By Adrian Musolino
October 14th 2009 @ 12:27am
Related coverage
How important are a teams name and colours?
The new coach of A-league team John van't Schip (right) takes questions from the media in Melbourne, Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. Dutchman van't Schip has been appointed coach of Melbourne Heart team whose syndicate hopes to gain entry to the Soccer A-League. AAP Image/Julian Smith
Sydney Rovers FC. The name, and colours, of Australia’s newest football club has caused much debate on forums and blogs across the Internet. And while it seems they can’t please everyone with their choice of branding, there are some trends emerging as new clubs are born in this expansion phase.
There appears to be a move away from the Americanised names of inanimate things that appeared so popular during the last round of expansion – Port Power, North Queensland Fury, Brisbane Roar, and so on – to more traditional choices.
When discussing the potential names for the new Sydney franchise, Ian Rowden wrote on the Roar: “So those of you who want us called The Octopuses, The Buffalos, The Rhinos, The Metros, The Kickers, The Strikers … blah, blah, blah. Sorry to disappoint you, but we are going to stick to our strategy of remaining traditional.”
Likewise, in an interview with FourFourTwo Australia, Melbourne Heart CEO Scott Munn said: “Personally, I like historical names. It represents what football’s all about. Let’s not kid ourselves, this is the biggest game in the world, so why try and Americanise it?”
Maybe they have learned a lesson from the aforementioned clubs – Fury, Power, Roar – who, partly as a result of their odd branding choices, have truly failed to engage with their supporter bases.
The Victory may not be a tangible thing either, but it is no less evocative and is more of a generic name than the likes of the Fury.
It’s interesting, therefore, that the names discussed for the second Sydney franchise – Rovers, Rangers, Wanderers – hint at a return to the traditions of Anglo-football, joining the likes of United and FC in the comp, while the colours of the team reflect the history of football in the region rather than a baseless branding.
It’s been fascinating to watch this process and how such patterns have emerged, let alone how such decisions are made and rationalised.
It’s also painfully clear what works and what doesn’t, and new football clubs need to heed these lessons to ensure the branding and naming of their clubs suits the market they exist in.
I’ve always thought it odd, therefore, that the Gold Coast franchises chose such traditional names and uninspiring club branding considering it is a place of such eccentricity and vibrancy.
Instead they went for the traditional and conservative United brand in the A-League, while the AFL side has registered FC for their name.
Not only is it important to get your branding right, it’s also important to ensure it is done so in a correct manner.
In the aforementioned interview with Scott Munn, he states: “I’ve been looking at some blogs and some have suggested we’ve already decided a name, but I can assure you, it’s never been discussed at a board level. It’s a process so far of engagement and getting the feedback.”
Heart is the syndicate name and the readers of the Herald Sun will help decide the name of the club.
But surely they are too well associated with the Heart name now to consider any future change, and the mundane branding that has appeared during club press conferences hints at an indecisive direction on this front – disappointing considering the head start they had time wise on Sydney Rovers FC.
Let’s hope both clubs look and sound good when they make their debuts over the course of the next two seasons.
It’s been so encouraging to see a real divergence in the look of the A-League this season with stripes, new colours and different away strips adding much to the competition.
They may appear mere aesthetic things, but they are none the less crucial ingredients to the league’s success.
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constantine said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:42am | Report comment
the only things that important is not to use bizarre american names. i probably wouldnt have picked those colours but then again its not my team. i they are going back to something traditional why not use the colours of a popular giant like juventus or atletico madrid, those colour combinations are not completely unique like barcelonas colours are and they look great too. rovers is traditional but maybe a bit dull
Mr cheese said | October 14th 2009 @ 4:14am | Report comment
I reckon Ian Rowden needs to look at other sports. I firmly believe that English football should never play its games in Aussie, and this will be an easier thing to guarantee if the new Australian clubs are successful with Aussie supporters.
Perhaps they just have to adapt to the circumstances. If people in Aussie are more accustomed to watching teams with animal names, perhaps that is the way to go. We don’t really have that over here. RL has tried it, copying the NRL. Outside RL, however, it’s more or less non-existent.
