Melbourne Heart FC name and logo confirmed
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 3 Feb 2010 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, football, melbourne heart
100 Have your say
The name and logo of the A-League’s newest club was unveiled yesterday, with Melbourne Heart FC confirmed as the franchise’s name after much speculation and debate. But it was the striking red and white logo that captured much of the attention.
The logo certainly stands out when compared with other A-League clubs, and it confirmed that Heart will have red and white branding – a good contrast to the Melbourne Victory’s.
“We didn’t want to have a soft love heart logo,” said CEO Scott Munn. Rather, the “shield style logo will better resonate with football purists,” he continued.
While a strip hasn’t been released as yet, Munn confirmed that a red and white stripe design was the probable look the Heart will go with – sticking with football traditions.
Munn also reaffirmed the club’s desire to play exclusively at the new rectangular stadium on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne.
“We have a preference to play every game there and that would be a point of difference between us and the Victory, who it seems will still be playing some games at Etihad,” he said.
Yesterday’s announcement also reignited the speculation surrounding a possible playing return for Mark Viduka, the former Socceroo who hasn’t played competitively since going his separate ways with Newcastle United.
Encouragingly, Munn confirmed that the club has been in constant discussions with Viduka.
“We’ve met with Mark and he’s been a fantastic resource; very open about sharing his knowledge of a how a football club should operate. Even if he doesn’t sign with us to play, he could still have a role at the club,” he said.
From my chat with Munn, there were two further points that were pleasing to hear.
Firstly, Munn stating: “We want to grow the overall pie of football fans in Melbourne rather than take Victory fans.”
This is a necessity – not just for the Heart but the A-League and football as a whole.
With Heart’s debut, the ‘one club per town’ A-League era comes to an end – giving the competition a proper derby, and also testing the codes ability to expand its fanbase.
Unlike the Sydney Rovers – who have the geographical differentiation option available to them, with well-populated football communities in the western suburbs of Sydney that can be tapped into – the Heart will have little differentiating themselves from the Victory.
Considering the Victory’s popularity and strong crowd figures, not to mention Heart’s debut coming off the back of the World Cup, all eyes in Version 6 of the A-League will be on how the arrival of the debutants impacts on crowds for the two clubs – particularly at the new stadium.
And as Munn hinted, the club’s determination to play all its home games in the new stadium could well be a huge trump card in their favour – especially considering how eager Victorian football fans are to get away from Etihad.
Rather than stealing fans from the Victory, Heart could well be borrowing them every second week, with the distinct possibility that Melbournians will show up to the home games of both sides.
As the club grows with time, points of differentiation will undoubtedly increase, splintering the supporter base.
The second encouraging point from Munn was confirming that the club would drive harder in terms of publicity and community development programs.
As I wrote on Monday, Heart appeared to be stagnating in terms of generating much traction, but Munn stressed the club has been working diligently and will be unveiling more to the public once this current A-League season is completed, particularly the strip and identity of its signings – currently standing at ten players.
Make no mistake, setting up shop alongside the most successful A-League club, in a city they’ve owned exclusively for five seasons, without a significant point of differentiation makes the Heart’s task incredibly difficult.
But the new rectangular stadium and Mark Viduka playing for them would significantly bolster the club’s profile and identity – an identity that we can finally link with a definitive name and logo.
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- A-League, football, melbourne heart
February 3rd 2010 @ 8:12am
Bay35Pablo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Heart attack. Heart breaking Etc. They seem to come up with these names for the headlines they can use.
Logo looks OK. I am surprised, but not if you know what I mean, that they are also playing at the same new ground as MV as this could have differentiated them more. However, where else would they play I suppose.
With all the teams in every code playing out of the same grounds it seems to be a case of just change the colours and next game, which is a bit sad. The idiosyncracies of each home ground were part of what makes local derbies great. When you are sitting in “your” season seat knowing if it was the other team’s “home” game one of their members would be sitting in t”their” same seat, it isn’t as special IMHO.
I always loved, as a Balmain Tigers supporter when Wendell Sailor said the ground he hated playing at most was Leichhardt. The crowd is on top of the players and into them. Ignore the termite ridden southern stands, and the out of date main stand, that ground has soul.
February 3rd 2010 @ 8:42am
Jeb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Take your point re own stadiums, but it’s not like melbourne hasn’t a precedent of many teams playing at the one place.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:43am
ItsCalledFootball said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:43am | Report comment
What about the Tahs, the Roosters and SFC – you are sitting in my SFC seat at SFS.
