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

[VictoriaGooner]

Wow Fenix is amazing..especially love the third kits!

[MDGP]

It's only been 5 days, but it has felt like an eternity.


FARGO CAVALRY

NOTE: In England, it is commonplace for teams to utilize United in their official squad name. In the US, a similar tradition has continued, but the word used is Cavalry. Several teams in the ASF use this, and it is not considered the team's "mascot" name.

Formed in 1957 as a part of the original league expansion, the Fargo Cavalry is the ASF's oldest team west of the Mississippi. Recently, Fargo has dealt with a rather futile stretch. Since 1997, Fargo has placed above 12th once, and haven't been to the playoffs since 1995, however, the team has been steadily improving since 2010. With a high profile signing of the US National team's top striker Michael Mitchell in the offseason, as well as improving youth talent, Fargo is looking to be back in the championship fold in the upcoming seasons.

Due to the state of North Dakota's nickname, the Rough Rider State, the fans have nicknamed the squad "The Rough Riders."


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CREST

The Rough Riders feature a more traditional crest, influenced greatly by the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, better known as Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. The main shape of the crest is a pentagon, influenced by the pentagon found on the medals of the unit. Crossed in the center of the crest are two sabers, a shout out to the crossed sabers worn on the lapels of Rough Riders. The final main element is the shape in Navy blue in the background. This shape is inspired by the sign outside the Fargo Theatre. Obviously, it isn't an exact replica, which has been a center point of debate at the CCLSC. Currently, ownership has no apparent plans to make a change.



UNIFORMS

The Rough Riders are outfitted by adidas. The uniform sponsor for 2014 is FX, who made a major push to gain said sponsorship. This was in order to more thoroughly advertise their new show, Fargo. Executives figured that seeing FX on Fargo's jerseys would make fans think of the show, and would bring in more viewers. Above the crest on the shirt are two gold stars representing the team's two championships.

The main uniform feature is a split color shirt. On the primary jerseys, the double blue from the crest is used, and the font featured is the same as on the crest. It features white shorts and royal blue socks.

The clash uniform may seem baffling to a person who is unaware of team history. Original owner Thaddeus Watland was known for being an avid outdoorsman (whose hero was Teddy Roosevelt) and was particularly fascinated with Floriculture, the study of flowers. At his home in Fargo were lush gardens grown by his wife, Tiffany. The most visible of these was the pink and yellow Prairie Rose.

Prior to the 1968 season, the Fargo community was hit with tragedy, when both Thaddeus and Tiffany were killed in a plane crash while returning from Paris. The Watland's eldest son and team president Greg was named the new owner, and instantly created a new clash uniform. This featured the same split design, but featured yellow and pink with black accents and numbers, in honor of his parents. That season, the Rough Riders would go on to shock the ASF and win their first Championship after finishing in last place during the previous season. Since then, the team has kept a yellow and pink jersey in the rotation and currently wear an updated version of the jerseys.



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As always, give C+C and give a lot of it.

[rinoliro]

great thread, amazing crests!!

Are we finally going to see Idaho, Wyoming or Montana represented on a football (soccer) concept?

[Soarindude]

I absolutely love the backstory on all these stories. The FX logo looks kinda funky on the kit though. I would maybe decrease the size of it because right now it just looks way too "vertical". The size of the actual FX logo is pretty vertical, but I would try to adjust the size just a bit.

[VictoriaGooner]

I like the Fargo home kit, a little Blackburn Rovers FC-esc..nicely done! Not a real fan of the away kit colors. Good work no matter what, keep it up

[MDGP]

great thread, amazing crests!!

Are we finally going to see Idaho, Wyoming or Montana represented on a football (soccer) concept?

Hmm, you probably weren't before this comment, but now that you've brought it up, I could definitely see at least Boise getting a team (hint, hint).

I absolutely love the backstory on all these stories. The FX logo looks kinda funky on the kit though. I would maybe decrease the size of it because right now it just looks way too "vertical". The size of the actual FX logo is pretty vertical, but I would try to adjust the size just a bit.

Yeah, that's a good call on the crest, definitely a bit too boxy. I've gone back and fixed it to be a little wider and a little shorter. The ad still keeps its general shape, but fits a lot better. Also made a few other minor changes on the shorts that improve the overall look.

I like the Fargo home kit, a little Blackburn Rovers FC-esc..nicely done! Not a real fan of the away kit colors. Good work no matter what, keep it up

Yeah, I expected that the colors could be a little jarring for some people, I definitely wanted to go with something that was very different color-wise, much like how a lot of European teams do it.

