The Alternate Soccer Universe: Ligue Première De Football -- Corsaires (January 22)

[mbannon92]

The updated clash looks better without the red. Nice tweak!

[johnrafael]

Personally, I dislike most of the french crests, Lille, Grenoble, Clermont and above all, Reims and Lyon. They all look like PES or FIFA crests for me. Your crests look better in american teams. Isn't saying FOOTBALL for me. (or soccer, as you wish to call it.) Isn't saying european football. It looks a lot more good for sports like Lacrosse or Hockey, IMHO. Both teams of Paris are creative, You just need a shield behind the Olympique, and drop the grey from Elysées.

BTW, the uniforms are majorly classy work. Will you give a try with french brands like Airness and Le Coq Sportif?

[MDGP]

Thanks for the comments everyone, I'm glad that (most of) you guys like it!

Personally, I dislike most of the french crests, Lille, Grenoble, Clermont and above all, Reims and Lyon. They all look like PES or FIFA crests for me. Your crests look better in american teams. Isn't saying FOOTBALL for me. (or soccer, as you wish to call it.) Isn't saying european football. It looks a lot more good for sports like Lacrosse or Hockey, IMHO. Both teams of Paris are creative, You just need a shield behind the Olympique, and drop the grey from Elysées.

BTW, the uniforms are majorly classy work. Will you give a try with french brands like Airness and Le Coq Sportif?

Thanks for the comments, Johnny. It's always nice to see criticisms as well.

I have to agree with you that the American crests I've done are, at least in my opinion, better. I think this is sort of a byproduct of me being American. I have a much deeper background understanding of the cities that I did concepts on in the ASF, and that made it easier for me to create inspired designs. The LPF has definitely been more difficult in that regard.

You say that these don't remind you of European soccer ( ) crests which is interesting to me because many of the designs are actually heavily influenced by European designs. Bastille was directly inspired by West Ham's castle, Paris' lack of a shield is based on teams like Tottenham, and Clermont might as well be a straight rip off of Ajax and Olympiakos. Clearly the difference is caused by my logo style, which utilizes much bolder line work and crest structure than traditional soccer crests. To be perfectly honest, I find that a lot of european soccer crests suck (in my entirely subjective opinion). Don't get me started with La Liga... So, designing them to look that way is really difficult for me.

I really do appreciate the comments. That being said, without C+C that is a bit more concrete about the crests on an individual level (being more than just "I don't like them"), I'm probably not going to go back and change the previous stuff. If you can come up with more descriptive critiques for each, please definitely let me know, and I'll look into it and I will definitely take your points into consideration for past and future concepts.

Also, thanks for the compliments on the jerseys. Jerseys have always been more in line with my design sense and easier for me to design, so I'm glad you like how they look.

With all that being said, I do think you'll like the crest for my next team more than the previous ones. I feel it has a more traditional soccer crest vibe that you're looking for.

[MDGP]

Team number 10! It's been slow, but we've reached the LPF's halfway point!

There's only one word needed to describe the next squad. Pink.

ORIGINAL LOGO

Ville Rose F.C. was founded in 1951 as a merger between Toulouse F.C. and Sant Sarnin F.C. The original owner of the squad, Guillaume Bellerose was a well known eccentric and narcissist. Ever the businessman, he wanted to find a way to name the team after himself without the average fan realizing (Charlotte Bobcats, anybody?). The solution? He named the team Ville Rose F.C. after Toulouse's nickname "la Ville Rose" (the pink city). Naturally, this led him to outfit the team in pink.

The inclusion of teal is a mystery. One theory suggested that it was Bellerose's favorite color, while another claims that it was based on the iconic colors of Miami, where Bellerose loved to vacation (this is probably incorrect due to the timeline not really matching up). However, the true answer is that the color is a combination of the blue worn by Toulouse F.C. and green worn by Sant Sarnin. Luckily, when combined with the pink and black, this color combination looks really darn good.