February 3rd 2010 @ 12:36pm
Bay35Pablo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
Different codes I can cope with.
All 643 Sydney league or Melbourne AFL teams playing at the same ground is what I am talking about.
February 3rd 2010 @ 8:25am
Dogz R Barkn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:25am | Report comment
“shield style logo will better resonate with football purists,”
That line was quite funny.
I have trouble imagining that it’s a logo that will resonate with football purists.
February 3rd 2010 @ 8:26am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:26am | Report comment
Just because the rise of the A-League was the right thing to do, does not mean that the Melbourne Heart is the right thing to do.
When it fails, what will the AFA do about Football in Melbourne? They need weekly games.
But then again, Brisbane only gets one game every 2 weeks for the Bronco’s. So maybe, they will just have to suck on this failure.
February 4th 2010 @ 12:42pm
Gibbo said | February 4th 2010 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
very pesimistic. care to elaborate?
February 3rd 2010 @ 8:28am
Dom ROmeo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:28am | Report comment
I think the logo reminds me very much of wolverhampton wanderers
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:00am
Cracker said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:00am | Report comment
I think they need to do something to differentiate themselves from the victory, maybe by calling themselves West Melbourne Heart or something like that. I can’t see many Victory fans going and swapping teams to a Heart side which at present represents nothing different to the Victory apart from being new. They will even be playing at the same home ground.
They could build a fan base but they need to give people something to identify with.
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:04am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:04am | Report comment
How can they differentiate themselves when we have been told for the last 30 years that we are all Melbournians living in the greatest mutli-cultural city in the world?
The Victory have utilised this so well, there is no room for anyone else.
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:55am
Cracker said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
ST what difference does it make if Melbourne is the greatest multicultural city in the world?
They are going to have a new team and I believe there is room for it, allbeit in a crowded sporting environment. They just need a hook to attract supporters.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:26am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:26am | Report comment
The reason I have mentioned this is because the city has promoted our ‘Diversity is Unity’ theme for close to 40 years.
It was so successful that EVERYONE 9(bar a few ex NSL types) jumped aboard the Victory bandwagon.
Now, the FFA think that can drive an artificial wedge in foul swoop? You must be joking.
Your post about a hook seems to sum up where society is now. Its all about SELL SELL SELL….. and nothing to do with substance.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:53am
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Savvas – I don’t think EVERYONE has jumped on the Victory bandwagon.
I actually think Heart getting around 10k to a game in their first season is quite a reasonable expectation. They will definitely get bigger crowds than GCU and Fury and they are guaranteed a 31k sell out for their home games against Victory.
February 3rd 2010 @ 11:46am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:46am | Report comment
You better tell me who these other people are.
Ex-NSLer’s? Stop dreaming
Euro-snobs? they will eb even more snobby with the dilution of talent in the expanded league!!
February 3rd 2010 @ 12:13pm
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
Live football would be the hook.
Watching the game last nighton TV I felt gee if it wasn’t a home win you wouldn’t enjoy that one much and there are plenty like that (good goals though). Their have been many dull games but a few crackers as well.
I am sure being a euro snob is fun when it’s Arsenal vs Man Utd…but watching Arsenal vs Stoke on TV as opposed to being their live at the ground for the MV vs Bne Roar 3 all game and I feel the A league fan got a better deal that weekend.
The journey to the ground being a small part in the proceedings and the buzz outside the ground once the whistles gone. It’s something you can’t get by supporting a team on the other side of the world by proxy.
The A league just need a few more games like that one.
As to the NSL fans, not sure how that would go. If you support say a South Melbourne who still get decent crowds I don’t see why you would need to dabble in the A league for anything more than “I might go when Robbie Fowler is playing etc”. But their seem to be a few that couldn’t jump ship when the A league started (getting booted for a franchise was too much of a slap in the face) but have probably mellowed now and are more football fans rather than “insert ex NSL team here” fans so want to be a part of the bigger football community. It is more fun.
February 5th 2010 @ 12:27pm
Stevo said | February 5th 2010 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
There’s plenty of room at the inn mate. The game in Melbourne needs and can support another team.
I for one have been to many a MVFC game and will also go along to HeartFC and see another interstate
team bite the dust in Melbourne. What about MVFC vs HeartFC games? Will you be there?
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:18am
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:18am | Report comment
It will probably be minor points of differentiation that will be lost on people outside of Melbourne (like me) and take a while to eventuate.
It will be things like Heart visited my school, they train around the corner, they sponsor my junior team etc and 5 years from now it will just be.
