Concept series: League du Nord

[-kj]

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.

It was. I originally had them the same, but it felt like the F was overpowering the G. I made the F smaller to try and restore some balance.

[BlackBolt3]

I love the crest for Little Canada. You got some good things going here.

[-kj]

Morningside Village FC

Morningside, Edina, Minnesota

Morningside is a neighborhood in Edina, an inner-tier suburb of Minneapolis. For forty-six years, Morningside was a separate village, the smallest in Minnesota, after splitting from Edina to solidify themselves as a "streetcar suburb". As such, the badge for Morningside Village FC features a yellow-and-green streetcar from the era; the destination of the streetcar is "victory".

The kits for MVFC are supplied by Nike. The primary kit is based on the Unity template, similar to the US national team's "bomb pop" kits: yellow shirts with green and white panels on the chest and sleeves; the shorts and socks are green. The change kit is all-anthracite gray.

The club is sponsored by Edina Realty, the largest real estate company in Minnesota. (I imagine this would rankle their neighbors, Edina FC, since their smaller neighbors/rivals are in the top league and sponsored by a company that bears their own city's name.)

[Whittier S]

Surprised that Morningside's nickname isn't the Cake-eaters. Just kidding. As a former Minnesotan, I think this is a great series so far and look forward to seeing more.

[-kj]

Edina would be the Hawks, right?

[@UniformDesigns]

Surprised that Morningside's nickname isn't the Cake-eaters. Just kidding. As a former Minnesotan, I think this is a great series so far and look forward to seeing more.

Couldn't agree with you more!

[mamiller99]

Morningside looks great, that badge is beautiful.

[mbannon92]

I'm just now checking this thread out for the first time, and I'm really impressed. Great work all around. The only team I really have any issue with is Morningside. The trolley car is rendered well, but the logo just isn't very crest like. It seems like more of a 40s art deco illustration. Though I guess there's nothing wrong with having different looking logos, especially with a league that (theoretically) has been around a long time.

Looking forward to following this the rest of the way!

[-kj]

I'm just now checking this thread out for the first time, and I'm really impressed. Great work all around. The only team I really have any issue with is Morningside. The trolley car is rendered well, but the logo just isn't very crest like. It seems like more of a 40s art deco illustration. Though I guess there's nothing wrong with having different looking logos, especially with a league that (theoretically) has been around a long time.

That's kinda what I was going for. I tried making it look more "in motion", but nothing ever seemed to work right.

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One more for tonight; this one was the first one I did in the series, and I'm still happy with it.

SV New Ulm 1899

New Ulm, Minnesota

New Ulm is a city named after Neu-Ulm, Germany, which is adjacent to Ulm (across a state border). I took a lot of inspiration from the German crest style, including the local club, SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball.

The crest is a circle with black and white halves, similar to the Ulm coat of arms, with the city initials within. The club's founding year, 1899, is in the center in a yellow circle; according to the city's website:

With the election of New Ulm's John Lind as the 14th governor of Minnesota in 1899 came significant cultural, social and political influence. The town grew in education, sports, entertainment and music.

New Ulm is supplied by Uhlsport, which is based in the same German state (Baden-Württemberg) as Ulm. The home kit has a black shirt with yellow stripes, accompanied by white shorts and socks. The away has light blue stripes on the white shirt signifying the Bavaria half of the Ulm/Neu-Ulm twin cities; this is paired with black shorts and socks.

The club is sponsored by August Schell Brewing Company, located in New Ulm since 1860.

[raysox]

Man, this whole series has been great. It's. Mix of classic and unique that makes it look like a complete league. Hopefully someone makes a mod for football manager or something.

[-kj]

Thanks, raysox. It's a pale shadow of what you did for your series, mind.

Thanks to the power of the alphabet, today happens to bring three of the more interesting kit templates.

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Nordeast Athletic FC

Northeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Nordeast" is a traditionally blue-collar area in Minneapolis, starting with the grain and sawmills of the mid 1800s. The badge reflects that history, featuring wheat stalks and hammers. The colors are brown, yellow, and wheat.

Nordeast's kits are supplied by Umbro. The home shirt is brown with a sublimated striping pattern; the shirt is accompanied by brown socks and wheat shorts. The change kit incorporates the same striping pattern on a yellow shirt with yellow socks and black shorts.

NAFC is sponsored by Bauhaus Brew Labs, one of many craft breweries in Nordeast.

[Kekoa51]

Love it! Nothing to complain about these!

[tBBP]

Thanks, raysox. It's a pale shadow of what you did for your series, mind.

Thanks to the power of the alphabet, today happens to bring three of the more interesting kit templates.

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Nordeast Athletic FC

Northeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Nordeast" is a traditionally blue-collar area in Minneapolis, starting with the grain and sawmills of the mid 1800s. The badge reflects that history, featuring wheat stalks and hammers. The colors are brown, yellow, and wheat.

Nordeast's kits are supplied by Umbro. The home shirt is brown with a sublimated striping pattern; the shirt is accompanied by brown socks and wheat shorts. The change kit incorporates the same striping pattern on a yellow shirt with yellow socks and black shorts.

