A Scottish amateur football club is calling on Elon Musk to join the squad after jokingly accusing the billionaire of “stealing” the team’s logo.
Haddington Town AFC have pointed out the similarities between the football club’s crest and a logo for SpaceX, which is owned by the businessman.
Both have the white outline of a goat in a circle on a darker background.
The football team emblem compared to the SpaceX logo. Image: Haddington Town AFC/@SpaceX
Posts on X, formerly known as Twitter and also owned by MuskHaddington Town AFC joked that he had “stolen” the badge, adding: “Give it back!”
A follow-up message read: “Our DMs are open Elon Musk. Come fund our new tracksuits.”
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. Sky News has contacted the company for comment.
Haddington Town AFC, based in East Lothian, was founded in 2019 and adopted the goat as its logo, as the animal is synonymous with the town and has featured on its coat of arms for centuries.
Ryan Leishman, who coaches the club and is in charge of its social media, logged on to X last week and was surprised to see about 20 notifications from mostly Americans highlighting the similarities between the two logos.
Sir. Leishman said the team found it “hilarious” and has had fun mocking a graphic naming the Tesla executive as the club’s new owner.
In one post, the team joked: “The club is delighted to have Elon on board, the big man can’t wait to get going. #MonTheGoats”.
Leishman told Sky News: “You only get an opportunity to do something like this once or twice in an amateur club where things go a bit viral.”
Sir. Leishman said someone slipped into the club’s DMs to say the SpaceX logo had been running around since early summer.
He added: “Yes, we’ve had this logo since 2019.”
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Haddington Town AFC play in the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association (LEAFA) Sunday Morning Premier Division.
Leishman said the team would be happy to welcome Musk to the track.
He said: “Elon Musk seems like he would be interested in anything when he gets going.
“He’s about 230lbs to 240lbs and he’s 6ft-plus. If you get him trained, he’d be a very good striker.”
Sir. Leishman said the club is always looking for investment and highlighted the team’s good work on and off the pitch in terms of its charity fundraising and allegiance with Show Racism the Red Card.
He added: “While all the attention is fun and we’re fine with it, investment from Elon Musk doesn’t matter as long as this club maintains its morale on and off the pitch.”
Leishman joked that the club “doesn’t plan” to sue Musk.
He added: “We’ve got his back. If he wants to competing [Mark] Zuckerbergwe’re in his corner.”