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:36am
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Agree Andyroo They may not do well if they dont differntiate but at the same time if they play well, engage the community and raise a profile why cant they have their own identity which will resonate with some? Might be tough for a few seasons but eventually, and so long as they learn from others mistakes (Roar, SFC) the notion that a city of a few million with such a rich sporting heritage can only support one HAL club for ever and ever seems ludicrous… and for those wanting to see SFC or GCU beaten twice why cant they turn up tp both games?
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:26am
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:26am | Report comment
Inter and AC share a ground and there used to be a the Dons and Palace at Selhurst Park, and a someone said above the AFL do it and ANZ is used by numeous teams in NRL. So the idea isnt totally foreign for teams to share a ground, but i can see why it is better for a club and its supporters to have their own place to call home if they can afford it. (and HAl teams cant.).
Red and White is a good mix – i hope they go for the River Plate over Sunderland look, but either way the most important issue is who else they sign. i note that Munn told Fox Sports Fc that they had more players on their books but cldnt/ wldnt divulge names until after the season ends (WC also). It cld be a bluff, but at the same time the 4 or 5 announced players are pretty handy.
Any idea if they are required to have NYL team from their inception or is there a grace period?
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:39am
Brian said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:39am | Report comment
What about the possibility of the Ajax look. Very traditional and most football supporters usually have positive memories of Ajax style from the 1970s and 1990s
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:58am
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:58am | Report comment
aye, or the Arsenal, Man Utd…. just not Sunderland plse =)
February 3rd 2010 @ 3:54pm
cruyff turn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Agree Brian.
The Ajax shirt is iconic and stands for attacking and innovative football. I suppose any team who wears the same shirt has an obligation to play positive, intelligent football.
No surprise I mention Ajax, given my user name!
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:59am
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:59am | Report comment
whiskeymac – Heart do not have a requirement to field a Youth team next season. I believe their grace period is one season.
This will make it very interesting for the youth players that they have signed (2 so far from the AIS) as their only chance to play meaningful football will be with the senior team.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:12am
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:12am | Report comment
cheers Art – definitely interesting to see if they will play kids from the outset and not wait until they dont make the finals and have nothing else to do for the season (lame duck like kossies final games i/c of SFC spring to mind).
i hope they grace period allows them to set up a good scouting network and decent academy for whent hey do offer the kids a go at NYL. If their coach was old Ajax wld be great if he cld influence any model to reflect their (Ajax) system.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:32am
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:32am | Report comment
An A-League senior squad is only required to have 3 under 20′s.
So far Heart 2 under 20 players – Ibrahim & Babalj on top of the four senior players they already have picked up – Heffernan, Thompson, Sarkies, Hoffman
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:40am
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Those signings “Heffernan, Thompson, Sarkies, Hoffman” weren’t really that mouth watering when announced but since then Heffernen and Thompson (great goal last night) have exploded.
It seems their doing pretty well but then they had to as the other A league team in their market is the best in the biz.
February 3rd 2010 @ 10:56am
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:56am | Report comment
for HAL players they are pretty good (and also experienced). its a solid base to build upon i think.
February 3rd 2010 @ 12:26pm
Midfielder said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
Just to stir things up a tad.
Who will be the .. Queen of !!!!!
You know they have ….. no !!!!!
They play so bad they ….. break the !!!!! … of there fans.
Over to the crew….. for more
February 3rd 2010 @ 1:36pm
Marshall said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
Having seen this logo a few times since yesterday I’ve only just now spotted the H in it. That’s actually quite clever.
February 3rd 2010 @ 1:50pm
hazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Heart research says that only 25% of football people have connected with the Victory. That would give give them a huge advantage in attracting supporters over Victory I think.
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:15pm
DafunK said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
That is V interesting. – where did you find that stat? Was there anything on Sydneysiders connecting with SFC?
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:23pm
Simmo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
No it doesn’t. It just means there’s a potential 75% left. But MVFC have been able to pick off the “low hanging fruit” so to speak. Heart’s job is harder because they need to bring across the football fans who have already proven to be more resistant to getting involved with the A-League.
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:30pm
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
I find it amazing that no-one is willing to discuss the possibility that the Heart will be an utter failure.
Yes, I am obviously biased because I believe they will fail, but it astounds me that not one person here is willing to face this possibility.
What are the ramifications of this failure? I wonder which will be the first expansion team to fail in one of the major codes?
Until now, all expansion teams have filled a void.