Keep the C+C coming people, also a little preview of the next team is on the first page!

[MDGP]

Next, I present California's first of several teams:

Mount Diablo Phantoms

Mount Diablo plays in the city of Martinez, California in Contra Costa county, one of the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1972, the area was awarded a team, and owner Jacob Millings chose to locate his team in his hometown. Originally meant to be called the San Francisco Phantom Cats, the team changed it's location name due to crest association concerns. Instead, Millings named his team after Mount Diablo, which is located in Contra Costa and is home to so called "Phantom Cats," big cats that stray from their natural environments.

As you have probably already surmised, Millings took inspiration for the Phantoms crest from the Oakland Raiders, his favorite NFL team. The crest shape and layout features a similarly shaped shield with the mascot name above the main logo as well as an extremely similar color scheme. This led Al Davis to actually sue Millings over copyright infringement because, of course he did... Needless to say, Davis lost. Also ironically, the Phantoms are considered the anti-Raiders, having much success during the 2000's. The logo itself is a black panther, one of the cats found at Mount Diablo. However, the facial features of the Panther do not connect, creating the appearance of it disappearing into shadows. This provides a double meaning for the team name. The ghostly appearance of the cat, combined with its legendary rarity led ownership to simply name the team, the Phantoms.

The Phantoms recently received an updated uniform treatment from Nike, and feature Bay Area chocolate manufacturer Ghirardelli as a shirt sponsor and three silver stars above the crest. The uniforms feature a phantom chest stripe. Created from a series of horizontal lines, the uniforms appear to have a single stripe from a distance, which changes from up close. The stripes are feature a gradient pattern that makes them appear and then fade from left to right. This pattern is also featured on the shorts and socks (this was partially inspired by Nike's current sock style). Both uniforms are monochrome, but the team has been known to mix and match the jerseys and shorts.

The Phantoms also feature a throwback uniform which harkens to the uniform worn during their first championship. Interesting fact, the Phantoms originally wore uniforms identical to the Raiders uniforms (as identical as they could be), but changed their style when the Raiders left for LA. A heartbroken Millings did not want to look exactly like the Raiders anymore, but also didn't want to change his team's signature branding. The solution? Hoops!

The Phantoms didn't want to simply wear normal hoops, so in 1984, they decided to go with a more random striping pattern, inspired by the Astros Tequila Sunrise jerseys. These jersey have silver shorts and socks that feature socks that are identical to the jersey.

Also of note, unlike the Stingers and the Brigade, the Phantoms do not wear a historically accurate throwback. The franchise updated to the current logo in 1996, and the uniforms in 1987 obviously wouldn't have had three stars. The uniform also features the sponsor logo on the sleeve, which the Phantoms did not have at the time.

[1clkgtramg]

Hmm, im not feeling the panther part of it. The towns name is Devil's Mountain. The team name is Phantoms. The mascot is a Panther. Its kinda confusing to me. Might have made more sense to have a "hidden" devil instead. Also the panther doesnt look very memacing for a team whos identity appears to be one of attitude and physicallity. Thats just me though

I like the throwback though, and the colours in general. Looks like fun on a hot day haha

[sparkychewbarky]

Good series Lafarge.

You've done a great job of emulating euro-style soccer logos/crests.

The Pittsburgh one is really good.

I agree with #1 on the Phantoms logo.

The concept, colours, and the open style, to capture a phantom feel, are great.

The cat itself though, seems just a tad too cartoony to match the "mysterious" vibe that you're attempting to capture.

[Soarindude]

That throwback it for the Phantoms is fantastic and if I were to be in charge, I would have made that the actual home kit. However, I love the background story you had with it. I think keeping the Panther logo is fine though. It kind of gives the team a little niche about it.

[VictoriaGooner]

I am definitely liking this thread Lafarge. But like Sparky Chewbarky and 1clkgtramg said, I don't understand the Panthers connection with Mount Diablo (Devil's Mountain) and Phantoms...should be looked at further. Excellent colors and kits.

[MDGP]

Well, sometimes you don't quite hit it on the head. To explain the Mount Diablo-Panther-Phantom connection, Mount Diablo is a mountain in which many black panthers are found. Black Panthers are not originally from the area and are known as phantom cats. Basically, the name Mount Diablo itself has no real influence, it's just a famous landmark where these phantom panthers are found.

