Concept series: League du Nord

[-kj]

I ain't even asking about you and green bush... You're a mysterious, truckin' man, Buc. (And I still feel bad about bailing on you when you were through town.)

Yeah, some cities definitely have better iconography than others. That one started out with an insane-sounding idea, but ended up turning out better than I originally thought it would.

Yeah, the diamond/hex shape for Brooklyn is arbitrary. I was going to separate the motto on words, but the lack of symmetry was bothering me. If I revisit this, I could try a rounded top and bottom; I liked the idea of the angled shape originally.

[-kj]

Fergus Falls FC

Fergus Falls, Minnesota

I couldn't let this whole series go by without having at least one quasi-traditional coat-of-arms-style crest. Fergus Falls is located in Otter Tail County, which lends itself perfectly to otters supporting a shield. The blue and white stripes are an allusion to the falls. And, no, that's not a volleyball for the crest.

Errea supplies the kits for Fergus Falls. The primary kit features classic blue and white stripes with a polo collar. Blue shorts and hooped socks complete the look. The away uses an Errea template, also used by Norwich City, in charcoal and brown.

The club is sponsored by Otter Tail Corporation, an energy company based in Fergus Falls.

[-kj]

Grand Forks FC

Grand Forks, North Dakota

In the grand tradition of Canadian teams in American leagues and Welsh teams in the Premier League, I give you a North Dakotan team in League du Nord. My thought was that North Dakota was less likely to develop a high-quality league, so it would be likely that a couple of the larger border cities would be in the Minnesotan leagues.

Grand Forks FC features a quasi-monogram, similar to Bolton Wanderers, in navy. The yellow ship's wheel represents the founding of Grand Forks, when a steamboat froze in the river for the winter and the crew set up camp there.

GFFC's kits are supplied by Errea. The primary shirts are yellow with blue sleeves and gray pinstripes; thy are accompanied by navy shorts and yellow hooped socks. The change kit is all-white; the shirt features gray sleeves and a blue-and-yellow wave pattern across the chest.

The club is sponsored by Altru Health System.

[mixo]

The Grand Forks team is your bext design yet (and by far)! I love the color combination.

[tBBP]

Oh, so we're going with border cities, now? I hope that means you got something coming for Fargo-Moorhead, then. (Think I-29 rivalry for Fargo/Grand Forks not to mention joint rivalry Dakota vs Minnesota. Okay that's getting into it a bit too much.)

This latest one is sharp. I can get behind the quasi-lockup there; fits well into its shape. The one thing I'm not sold on is the (shade of) gray; I'm in phone here but at distance it looks too close to the navy. (Kinda the same problem the Seahawks had before they got all Nikefied on us and everything.) Also with that badge, I don't know that the inner navy outline is needed; its muddying up the outer gray keyline. Might be better off leaving the inner navy out. (The other thing that'll do is allow for versatility, as the badge can transfer from navy to yellow to white backgounds without having to change anything about the badge. That's one advantage a tertiary color gives you.) The wave stripe pattern of the change kits is pretty clever, too.

[PackerFan98]

The new clubs look good.

[-kj]

Oh, so we're going with border cities, now? I hope that means you got something coming for Fargo-Moorhead, then. (Think I-29 rivalry for Fargo/Grand Forks not to mention joint rivalry Dakota vs Minnesota. Okay that's getting into it a bit too much.)

Nope, just one border town. Fargo's down in the second division, battling with Moorhead. Think of that as Millwall and West Ham. *heh*

This latest one is sharp. I can get behind the quasi-lockup there; fits well into its shape. The one thing I'm not sold on is the (shade of) gray; I'm in phone here but at distance it looks too close to the navy. (Kinda the same problem the Seahawks had before they got all Nikefied on us and everything.) Also with that badge, I don't know that the inner navy outline is needed; its muddying up the outer gray keyline. Might be better off leaving the inner navy out. (The other thing that'll do is allow for versatility, as the badge can transfer from navy to yellow to white backgounds without having to change anything about the badge. That's one advantage a tertiary color gives you.) The wave stripe pattern of the change kits is pretty clever, too.

