John Cooper Clarke/Salford

Theme: Manchester

“Oi Salford, Your Bard!” — it's part celebration, part confrontation, and pure northern poetry. This design gives a proud nod to John Cooper Clarke, the sunglasses-clad, rapid-fire wordsmith who turned council grit into cultural gold. Set against a punk palette of yellow, pink, and black, with Clarke pushed to the side of the image — just like he’s always been to the mainstream — the design shouts loud from the margins, where the best stuff always starts. For years, Salford carried a reputation for being rough — the kind of place you’d get a pint and a punch in the same night-not necessarily in that order, either.. But like the city, this phrase works on more than one level. Once a jab, “Oi Salford” becomes a proud call-out — not of warning, but of respect. This is your bard, Salford — a man who put your streets into stanzas, who turned local bite into national brilliance. Today, Salford’s image might be changing, but the roots remain: tough, creative, and never dull. This one’s for the loudmouths, the poets, and the people who know that rough edges make the best lines.