:D - Named after a local factory, Reading became the Royals (after Berkshire's royal county status) when it closed in the 1970s, 7:D - The Rokerites needed to find a new nickname after leaving Roker Park. Black Cats have long been part of the club's history – a fan is believed to have smuggled a black cat into the 1937 FA Cup final, with another feline taking up residence at Roker Park in the 1960s., 8:D - Concord Rangers, Hampton & Richmond, Slough Town, Bath City and Hemel Hempstead Town., 9:B - The Chelsea pensioner was replaced by a lion in the 1950s., 10:A - Named after the bird that appears on their badge, the promotion chasers are more commonly known as the Baggies or just Albion., 11:C - The name, also applies to residents of the town itself, comes from a tale of an unfortunate monkey who was suspected of being a French spy and executed in the early 19th century., 12:C - The nickname comes from gas holders that stood behind the club's old Eastville Stadium ground.

Scores

1. 10 and above.

   Back of the net!

2. 5 and above.

   A fair effort

3. 0 and above.

   Unlucky