You know, it's funny; I didn't have the extra outline there until one of the last revisions, but once I saw it I wanted it. It felt like the gray and yellow needed separation.

The "gray" is actually a partial-tone of the navy, so that's why it looks similar. After reading this, I lightened it up a little; I think that helps a bit with what you're saying.

Also, I went back and messed with a new idea for Brooklyn:

I tried it just rounded, but something seemed missing; I added the angle back to the outside. I haven't updated the kits yet, but I'd only change the badge.

[illwauk]

Grand Forks FC

Grand Forks, North Dakota

In the grand tradition of Canadian teams in American leagues and Welsh teams in the Premier League, I give you a North Dakotan team in League du Nord. My thought was that North Dakota was less likely to develop a high-quality league, so it would be likely that a couple of the larger border cities would be in the Minnesotan leagues.

Grand Forks FC features a quasi-monogram, similar to Bolton Wanderers, in navy. The yellow ship's wheel represents the founding of Grand Forks, when a steamboat froze in the river for the winter and the crew set up camp there.

GFFC's kits are supplied by Errea. The primary shirts are yellow with blue sleeves and gray pinstripes; thy are accompanied by navy shorts and yellow hooped socks. The change kit is all-white; the shirt features gray sleeves and a blue-and-yellow wave pattern across the chest.

The club is sponsored by Altru Health System.

Funny, in my fictional Wisconsin league I decided not to put a team in Superior because their closest competition would be 2 1/2 hours away in Eau Claire, and I figured Superior would want to play with Duluth and other Northern Minnesota towns.

I love everything about this concept though... it's by far my favorite in the series so far.

[mamiller99]

These next 2 look pretty great! I love that you are using different colors in this league. When I read border city I was expecting international borders, like Thunder Bay. Either way, this series is going very well.

[macalesterscots]

Yeah as a fellow Minnesotan I have been enjoying this series. To whoever brought up Worthington as a potential team, I would very much echo that. Might be a little on the small side population-wise, but a very diverse city with a substantial immigrant population that would love a soccer team to support.

You can be sure I'll be following this series!!

[-kj]

Thanks again for the comments so far, everyone; I especially appreciate the suggestions for how to improve some of them. I'm honestly surprised by how well Grand Forks was received; it wasn't one of my favorites, for sure. I'm also surprised that no one had anything specific to say about Duluth, which was the one I was least sure about in the entire set.

Next, one of my favorites...

Iron Range FC

Virginia, Minnesota

The Iron Range region of Minnesota is known heavily for ore mining, but also has a history of logging. Virginia is one of the larger cities in the region, and is also part of a "Quad Cities" area. Both of those traits lead to the badge for IRFC. The badge is in a truncated diamond shape, the four sides alluding to the four cities. The background is a red-orange "rust" color, with a silver diamond pattern the background. In the foreground are a crossed pickaxe and a lumber axe, with the club initials at the bottom.

The club is outfitted by Under Armour. The home consists of a rust-colored shirt with dark charcoal shorts and socks. The shirt and shorts are based on the UA Fixture template, with the sublimated stripes duplicated to create a diamond pattern. The same template is used for the change kit, but in all-white with gray sleeves and trim.

The club is sponsored by Cliffs Natural Resources, the parent company of the operators of the nearby taconite mine.

[mamiller99]

Love the copper look and all the diamonds. I may have chuckled when I saw that the sponsor mines taconite, I never knew such a material exists.

[Philsphan]

First off, a state soccer league is a great and fun idea and I've been enjoying League du Nord a lot! Some of the color combinations are super creative and the variety among crest shapes is impressive.

I think the crests for Duluth and Fergus Falls could be improved. You've used a lot of bold lines and, at least from what I've seen, many soccer crests use thinner lines, especially for animals. I think the otters could benefit from more detail, even if you keep them two-dimensional. Otherwise, I have no problem with lots of blue and green, but maybe some more variety in the shades of blue and green would help to give each blue/green team a stronger identity. For instance, I like how Brooklyn United's navy blue color sets it apart from

Duluth or Fergus Falls.

