Battle of the Bay

[johnrafael]

Well, this is a concept I made months ago in bigfooty forum (you can call me JohnFromBrazil or JFB, when there), and thought: "why not post it in CCSLC"?

This is the Battle of the Bay.

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Footy is a recent sport in Alice Bay. Australian Soldiers brought some balls to play in vacations during the 2nd World War and the locals played with they. The Southport base was deactivated in 1946, but the Footy stayed.

The Southport Football League started with 4 teams in 1949, all with VFL team names and jumpers. Southport Bombers, Bay District Magpies, Carson Tigers and Southport Saints.

The popularity of sport increased and in 1955 three teams of Edellion and City of Alice Bay (Edellion Stars, Edellion Blues and Alice Bay Guardians) joined the league, and the league was renamed Alice Bay Football League.

The number of teams continued to increase without much control over the finances, and in 1967, a major economic crisis has caused many teams to merge. The league was left with only eight teams (number that continues today)

Nowadays, the major rivalry in the Bay League (renamed to Bay League in 2003) is between Southport Mariners and Edellion Pirates. These teams dispute, every year, a special trophy, "The Gold Sword", in an event called "Battle of the Bay".

[johnrafael]

From the southern side of bay, the Mariners.

Started in 1967. The first four of Southport was in a bad economic situation, as the other 18 teams in league. To escape a mass bankruptcy, the directors of the clubs opted by a merger. The Bay District stadium, near the sea, was kept and the 3 others was sold to other teams (what aided the team financial situation). The New team was called Southport Football Club, and nicknamed "Mariners", by play near the ocean. The colours, Navy Blue and Skyblue. In the first shirt, a sash. That stayed there just one year.

In the process of create the team logo, the team directors received lots of drawings. The most liked was one with an anchor. That was chosen and then they started to produce some t-shirts with the anchors printed in chest, to sell the supporters. In the end of the 1967 season, the anchor T-shirt was selling more than the sash jumper, then the jumper changed from a skyblue with navy blue sash in 1967 to a navy blue with the skyblue anchor in 1968,

In 1968, the Mariners won its first league after the merge. And after 1968, won it more 13 times.

[johnrafael]

The year is still 1967, and the Crisis is still knocking at the ABFL's door.

In Southport the traditional clubs abandoned the pride and rivalries and formed a new team. But in Edellion, Home of 7 teams, 6 gave up. But even after the Mass Bankruptcy that made 13 teams close their doors, Alice Bay and Southport still had 3, even by leaps and bounds.

The 1967 season was about to start with 6 teams in penury, with players playing without receive wages or with amateur players, and a little bit better were the new team, the Mariners, but even neither it escaped from financial problems in that year. So, all teams were sinking, then the boat that had less water inside would come first to the destiny. Everybody was betting in Mariners or in Stars of Alice Bay.

It was then that Robert Ellis, owner of the great fish market in Edellion, started a team. Invested on a small stadium and invited some players from old clubs to play. In an interview to a radio, asked if he had some hope to win the league in that year, even with the Mariners having a best condition, he said:

-My team is the only one who can take the trophy from the Stars. Mariners will be not a problem. Our team will be called Pirates. And the Pirates will rule this Bay. Mariners won't have any chance.

Curiously, Ellis hit one of two affirmations, and Pirates won the 1967 season, but haven't won the Mariners that year.

The Pirates chosen a black outfit, based on pirate flags, but to enforce the color clash with Mariners, the skull and swords were colored red instead of white.

[johnrafael]

Well, now is time to Jumpers, Guernseys or uniforms, you choose the name. First, Southport:

And if you're interested in know the sponsors:

[johnrafael]

And from the north, from mouth of Edel River, in Edellion, the Pirates.

And the sponsors, again:

[johnrafael]

The Preseason is time to wear things off the box. We can see the Mariners wearing "sailor stripes", or something like it. Pirates a little more discreet:

[johnrafael]

The Warm-ups are nice. I like them. Just saying. Maybe a bit overcrowded, but nice.

[johnrafael]

Last, but not least, the heritage kits:

I still owe some Fangear to the original post. Let's see the comments, and maybe I finish it.

[BTL]

This is awesome, I've recently been on an AFL/rugby kick, so I'm looking forward to this. I love Southport, but that might be a little biased because my school is called Southport High School, although our rival high school's colours are navy blue and sky blue, and OUR colours are red, white, and black, so that's sort of ironic. Is this league set in a certain country though? I've never heard of these places.

[eagle98]

These are nice except for that fact that I recognize those logos as standard clipart.

[johnrafael]

This is awesome, I've recently been on an AFL/rugby kick, so I'm looking forward to this. I love Southport, but that might be a little biased because my school is called Southport High School, although our rival high school's colours are navy blue and sky blue, and OUR colours are red, white, and black, so that's sort of ironic. Is this league set in a certain country though? I've never heard of these places.

Not. Alice Bay is a Fictious Country/State/Island/Whatever

These are nice except for that fact that I recognize those logos as standard clipart.

This logo style, without a mascot, using something like a shield or crest, is always like this. I still prefer this than interlaced letters. That is more lazy.