Hmm, im not feeling the panther part of it. The towns name is Devil's Mountain. The team name is Phantoms. The mascot is a Panther. Its kinda confusing to me. Might have made more sense to have a "hidden" devil instead. Also the panther doesnt look very memacing for a team whos identity appears to be one of attitude and physicallity. Thats just me though

I like the throwback though, and the colours in general. Looks like fun on a hot day haha

In my own defense,

The team they are based on doesn't exactly have a very menacing logo either, . I'll take a look into it though.

Good series Lafarge.

You've done a great job of emulating euro-style soccer logos/crests.

The Pittsburgh one is really good.

I agree with #1 on the Phantoms logo.

The concept, colours, and the open style, to capture a phantom feel, are great.

The cat itself though, seems just a tad too cartoony to match the "mysterious" vibe that you're attempting to capture.

Do you know what I could do in order to make the cat a little less cartoony?

That throwback it for the Phantoms is fantastic and if I were to be in charge, I would have made that the actual home kit. However, I love the background story you had with it. I think keeping the Panther logo is fine though. It kind of gives the team a little niche about it.

I actually prefer the Throwback kit as well, but the storyline kinda lent itself to Nike creating a much less popular uniform option, because that's totally something that would happen. Glad you like it though!

I am definitely liking this thread Lafarge. But like Sparky Chewbarky and 1clkgtramg said, I don't understand the Panthers connection with Mount Diablo (Devil's Mountain) and Phantoms...should be looked at further. Excellent colors and kits.

OK, basically, I've come up with two different directions I could take this, let me know what you guys think of both:

1) I keep the panther theme, but change the official name to "Phantom Cats" as I originally intended. This would fix the confusion with the whole location/mascot disconnect. This is definitely my preferred direction.

2) Go with an actual demon theme. I'd like to point out, this is the option I am much less inclined to go with. I feel like it takes away a bit from the whole meaning behind the name and identity overall.

Let me know how you guys feel!

[sparkychewbarky]

OR...leave it as you have it.

I think the story of the phantom black panthers is a great one.

I like the Phantoms name coupled with the "ghostly" image of a panther.

I like your very clean line work and the way you've done it.

I'm being nitpicky but IMO, it could be just a little less 'cartoony'...

maybe a bit more angular in the mouth area.

[MDGP]

So, I've been working with the logo, and I honestly can't find a version that I like better besides this one. How do you guys feel it looks simply with the pupils removed?

[JDav0213]

I'm really liking this entire thread.

And I agree that the best Phantoms crest is the one without the pupils

[VictoriaGooner]

Agreed the panther without the pupils is better...

[Thebigcahuna]

What template are you using?

[MDGP]

Alright, I'll get on making that change as soon as possible. In the meantime...

We're at the halfway point! For team #10, we stay in California...

San Diego Cavalry

NOTE: In England, it is commonplace for teams to utilize United in their official squad name. In the US, a similar tradition has continued, but the word used is Cavalry. Several teams in the ASF use this, and it is not considered the team's "mascot" name.

San Diego was founded in 1968 as the ASF's first venture into California. The Cavalry have maintained relative success, winning a championship in each decade since the 70's. Originally owned by the same organization as the San Diego Padres (the Missions, as they are nicknamed, are actually a year older). The team was sold to new owner Phil Johnson in 1979.



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CREST

San Diego's crest is heavily inspired by the crest on the flag of San Diego. The main crest shape is the same as that of the shield within the crest. It also features the latin words "Semper Vigilans" (Always Vigilant), as also featured on the crest. At the top also features a bell, inspired by that from the flag, but not an exact replica. A controversial aspect of the bell are the three stripes. Adidas took creative design control when they took on the Missions' uniform contract. Many believe this was a form of self advertisement at the expense of the actual design. In reality, the logo has always featured three stripes, even before Adidas took over.




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UNIFORMS

The Missions wear Adidas uniforms and feature Qualcomm as a sponsor. Above the crest are four stars in gold/brown. Obviously, the Missions wear the Brown/Gold scheme that the San Diego Padres also wore. The Missions actually wore these colors first, and the Padres utilized these colors due to the popularity of the scheme in the city.

The main feature of these uniforms is the tiered bell wall design seen at multiple locations in San Diego sublimated onto the back of the uniforms.



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MILITARY APPRECIATION

Like the San Diego Padres, the Missions wear military appreciation uniforms. These feature a digital camouflage pattern on the shirts and socks and features black accents. The shorts are a dark grey that match the color scheme.


Bring the C+C!

[1clkgtramg]

Wow that crest is amazing!!! I love it! And the jerseys too, really liking the Baby Diarrhea Brown colour - no, I'm not making fun of it - it really ties into the whole Military look.

[Naoned Pride]

These are rather original crests, really neat !