Historians have hit back at 'woke' calls to remove the ship from the crests of Manchester United and Manchester City because of purported links to the slave trade.
An article by Simon Hattenstone in The Guardian claimed the three-mast ships embedded in the respective badges have 'nothing to do with football' and instead represent the 19th century cotton trade that earned Manchester its money.
Both clubs borrowed the design from the city's coat of arms, which also features a merchant ship to reflect the city's industrial heritage and links to the world.