Play wise... The team is... Meh. Really, they're the LPF equivalent of Aston Villa. The average soccer fan knows who they are, they have iconic colors, and they're definitely a top flight caliber team... They just don't really seem to ever compete for a top spot.

CREST

While the team's nickname is The Roses, none of the branding features a rose anywhere (much to the chagrin of literalists). The crest is directly inspired by la Basilica de Sant Sarnin, which was deemed a UNESCO Heritage site in 1998, and is a nod to one of the two squads involved in the merger. You're probably asking, "What do you mean? This doesn't have imagery of the church at all!" That's because you're probably looking at the church from the wrong view. Here, the shape of the crest is actually directly inspired by the shape of the church's floor plan (with certain necessary alterations made).

Upon the crest is the occitan cross, found on the Coat of Arms of Toulouse and the flag of the Occitania region. At the base of the crest are two white vertical stripes. These stripes mimic the pillars found on the Capitole de Toulouse, and is a nod to the city's role as the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region of France.

UNIFORMS

Ville Rose is outfitted by Nike, and sports what appears to be Nike's template for non-elite teams. This actually isn't true, but looks this way due to the squad's classic look. The jersey is sponsored by Airbus, which is headquartered in Toulouse. Not all of the jerseys are long sleeved, but midfielder James Johnson from the US sports long sleeves, so that's what this concept shows.

The primary kits follow three strict rules. 1) The shirt is always pink. 2) The shirt always has a collar. 3) White shorts are never worn in any capacity. They tried that once, and it did not go over well with the fans (mostly because the look coincided with the squad's stretch in the second division and is considered an embarrassment). Here, the team sports the most common look in its history, mono-pink with black socks. The striping pattern thoughout is black-teal-black, which does not change, no matter the color of the background.

The clash kits... Well... They're nice and bright. Needless to say, the reaction from Ville Rose's fans has been mixed. The jersey is primarily black, featuring teal and pink pseudo-hoops running down the bottom half. These hoops are split colored, leaving a zig-zag line, which Nike has described as "A representation of the Canal de Garonne on the front and the Canal du Midi on the back." While this map kind of shows what they were talking about... This is likely just design speak that they came up with after making the design. Otherwise, the kit uses the same basic design as the home, including the racing stripes, which cut off the hoops.

[mbannon92]

Love Ville Rose. The colors definitely stand out, and the crest is another unique look. My only suggestion there would be to thin out the white stripes a little so they're the same width as the pink surrounding them. Just something I noticed and bugged me a little.

The kits are great. The home look is simple and iconic, and I really like the clash. It's a cool design and the pink and teal really pop off the black.

[the_grateful_ted]

TEAL AND PINK I LOVE IT

the color distribution looks really really good and the clash kit is a beauty

[wquarton]

Pretty cool man. I think I might prefer a lot of these to some current logos. Very European hometown feel. Well done.

[wquarton]

New orleans and Boise are badass

[Bomba Tomba]

These colors can be used for a Miami team.

[MDGP]

Wow, I got a lot of comments that I didn't see before. Thanks guys! I'm glad to see you seem like Ville Rose, including the clash, which I expected to be more polarizing.

Love Ville Rose. The colors definitely stand out, and the crest is another unique look. My only suggestion there would be to thin out the white stripes a little so they're the same width as the pink surrounding them. Just something I noticed and bugged me a little.

The kits are great. The home look is simple and iconic, and I really like the clash. It's a cool design and the pink and teal really pop off the black.

That's pretty good advice on the crest. That change can be seen in the original post with the first logo available for viewing by clicking the hyperlink.

These colors can be used for a Miami team.

Yes they can, and that's exactly why I initially didn't want to go with pink and teal. In the end though, no other color combination worked as well, so I went with it. If Miami does get an MLS team, this is how I'd want them to dress.

[MDGP]

We've reached team number 11, and definitely the identity that gave me the most trouble. This one took me so long to figure out, but I think it turned out pretty well.