Why not have
The Sydney Marsupials
or
The Cronulla Wombats
People are more used to this stuff over there. English football clubs were founded well over a hundred years ago. It’s because of history that we have “wanderers” and “rovers”.
How about
The Perth Triggerfish
( a triggerfish is a kind of tropical fish )
Pippinu said | October 14th 2009 @ 7:20am | Report comment
Mr Cheese
never forget that a wombat eats, roots and leaves.
AndyRoo said | October 14th 2009 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Triggerfish actualy sounds allright.
Realfootball said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
The triggerfish also has a cold water variant called the leatherjacket.
Triggerfish are brightly coloured but smallish and slowmoving. A bit like the Mariners. No, the Mariners are large and slowmoving, so Sunfish would be better for them.
Central Coast Sunfish – has a certain ring to it, no doubt.
But I wouldn’t want my club to be called the Triggerfish. How about the Stonefish. God awful ugly, but tread on one an and you’re in real trouble. A bit like Danny Tiatto.
Pajovic said | January 17th 2010 @ 5:02am | Report comment
‘The Sydney Marsupials’
That is the most catastrophic name I have ever heard for a football team.
As an affront to Melbourne or say Canberra, it would be cool to call them the ‘Sydney Capitals’! Catchy and Sydney folk could identify with the sentiment, plus it would instantly make the opposition dislike them! Perfect!
cab711 said | October 14th 2009 @ 6:15am | Report comment
I would like to see new teams in the HAL adopting names and colours from other leagues around the globe oher than the U.K and the States. Sparta Sydney, Olympique de Melbourne or Sports Society Melbourne (S.S. Melbourne).
Pajovic said | January 17th 2010 @ 5:04am | Report comment
This would be a disaster. Olympique de Melbourne? Why in French? What’s the point? It just sounds so so crass and gawdy. Sydney Capitalists man! A name to rile the opposition!!!
Mr cheese said | October 14th 2009 @ 7:02am | Report comment
Olympique de Melbourne is just copying the French, though, and will look like some kind of cultural cringe towards les grenouilles.
Pippinu said | October 14th 2009 @ 7:22am | Report comment
Agreed – I can’t see the point of copying foreign names in Australia.
Simone` said | October 14th 2009 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Maybe not to that extent “Olympique de Melbourne “… But try to fit in a Sporting or Atletic club could work as it is in English…
cab711 said | October 15th 2009 @ 4:40pm | Report comment
Why not other parts of the human anatomy? Melbourne Kidney or Melbourne – I destroyed my Liver?
Pajovic said | January 17th 2010 @ 5:08am | Report comment
ha ha ha excellent.
Queensland Colon. Adelaide Rectum!
thinker said | October 14th 2009 @ 7:45am | Report comment
I still prefer
Yarra River Plate
Sporting Lismore
Deportivo Fremantle
Illawara South Coast Rangers (named after the Balgownie Rangers)
also the furies should really be drovers
Brett McKay said | October 14th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
Real Mt Druitt, thinker?
Adrian, I was a bit ambivalent to the Sydney Rovers tag, and the logo, but after reading Ian Rowden’s explanation yesterday, it all makes perfect sense now and I’m quite happy with it. I find it very interesting that Melbourne Hearts have gone as far as signing a coach, but according to their CEO colours and a name has “..never been discussed at a board level.” Are you serious?? You know you’re playing next year, right?!?
You’re quite right Adrian, they can’t be anything other than Hearts now….
thinker said | October 14th 2009 @ 8:44am | Report comment
nah I was saving it for Real Mandurah but Aston Villawood has potential as does parratisaray
whiskeymac said | October 14th 2009 @ 8:38am | Report comment
Hearts? very Scottish…
agga78 said | October 14th 2009 @ 10:19am | Report comment
Remember Hearts is short for heart of midlothian the real name of the team and they are not the only heart in world football, remember heart of oak from Africa is another heart team, but heart of midlothian are the most famous hearts and they are Scottish, it doesn’t make Melbourne heart scottish though.
megatron said | October 14th 2009 @ 9:54am | Report comment
I can’t believe Melbourne Heart might not be called Heart and are still debating a name and branding. Who makes these dumb non decisions? Then these clubs wonder why they fail to make an impact
Pippinu said | October 14th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Melbourne Heart is a bit silly – but I have to admit that Hearts as a nick name has grown on me.