[WolfsHeadSG]

Hey Hey KJ. I really love what you've been doing in this series. The concept and thought behind each design you've showed thus far has been fantastic and a lot of the crests and kits have been really fun to follow. Bemidji Forrest FC is still by far my favorite with Iron Range close behind.

I suppose being a Duluthian I'll make the comment regarding Duluth FC. I don't have much in the way of constructive criticism but I will say on a personal note, Duluth hasn't been my favorite. It's pretty obvious our signature landmark is the Lift Bridge, so I was surprised to see Enger Tower the focus of the crest (positive and negative feelings involved) when something as simple as Lake Superior itself or our massive taconite and iron shipping industry could have be used. I also felt the rays of light coming off the spire were a little distracting and confusing. I kind of got a AHL or Minor league hockey team vibe coming off the logo - not really a good or bad thing. Take that comment as you will. The nickname of the Shoreman has actually been used in Duluth sports before. In fact, (not in my time in Duluth) we had a semi-pro handegg team called the Duluth/Superior Shoreman that played in the NPFL - whatever that is. I'm not opposed to a brown or tan colored jersey (St. Pauli FC proves brown can work!) and I see the connection made to the landmark, but if you were unsure and wanted to redesign the crest I could see a color change to the kit happening as well. On a very very personal note, I can't stand Cirrus Intl and would not want them apart of "my team" from Duluth. > though they are a major employer in our region. (Maybe Maurices, Grandma's restaurant Chain or New Page paper mill could be substituted?) The vertical stripe set is great and I do LOVE the change kit with the White/Blue/Green combo. As you said, its surprising the amount of cities around the state that really incorporate the blue/green/white combo so I understand how it can get redundant, but Duluth has one of my personal favorite city flags in Minnesota (not to mention a pretty straightforward city seal to draw ideas from). I suppose though, living in Duluth I am biased toward what I would want to see in a crest and being here I can think of many more little touches that I know of around town that I would include, in the same way that you would have a few secret touches to add to a Minneapolis team(s). In the end, I don't hate it, but I don't love it.

Regarding Fergus Falls, I really enjoy the blue and white vertical stripes to represent the falls, and the kits are really enjoyable but I feel the crest is what draws that design back. It's very English (see Newcastle or Sunderland) but the Otters look out of place to me. But hey, what do I know, this is my first post. Aside from my critiques, everything has been fantastic.

EDIT:

I do want to add, some of the designs have been a real treat to see come through every day. Grand Forks design is fantastic and I love the yellow/Navy combo. And Iron Range is a really attractive set. I love the Quad City reference and the fact that it is reminiscent of West Ham without being "west ham-ish" if that makes sense. I really look forward to seeing what other cities you include and what the derby teams of Minneapolis will be. F5....F5......F5......

[WolfsHeadSG]

Grand Forks FC

Grand Forks, North Dakota

In the grand tradition of Canadian teams in American leagues and Welsh teams in the Premier League, I give you a North Dakotan team in League du Nord. My thought was that North Dakota was less likely to develop a high-quality league, so it would be likely that a couple of the larger border cities would be in the Minnesotan leagues.

Grand Forks FC features a quasi-monogram, similar to Bolton Wanderers, in navy. The yellow ship's wheel represents the founding of Grand Forks, when a steamboat froze in the river for the winter and the crew set up camp there.

GFFC's kits are supplied by Errea. The primary shirts are yellow with blue sleeves and gray pinstripes; thy are accompanied by navy shorts and yellow hooped socks. The change kit is all-white; the shirt features gray sleeves and a blue-and-yellow wave pattern across the chest.

The club is sponsored by Altru Health System.

Funny, in my fictional Wisconsin league I decided not to put a team in Superior because their closest competition would be 2 1/2 hours away in Eau Claire, and I figured Superior would want to play with Duluth and other Northern Minnesota towns.

I love everything about this concept though... it's by far my favorite in the series so far.