USC Nice is one of the original 20 Top Division teams from 1931. Despite this honor, the team's success has been very limited. Though the squad competed early on in its history, it was never quite able to take home the league championship. After World War 2, the squad was in financial ruin, causing it to eventually drop to the second division. In 1975, the squad dropped into the third division, and then to the 4th division in 1977. By 1981, it looked as though USC Nice would have to shutter its doors forever. However, in 1982 the team was sold to businesswoman Louane Yount. While some initially criticized the Federation allowing the sale, Nice quickly saw a revitalization under Yount's ownership. In 1984, the squad jumped to the third division. In 1985-1986, Nice shocked the nation by winning the "Coupe du Coq" (laugh now you immature bastards) or the Rooster's Cup (think FA or US Open Cup), by defeating heavily favored Stade Lille in the quarterfinal, astronomically favored Olympique Paris in the Semifinal and heavily favored Ville Rose in the Final. In 1987, Nice was back in the second division, and by 1995 a top division squad again. However, upon returning to the top, Nice has not remained longer than two seasons, with the upcoming season being the team's most recent return to the top.

CREST

Nice's main colors are blue and green, which have undergone changes from the original royal and kelly green to "denim" and neon. These colors are meant to represent the city's important coastline and port. The main shape of the Acheulean Handaxe, a bifacial stone tool used by human ancestors. These axes, along with other tools have been found all over France, and are important archaeological artifacts for understanding human evolution. The center of the crest features the waves found upon the city flag of Nice. Below the flag is a fire, which was chosen for two purposes. First Terra Amata, the famous archaeological site which historians believe to show some of the earliest signs of domesticated fire. Second, when Yount said she would "light a fire under" the squad. After the return to success, supporters regularly used flares and torches to reference that quote. The flame became a part of the team's lore and was added to the crest in 1995. The placement at the bottom represents the quote as well as the fact that many of the ancient artifacts can be found in riverbeds and along beaches.

UNIFORMS

Nice, whose city name is actually derived from the goddess Nike, just so happens to be outfitted by Nike. Recently, with Nike's contract set to run out soon, there have been rumors that longtime shirt sponsor Decathlon would make a bid to become Nice's kit manufacturer. This has been denied by the company, claiming that it is satisfied with it's position as sponsor. The uniform is modeled here by 19 year-old French-Nigerian Bola Onwundiwe, who opted to play for Nigeria's national team and is considered by many to be next in line to become Africa's best player. Despite numerous offers from other clubs for a transfer, Nice has chosen to forego the transfer money in hopes of improving the squad's ability to compete at the top level.

PRIMARY

Nice has bounced between blue, green, and blue/green primary uniforms. This uniform cycle, the team is sporting blue. The design features Nike's signature cookie-cutter design that all the world's top teams wear nowadays with darker shoulders and neon accents. The main feature of the kit is a sublimated stripe pattern that features the waves from the crest. This kit primarily features white shorts and blue socks, though blue shorts and white socks are also available to mix and match.

CLASH

The clash kit is white and focuses on neon green. The waves, accents, and numbers are all green while all words are seen in Navy. This kit foregoes the sublimated striping. The shorts, like the home kits are white, though the team has been known to wear Navy shorts and socks in some instances.

THROWBACK/THIRD

In recent seasons, there has been clamoring by the fans to return to the team's green and blue vertical stripes. Finally, ownership gave them what they wanted, introducing a 30th anniversary throwback styled uniform that, while not 100% accurate (modern colors, back stripes cut off) honors the Coupe du Coq winning squad. This uniform was designed so that the navy shorts could be worn with the primary uniforms, which is expected for the upcoming season. Due to the massive popularity and jersey sales, these are expected to become the primary next season.

[mbannon92]

Nice looks really...nice. (I went there!) I love the unique shape of the crest, and the waves are a nice visual element. I like that you went with the classic crest in modern colors, as it's something that would happen in real life. The sublimated waves on the home kit look really good, and the neon waves on the clash are a bold look.