It also opens up the possibility of some vivid red employed in the colour schem (vermillion, magenta, burgundy, etc).
The Deep Purple Hearts?
Possible club song options:
Smoke on the Water
Woman from Tokyo
Highway Star
Burn
Fireball
Stormbringer
Realfootball said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
Dunno about bodyparts as a moniker. Though there is an argument for Central Coast Colon.
As for a song, you can go can’t go past the old Skyhook’s anthem ” Why don’t ya all, why don’t ya, why don’t ya all get f****d”.
You don’t get more Melbourne that the Skyhooks. On the other hand, I think Con Constantine is already using it.
Pippinu said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
“you just like me coz I’m good in bed” would be a good one – the chorus sung over and over and over- does it have anything to do with anything – no – but who cares!!
AndyRoo said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:48pm | Report comment
“It’s a horror movie right there on my TV”….for those times Tiatto gives you the finger
Pippinu said | October 14th 2009 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
“Living in the 70s” must apply to someone (but not sure who).
“I need another pill to calm me down”
Realfootball said | October 15th 2009 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
“you just like me cos I’m Melbourne Heart” has the right scansion for “… good in bed”.
I think Frank Farina is already using Horror Movie.
danny said | October 14th 2009 @ 5:17pm | Report comment
they could easy go with a more traditional name (eg melbourne city fc) and have hearts as a ready made nickname. the nickname itself obv doesnt have to be incorporated into the actual name (look at man u, arsenal etc for eg)
melbourne city, the hearts.
gazz said | October 14th 2009 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
Melbourne Heart would make for some awsome commentary lines though. You can here Simon Hill saying when they go forward, “Melbourne Heart attack”
cab711 said | October 14th 2009 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
Palmer has a ‘Heart’ problem.
gazz said | October 14th 2009 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
geez that was ordinary wasnt it
Mossy said | October 14th 2009 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
Great topic Adrian, always with you head over the ball… I responded to a previous topic that would have best waited for this one… On your brief assessment of Melbourne Victory.
You say:
“The Victory may not be a tangible thing either, but it is no less evocative and is more of a generic name than the likes of the Fury.”
I say the Victory package will be enough to condemn the Melbourne Whatchamecallits? Victorians are very passionate about there state. And to have a team in blue and white, with the traditional V, and a clever name incorporating the VICTOR of Victoria and success conitations is pure genious. It creates the US against them factor.
This aside:
Do you think the two team cities would have happened under John O’Neill? Highly unlikely. Will we now see ethnic alignement which has marred football world wide? Yes we can!
Art Sapphire said | October 15th 2009 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
What a rubbish post.
For football to develop we need at least 2 teams in Sydney and Melbourne.
This has nothing to do with ethnicity and everything to do with having a viable domestic football competion.
I have been a Melbourne Victory member for 5 years. The most exciting thing to happen to football in this city will be playing at the new stadium next year and having a local derby. Bring it on.
Realfootball said | October 15th 2009 @ 5:32pm | Report comment
City of 4 million people is worth two teams, surely.
Timmypig said | October 15th 2009 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
Does a team (I can’t stand “franchise”) need an imposed nickname, something picked by a committee after presentations from focus group findings? The best team names are those that grow from the club’s origins and have a genuine relationship with their supporters.
I know that the marketing people want something to sell “NOW” but the club nicknames should be those that evolve over time, grow organically. Some of the greatest names (not restricted just to football) are the ones that AREN’T official (or are quasi-official but not derived by the club’s management):
‘Tractor Boys’; ‘Mooloo Men’; ‘Gunners’; ‘Pompey’; ‘Huns’; ‘Jags’; ‘Baa Baas’; ‘Waratahs’
Would a single one of those names be the official name of any sporting team of any sport, if the management were allowed to choose?
Westy said | December 4th 2009 @ 9:35pm | Report comment
i reckon for the theme song debate, if melbourne heart turn out 2 be terrible, the song could be “living on a prayer”. just a thought.