Midwestern Soccer Association: A.F.C. Cleveland (6/18)

[crashcarson15]

I love Sparta. What does the ABA stand for? Couldn't see where it stated that.

Ah! Didn’t mention that; it’s “Athletic and Benevolent Association.” Similarly, A.A.C. is “American Athletic Club” when it comes to Eagles, if I didn’t already throw that tidbit in.

[crashcarson15]

A.F.C. Cleveland

Major Honors:

League Championships (3): 1957, 1958, 1963

Club Info:

Founded: 1953

Joined MWSA: 1953

2014-15: 4th

The backstory:

While Chicago and St. Louis led the Midwestern soccer scene in the early 1950s, teams from the Cleveland area weren’t far behind. A 16-team league had been founded in northeast Ohio in 1949, featuring five teams from the city proper. However, the high volume of teams meant any one bid was likely to fail, and as such, the five teams from the city merged to enter a team in the new league.

They were initially known as “Cleveland United” and wore green and white, however, after four years of struggling, they opted for an identity change. Bradford City, from England, had visited on a tour of the United States, and the club was inspired, adopting similar colors — yellow and red — for the 1957 season. Additionally, they changed the name, from United to A.F.C. Cleveland. The club won back-to-back titles in their new colors and name, and it wouldn’t change again. Another title followed in 1963, but the Lions haven’t found success since. It is Cleveland after all.

However, they are one of four teams — Chicago City, Olympic and Sparta the other three — who are ever-presents in the division, never being relegated. They came close in 2003 and 2005, when they survived relegation playoff ties, but have since had a resurgence, challenging at the right end of the table again, looking to end the city’s curse.

The design:

A.F.C. Cleveland are an already-existing NPSL club, and I wanted to use some stuff from there in the design for the team in this league. The crest retains the same general shape, though I leveled out the top border and thickened the banner’s one to bring it in line with the rest of the badge. The lion makes its transfer over, while the clip-arty soccer ball is totally taken from Chelsea’s logo. Semper Deinceps replaces “Royals” on the banner, meaning “Always Forward.”

I originally wanted to dress this team in the Cavaliers’ wine and gold, with black shorts, in a design very similar to that of Bradford City, but just couldn’t get everything to work right. That’s when I decided to change up the colors a bit, and to run with a design similar to that employed by Monarcas Morelia of Liga MX, who were visiting Indy last month for a friendly. The road kit introduces black, inspired quite a bit by an old Bayer Leverkusen home shirt, one of my favorites.

Bridgestone is the shirt sponsor, which is both inspired by Monarcas’s kits with them on it, but more so because one of the Lions’ biggest rivals is the Goodyear-affiliated side from Akron. Darlington Nagbe, who grew up in Lakewood, is the shirt model. The three stars on the back of the kit represent the club’s three league crowns.

Home kit:

Road kit:

A.F.C. Cleveland’s two big rivals are coming up next!

EDIT: Forgive me for the choppiness of the crest here, if you could. I’ve had trouble exporting .PNGs with the correct shade of yellow, so these are saved as .GIFs. If anyone has suggestions for a solution, please let me know.

[sportstar1212]

Just seeing this thread for the first time. I'm loving everything that you've done so far, but Cleveland has to be my favorite. Nice work.

[the_grateful_ted]

Is that the same chevron striping that was on Sparta? I might be thinking of something completely different...

[upperV03]

^ All Hummel kits have the chevron striping.

[clelombus]

These are fantastic! I especially love SLSC and Chicago City. Have you thought of where AFC Cleveland plays?

[Phil53]

Bump