I couldn't let your comment about Superior go without a response, I actually go to University of Wisconsin - Superior and despite being 8 miles from UMD and College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, the soccer teams only play CSS in tournament situations and being apart of the UW system are forced to play in WIAC - Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. I don't personally play for the school, but most games do include significant travel time to the east. I bring this up because if a college system feels Superior can be included in a conference with Eau Claire, then a State-wide league should consider it as well. Now, I however do realize you are talking about a fictional league in Wisconsin of your own creation, but I wouldn't let geography and surrounding cities and whether they "would want to play in Duluth" determine whether or not to be included.

[-kj]

Ok, so I goofed and skipped an "F" team. I'm blaming file systems and their lack of recognizing "the" for alphabetizing. This is probably the club I had the most fun researching and devising the backstory; there's so much to work with.

The Fort

Highland Park, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Fort started as a military team at Fort Snelling. The club eventually transitioned to being a civilian club, but kept many of its Fort Snelling roots. Support for the team came from the nearby Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, so that seemed a natural place for the team to relocate from the fort itself.

The team's badge is dark blue with a red brick wall at the front; the overall shape of the badge is similar to that of Civil War rank chevrons, with the wall symbolizing the fort itself. Two stars give a nod to the military history, while the white trefoil pays homage to the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, a prominent Civil War regiment organized out of Fort Snelling.

The Fort wear kits made by Warrior. The primary kit is made to resemble a Union civil war uniform: the shirt is dark blue with a white sash, while the shorts and socks are light blue. The change kit features modern digital camouflage with black trim; the crest changes color to fit in with the camo motif. Both shirts feature the First Minnesota trefoil below the back of the collar.

Lifetime Fitness sponsors the Fort. While they are headquartered elsewhere in the Twin Cities metro, they do have a location in Highland Park, and seemed a good fit to sponsor a team with military ties.

[PackerFan98]

Thanks again for the comments so far, everyone; I especially appreciate the suggestions for how to improve some of them. I'm honestly surprised by how well Grand Forks was received; it wasn't one of my favorites, for sure. I'm also surprised that no one had anything specific to say about Duluth, which was the one I was least sure about in the entire set.Next, one of my favorites...Iron Range FCVirginia, MinnesotaThe Iron Range region of Minnesota is known heavily for ore mining, but also has a history of logging. Virginia is one of the larger cities in the region, and is also part of a "Quad Cities" area. Both of those traits lead to the badge for IRFC. The badge is in a truncated diamond shape, the four sides alluding to the four cities. The background is a red-orange "rust" color, with a silver diamond pattern the background. In the foreground are a crossed pickaxe and a lumber axe, with the club initials at the bottom.The club is outfitted by Under Armour. The home consists of a rust-colored shirt with dark charcoal shorts and socks. The shirt and shorts are based on the UA Fixture template, with the sublimated stripes duplicated to create a diamond pattern. The same template is used for the change kit, but in all-white with gray sleeves and trim.The club is sponsored by Cliffs Natural Resources, the parent company of the operators of the nearby taconite mine.

Love the change kit. The logo is pretty nice too.

St. Paul looks good.

[-kj]

Little Canada FC

Little_Canada,_Minnesota

Little Canada is a suburb of St. Paul founded by French Canadians, and they hold that heritage dear. The badge is straightforward: a combination of a maple leaf and a fleur-de-lys.

LCFC is supplied by Canadian company Inaria (a subsidiary of Bauer). The home kit is all-red with a "reverse Ajax" white stripe down the front. The away is all-blue with a sublimated cross as a nod to the flag of Quebec.

The Maples are sponsored by Slumberland, a regional furniture store chain headquartered in Little Canada.

[JCRGraphix]

The Fort and Iron Range are the best yet. This is a fantastic series.

[GeauxColonels]

Grand Forks FC

Grand Forks, North Dakota

ts are yellow with blue sleeves and gray pinstripes; thy are accompanied by navy shorts and yellow hooped socks. The change kit

Great work on all of these. Grand Forks is a great look, and I love the logo. The one thing that bothers me, though, is that the "F" isn't the same thickness as the "G" so the flow from the inner arm (or whatever you would call that thing) of the G to the lower arm of the F isn't as smooth as it could be. Not really sure if that was intentional or not.