But from this point on, all the impending franchises are moving into territory that is:-
a) not their natural habitat, AND
b) already covered
Western Sydney in AFL
Melbourne Rebels (can be argued that Melbourne Storm took the Rugby demographic)
Melbourne Heart (Soccer)
even perhaps Western Sydney Rovers
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:35pm
James said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
That’s the concern. The FFA, having seen the success of the Victory re: crowds early on, should have gotten a second team into Melbourne a lot quicker – certainly before Gold Coast and North Queensland.
Now, the Victory are so well established it’s going to be so difficult for Heart to compete and win over fans when they have nothing that makes them unique compared to Victory.
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:58pm
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
James – the FFA could not get another team into Melbourne quicker because FFA gave clubs a 5 year exclusivity in their market. This season marks the end of the 5 years. This is why the FFA went ahead with GCU and Fury this season.
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:49pm
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
Savvas – you come across as a bit bitter in regards to the A-League.
Do you wants Heart to fail or do you want them to succeed?
The overwhelming majority of the football community in Australia want Melbourne Heart to succeed.
For a national league to flourish there has to be at least 2 teams in Melbourne and Sydney.
In regards to the ramifications of failure. Well let them build it first and see what happens. This is what makes the Australian sporting landscape so interesting. No point having a post mortem before it actually happens.
February 3rd 2010 @ 3:09pm
Simmo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
I don’t think he’s bitter. These are genuinely valid questions. It’s really just the next question that is begged after we contemplate the current notion that the club does not have a natural fan base.
Personally, I’m not going to get concerned until much closer to the start of season 6. I hope the MHFC bosses sort out their fanbase problem asap.
Actually, I agree with “No point having a post mortem before it actually happens.”
February 3rd 2010 @ 3:51pm
MV Dave said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:51pm | Report comment
No he is just bitter having read some of the other crap he has posted. l presume he is some kind of old Sokkah fan and is hoping for a return to the good ol NSL days…when there were more cops than fans at some games. l havent seen him post anything positive on HAL at all.
February 4th 2010 @ 7:53am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 4th 2010 @ 7:53am | Report comment
To MV Dave. Don’t spread lies.
My first comment on this topic is reproduced below…
“Just because the rise of the A-League was the right thing to do, does not mean that the Melbourne Heart is the right thing to do.
When it fails, what will the AFA do about Football in Melbourne? They need weekly games.
But then again, Brisbane only gets one game every 2 weeks for the Bronco’s. So maybe, they will just have to suck on this failure.”
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:49pm
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
Savvas
Whilst I have severe doubts about the Hearts I also had severe doubts about Victory. In fact personally nominated them to fail beyond any other club.
Two years ago the Roar were cooking with gas averaging 17000 I thought we were on the money. Optimistic view.
Proved wrong. If theres no improvement with crowds next season ,the Roar could go the way of the Crushers RL team- Pessimistic view.
Then again Another Clive Palmer may turn up,buy Roar& put Kluivert on the park & its onwards & upwards-Optimistic view. I prefer this above the pessimistic collapse of the club.
So if you believe in The A-League(as most football fans on the Roar,including myself do) you err on the side of optimism. If not its also easy to provide a pessimistic view.
Neither Positive or negative really has a clue to future outcomes,but it answers your question as to why theirs zilch negative outcome posts.
February 4th 2010 @ 9:25am
Savvas Tzionis said | February 4th 2010 @ 9:25am | Report comment
So you are like Christopher Hitchens now?
He was AGAINST the liberation of Kuwait from the Iraq invasion in 1990 but FOR the invastion of Iraq in 2003? Wrong both times!!!
February 4th 2010 @ 9:40am
Art Sapphire said | February 4th 2010 @ 9:40am | Report comment
That’s pretty impressive Savvas. Introducing Hitchens into a debate on viablilty of the new Melbourne A-League team. After 9/11 Hitchens went from being the darling of the Left to the mascot of the neo-con Right. Which I believe is the reaon you think he was wrong on both counts.
However, he did write a book denouncing Henry Kissenger as a war criminal. At least you can agree that Hitchens got that one right
February 4th 2010 @ 9:44am
Towser said | February 4th 2010 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Savvas
When I start mixing war & sport,then I know I’m in trouble.
February 3rd 2010 @ 4:25pm
ItsCalledFootball said | February 3rd 2010 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
The ratio in Sydney would be even worse i’d reckon.
I know a lot of people in Sydney who follow football and won’t go to an A-League game.
1.5 million Sydneysiders tuned in to Japan v Australia in the World cup, but only 12K of them go to an A-League game regularly.