NAFC is sponsored by Bauhaus Brew Labs, one of many craft breweries in Nordeast.

This one just challenged Bemidji for my new favorite in this series. That crest is money...and aside from Bemidji probably your best yet. So are the colors, and I'm loving that primary kit. Change is plenty solid, too.

As for "The Fort"...how did the number "88" not pop up in there??? I do thank you for not using the full-on girl scout patch four-leaf clover the 88th RRC, which is HQ'd (or was last I knew) at Fort Snelling. Can't say I'm really feeling the full-on digicam change kit for that, though I do see the logic behind it. Maybe if you werr to sublimate the digicam pattern into a slate green shirt or something, with solid-colored shorts (maybe with similar cam-style trim).

New Ulm is solid, too. I kinda wanna see a little more...refinement with that badge, though. I'm seeing a bit too much open space in there; maybe tighten that up some?

[-kj]

I thought about just going straight olive drab for the change, but decided to go the extra crazy step. Didn't know about the 88th; not nearly as interesting as the 1st MN Vols in my mind, though.

[_MplsMike_]

Thanks, raysox. It's a pale shadow of what you did for your series, mind.

Thanks to the power of the alphabet, today happens to bring three of the more interesting kit templates.

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Nordeast Athletic FC

Northeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Nordeast" is a traditionally blue-collar area in Minneapolis, starting with the grain and sawmills of the mid 1800s. The badge reflects that history, featuring wheat stalks and hammers. The colors are brown, yellow, and wheat.

Nordeast's kits are supplied by Umbro. The home shirt is brown with a sublimated striping pattern; the shirt is accompanied by brown socks and wheat shorts. The change kit incorporates the same striping pattern on a yellow shirt with yellow socks and black shorts.

NAFC is sponsored by Bauhaus Brew Labs, one of many craft breweries in Nordeast.

Best one yet! (I may be a little bias) The colors are great, especially the away kit, and good choice for the sponsor. If you might do a 2nd league, may I suggest two more teams in Northeast? There's an old rivalry between those who live on the hill and those who don't, upper and lower Northeast. The Hill FC, gold and red, with Ready Meats as a sponsor. Boom Island 49, blue, black, and white, with Boom Island Brewing Company as a sponsor. 1849 is the year that area was established as the first town above and around St. Anthony Falls.

[illwauk]

Morningside Village and Nordeast Athletic are probably my two new favorites. Morningside's badge in particular is gorgeous... I would buy that on a t-shirt and tell everyone they were a real club.

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 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.

The fact that UWS rarely plays UMD probably has more to do with the former being a D3 program and the latter being in D2, but aside from that you make a fair point.

Honestly, it really just came down to feeling my league being more interesting if the Fox Valley had two teams, and if at least one of the reservations in Wisconsin had one. I had to make a sacrifice somewhere, and Superior was kind of off on its own while every other club had at least one natural derby rival. Having my universe to where Superior plays in the Minnesota league just made it easier to justify not including them.

Of course, it also made me want to include a team from Upper Michigan, but I'm not sure I can find a way to do that without sacrificing one of the clubs I really want to do a concept for.

Anyway, enough about my project. Sorry to threadjack your series, Kevin.

[tBBP]

I thought about just going straight olive drab for the change, but decided to go the extra crazy step. Didn't know about the 88th; not nearly as interesting as the 1st MN Vols in my mind, though.

No biggie...and I definitely don't fault you for your choice, as it makes just ad much if not more sense.

[-kj]

Can't wait to see what you're cookin', Ill. Hopefully you aren't too mean to the out-staters.

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Red Wing FC

Red Wing, Minnesota

Red Wing is located on the Mississippi River southeast of the Twin Cities. Given the city name, a red bird seemed natural; I chose the Scarlet Tanager, which is native to the area.

Red Wing's kits are made by Puma. The primary kit has a red shirt with three chevrons on the front, accompanied by white shorts and socks. The black change kits are based on the pattern used by Puma for Arsenal's third kits, with light blue and red diagonal stripes on the front.

The club is sponsored by Red Wing Shoes, a local maker of work boots and other footwear.

[jmoe12]

Great series you have so far Mockba. Have se friends living in New Ulm so that its nice to see that city repesented.

[mbannon92]

As I look at the Morningside crest more it's growing on me. As I said, it's really well done, just not traditional. But I think I like it now!

SV New Ulm: Love it. The crest is really unique, and I could see it becoming an iconic logo in the league. The kits are really nice as well. Love the thick stripes, and the sponsor logo looks really good on the kits. I'm not sure about the black on the change kit, though. It's so close to brown that you might as well just use brown, IMO.

Nordeast Athletic: I really dig the color scheme and crest, though I think it could do without the smaller wheat stocks. The detail gets lost at such a small size and muddies the look. The kits are really sharp. That striping pattern is nice.

Red Wing FC: I like the idea behind the crest, but the execution is lacking a little bit. I feel like the illustration of the bird is stuck between vintage and modern. I would either make it more old school (think St. Louis Cardinals) or go modern, with thick keystrokes and less detail. The kits are solid.