Vancouver Whitecaps Unveil MLS Club Crest

Today was a monumental day for Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club.

With around nine months until they kick their first ball as a Major League Soccer club, the Caps officially confirmed their MLS Club name this morning at a press conference at Vancouver’s Convention Centre. The big news though was to be the unveiling their new club crest.

The name of the club remains true. They will be Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The name may keep it’s roots in the past but the new crest certainly leaps into the future with a fresh and modern look.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t initially blown away by it. At first glance it seemed a little bland and simple, but it’s the simple subtleties that have actually really grown on me in the passing hours. When you view it from afar, it comes across as very striking. What I like most is that it is certainly fresh and modern, moving away from any old image of the Club’s past, whilst embracing it at the same time and showing that the CLub, much like the city itself, has moved on with the times.

The crest comes about following a 10-month consultation process that included world-renowned soccer brand Adidas, Publicis Canada, Whitecaps FC ownership group, staff, fans, and season ticket holders.

The new “brand” and logo, which will be used throughout the club from November 2010, draws its inspiration from the spectacular geography of Western Canada’s largest city, as well as the club’s long tradition of success. The MLS Caps will continue their long tradition of using white as one of their primary colours, while the club have also incorporated the colour of ‘deep sea’ blue as a reflection of Vancouver’s natural landscape.

“This new logo and brand takes into account the rich history and tradition that we have established as a club, while providing a fresh representation of one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. “The new brand and logo not only engages our many fans that have supported us since 1974, it will also engage new fans to our Club and to the MLS with a symbol that truly reflects Vancouver and the incredible
landscape that makes this city unique”.

The new logo sees the words ‘Vancouver Whitecaps FC’ written in white on a deep sea blue background, with the renowned mountains of Vancouver’s north shore sitting above the Club’s name in white and reflecting down on the city’s waterfront – below the Club name. The colour used to symbolize the refection of the mountains on the waterfront is a lighter blue or “Whitecaps blue”, which pays tribute to the primary colour on the Club’s logo worn during the historic 1979 Soccer Bowl championship. Lining the new mark is the colour silver, a distinct nod to the Club’s numerous championship titles that have been won since 1974.

This morning’s event was MC’d by Pete Schaad, with Bob Lenarduzzi and Caps CEO Paul Barber making speeches, along with a fantastic video showing the Caps crests and championships through the years and a model of the new look BC Place.

Paul Barber took the opportunity to speak about his first impressions of the city, after causing big news when he made the move from Tottenham Hotspur to Vancouver. He ensured everyone that the MLS experience was “designed to deliver an absolute unforgettable period of time” for fans, whilst the renovated BC Place would be “one of the great theatres to watch the Whitecaps”.

The Caps also took the opportunity this morning to announce more details about next year’s season tickets. There will be a cap of 16,500 season tickets for year one and deposits for 10,000 of these have already been sold. The remaining 6,500 deposits will go on sale at 10am on Saturday morning, with our debut season shaping up to be the hot ticket in town for 2011.

Prices for next season’s ticket packages were confirmed as starting at $319 for a minimum of 17 MLS home games. Taking into account the likelihood of Voyaguers Cup games and friendlies, this will work out at fantastic value for money, especially if you’re in the Southside.

With the new jersey and kit sponsor due to be announced shortly, this is certainly an exciting time to be a Whitecaps fan. I wish it was next year already!

*** Don’t forget the Southsiders have a special logo celebration event tonight, which features a Q&A with Paul Barber. The event kicks off at 7.30pm at Cinema Public House at 901 Granville Street and it will also be the first chance to buy new Caps MLS gear.

You can see some of my photo’s of this morning’s press conference on the official Southsiders Flickr page HERE ***