The Exciting World of ....
Epaulettes

OK, so its hardly riveting reading, but here's how those little badge things have changed since introduction.....
exhibit 2 - season 1996 - 2000
With the emergence of Nationwide came a new soft plastic badge, much bigger but still displaying the FL logo, now side by side with their sponsor.You might have also got a felt version of one of these.
exhibit 1 - the early days
From their introduction in the eighties until the mid nineties, these little material badges sewn onto the sleeve of your shirt could help distinquish a genuine player worn/issue from a replica of the period. For some extra advice, take a look at the back as well. If its got a big number on, you are probably in business. Such things didn't become popular in the replica world until a bit later.
exhibit 3 - 2000-2001
As you see from this example, the
arrival of a new design for a new season was not an unqualified success. The epaulettes just cracked when creased. Worse was
to follow...
exhibit 4 - 2001 - 2004
The new oval shape was made of stronger plastic which, although still ironed on, proved less easy to fold - OK so an improvement then ?  No, it just became loose and fell off ! The poorest design stayed in use until Nationwide lost the league to The Real Thing.
exhibit 5 - 2004 - 2005
Coca-Cola took over the relatively simple task of designing a sleeve badge to celebrate their union with the Football League. A simple task ! Wrong.... Another plastic version followed, exactly the same as previously. The players got annoyed and ripped them off, the shops didn't bother stocking them, so.....
exhibit 6 - 2005 - 2007
Hurray ! A new felt version was issued for the second year of the Coca-Cola deal. No difference in design but there are two sizes (or there were for the first season) - no need to worry about that though. These did go on sale all over, so seeing them on a shirt means diddly squat.