Saturday’s opponents Peterborough United have in “The Posh” one of the more unusual nicknames in English football. How did they get this nickname?
It was first coined in 1921, a full 13 years before Peterborough United were formed. Pat Tirrell, manager of nearby Fletton United, was reported to say he was “Looking for posh players for a posh new team”. When Fletton United looked to join the Southern League in 1923 they added Peterborough to their name to form Peterborough & Fletton United, in an attempt to gain the backing of businesses in Peterborough. Peterborough & Fletton United went bankrupt in October 1932 so the current club is the third to be known as The Posh. However, the term “posh” was used as a derogatory term for the club by the press.
Peterborough & Fletton United were also commonly called “the brickies” in reference to the large brick industry in Peterborough, however the nickname was dropped when the club went bankrupt.
A piece of Posh trivia for you. In 2002 Victoria Beckham filed a claim with the UK Patent Office over the club’s use of the name “Posh”. The former Spice Girl, who was known in the group as “Posh Spice”, claimed the “nickname ‘Posh’ has become synonymous with her on a worldwide basis”. She was unsuccessful in her suit.
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