What Does "Albion" Mean In Football Team Names?
| Updated: 10 Feb 2026
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.)