[MDGP]

So, after another stretch of writer's block (artist's block?) I'm back with team #12!

F.C. Libération de la Corse

Directly after the end of World War 2, a group of friends in Corsica came together to play local amateur soccer matches. Over the span of two years the team became so dominant, that the group applied to form a professional squad. This group of friends came together during the Italian Occupation of Corsica after joining the Free France movement that eventually led to the liberation of Corsica. The group named their squad in honor of this connection, and so the "Les Libérateurs" were born.

The squad has generally been an above average tier 2 squad, jumping up to the top tier every few seasons, only to be relegated quickly. However, Corse has been a stable presence in the LPF since 2011, and does not appear to be in danger of relegation this season.

The clubs main colors, black and white, are inspired by the Corsican flag. The crest is an oval featuring a mountain range, which is extremely prevalent upon the island. At the top of the crest is the Cross of Lorraine. While utilized in religion, the cross was also the symbol of the Free France movement, and has remained a symbol of the club since.

UNIFORMS

This is the first uniform of the series not outfitted by Nike, Puma, UA, or Adidas, with Corse opting for Macron. Corse has always worn rather simple uniforms. Historically, the squad has word plain white with black accents and a black clash kit. The newest kit has small shoulder "stripes." Upon the lower torso are sublimated mountains from the crest. Fans have voiced distaste for the sublimation and shirt sponsor for taking away from the stark white and black contrast that previous uniforms had demonstrated.

[mbannon92]

Beautiful! The composition of the logo is really unique, and all the elements work really well together. The black and white color scheme is really sharp, and adds to the great simplicity of the whole look.

[MDGP]

Beautiful! The composition of the logo is really unique, and all the elements work really well together. The black and white color scheme is really sharp, and adds to the great simplicity of the whole look.

Thanks a bunch! This one was pretty interesting because it started as a very traditional, intricately detailed crest. At some point I just decided to keep stripping it down to the bare minimum of each element, and I really liked how clean and modern the final design looked.

Hopefully I won't hit another wall like this one, and I'll get my next concept out soon.

[sparkychewbarky]

Beautiful! The composition of the logo is really unique, and all the elements work really well together. The black and white color scheme is really sharp, and adds to the great simplicity of the whole look.

Ditto...

I love a good clean B&W logo.

This is up there with "Bastille" as my favourites.

...Ville Rose colours and logo are pretty sweet too.

Nice work.

[Silence of the Rams]

Just curious. Did I miss PSG or have they not been done yet. Either way solid concept.

[Darknes]

Just curious. Did I miss PSG or have they not been done yet. Either way solid concept.

There is no PSG, this an alternate Universe, the Parisian clubs have already been revealed.

[Silence of the Rams]

Just curious. Did I miss PSG or have they not been done yet. Either way solid concept.

There is no PSG, this an alternate Universe, the Parisian clubs have already been revealed.

Ok. Was just asking

[MDGP]

Beautiful! The composition of the logo is really unique, and all the elements work really well together. The black and white color scheme is really sharp, and adds to the great simplicity of the whole look.

Ditto...

I love a good clean B&W logo.

This is up there with "Bastille" as my favourites.

...Ville Rose colours and logo are pretty sweet too.

Nice work.

Thanks, Sparky! It's pretty funny, these are actually my three favorite french designs that I've posted so far (though I think my next crest gives them a run for their money).

Just curious. Did I miss PSG or have they not been done yet. Either way solid concept.

There is no PSG, this an alternate Universe, the Parisian clubs have already been revealed.

Ok. Was just asking

While PSG isn't a part of this thread, the Richmond Cavalry design from the American portion of this thread is pretty much a spiritual successor to PSG, and likely looks similar to what I'd do for them.

Thanks to everyone for the comments, the next team will be up very soon!