Toronto FC ...........the 'Yorkmen'

[the shelts]

..........thats according to my brother in law who lives in TO and is a municipal employee.

He said its FC Toronto or Toronto FC and the nickname will be the Yorkmen. He's a hockey guy, doesn't like soccer, but thats the scuttlebutt he heard on the job.

I have no idea if he's wrong or right but as he likes soccer about as much as poking his eye with stick (...........which is to say not at all) I also don't understand why he'd even be thinking about it unless he did hear it from an outside source.

He just said the team name would be FC Toronto or Toronto FC and they would have an unspoken nickname of the Yorkmen.

Now FC Toronto or FCTO has a certain ring to it that I doubt would inspire a marketing person to genius but who knows.............

[chapulincolorado]

..........thats according to my brother in law who lives in TO and is a municipal employee.

He said its FC Toronto or Toronto FC and the nickname will be the Yorkmen. He's a hockey guy, doesn't like soccer, but thats the scuttlebutt he heard on the job.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that the nickname of the York University team?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Surely not given what happened with the stadium plan on the York U campus although it certainly would have made sense as a way of highlighting where the stadium was located if it had actually been built. Just so people know the York U team are called the Lions these days, formerly known as the Yeomen.

[socamonarch]

We must remember that Toronto's original name was York. And that just a stones throw away from the stadium is the original Fort York. So the reasoning behind the name seems plausible.

[Captain Canuck]

Well I don't think MLSE felt screwed by York U. since they weren't part of the stadium deal at that time (and York only pulled out because of the Argos) and have no reason to be bitter at York, and presumably they & MLS will be deciding the name, so it sounds plausible to me.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

MLSE were involved by being the prospective MLS franchise owners who were in a "slam dunk" situation in Don Garber's words if the project on the York U campus had proceeded as planned. Richard Peddie was quoted at the time as saying that he would have liked to have been able to speak to the people in charge at York U before they scrapped the stadium project after the Argos pulled out. IMO, it was a definite snub to MLSE and the CSA that there was no interest in making use of the $35 million in government grants once the Argos were no longer part of the equation.

[Captain Canuck]

MLSE were involved by being the prospective MLS franchise owners who were in a "slam dunk" situation in Don Garber's words if the project on the York U campus had proceeded as planned. Richard Peddie was quoted at the time as saying that he would have liked to have been able to speak to the people in charge at York U before they scrapped the stadium project after the Argos pulled out. It was a definite snub to MLSE and the CSA that there was no interest in making use of the $35 million in government grants once the Argos were no longer part of the equation.

I am aware of the history in the project, MLSE may not have been overly thrilled with York not going to them to see if they were interested in putting up the replacement cash & guaranteeing stadium construction overrun costs the way the Argos had, but I doubt that they were suitably enraged enough to ban the use of "Yorkmen" as a name all this time later because of the possible connotations that it could be seen to relate to York University. Especially as you can argue that given what has transpired with MLSE having more control of a stadium in a better location that they are better off thanks to York's decision.

I think a far better reason not to go with "Yorkmen" is that New York has a team in the same league and the name might appear bizarre to some as a result.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

I think a far better reason not to go with "Yorkmen" is that New York has a team in the same league and the name might appear bizarre to some as a result.

Agreed it would seem strange in New York.

Blizzard here Blizzard there Blizzard....

[mrdeeds]

Yeesh.... Yorkmen??? Please no. :mad:

[Chowda]

Originally Posted by the shelts
..........thats according to my brother in law who lives in TO and is a municipal employee.
Listen! Strange men, driving a plow, distributing names, is no basis for a system of branding.

True team names come from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical coffee-break ceremony.

[P1brit]

Agreed it would seem strange in New York.

Blizzard here Blizzard there Blizzard....

"Even old New York, was once New Amsterdam"

[Captain Canuck]

Listen! Strange men, driving a plow, distributing names, is no basis for a system of branding.

True team names come from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical coffee-break ceremony.

Perhaps we ought to call the team the Toronto Anarcho-Syndicalist Communes? ;)

[JBigjake]

He just said the team name would be FC Toronto or Toronto FC and they would have an unspoken nickname of the Yorkmen.

An unspoken nickname? What's that?
How about the Yorkies? Yorkoffs?

[RealGooner]

Some people will cal them Blues, depending on the uniform colour. The old-timers will just call them the Blizzard. Everyone is happy.

[SweetOwnGoal]

Yorkmen would be a REALLY bad name.

In addition to being confusing to anyone without knowledge of Toronto's history (i.e. 99% of MLS fans--including most IN Toronto), it has no obvious marketing appeal.

Bad name. Just bad.

Blizzards is the winner. Ben Knight summed it up nicely in one of his columns last month; Blizzards, although a bad name in 1977, has a history in the city and therefore should be kept. Football fans are tribal, he said. What passes for local football fans in T.O are Blizzards fans. Therefore....

Although based on the crap that is going on in the city lately the "Crips Tee-Dot FC" or "Bloods Doomstown FC" might be more appropriate. Sad stuff.

In all seriousness, the name should be Blizzards. But, I'll be happy with any name that has some relevancy. In fact, I've been thin king of a name recently that I haven't heard mentioned before that I would be happy with...

Maple Leafs Football Club.

Maple Leafs is a well established name in the city. Yes, it's a hockey name, but it's a unique, historical hockey name rather than a manufactured, marketing name (like, say, Raptors).

Many first generation Canadians in Toronto still cheer for the club team in the home country, but they express their new hometown pride through the Leafs. Attaching the name to the MLS team may draw some of those same fans over--at least in an abstract way.

And although it isn't typical in NA to have teams from different with the same name there really isn't any reason why it can't be done. Some people may argue that it will confuse people, but it's the situation at most universities...

MLFC. Works for me.

He!!, call them the Flying Nuns of Brampton for all I care, just get them in the league.

[Blizzard]

Yorkmen would be a REALLY bad name.

In addition to being confusing to anyone without knowledge of Toronto's history (i.e. 99% of MLS fans--including most IN Toronto), it has no obvious marketing appeal.

Bad name. Just bad.

Blizzards is the winner. Ben Knight summed it up nicely in one of his columns last month; Blizzards, although a bad name in 1977, has a history in the city and therefore should be kept. Football fans are tribal, he said. What passes for local football fans in T.O are Blizzards fans. Therefore....

Although based on the crap that is going on in the city lately the "Crips Tee-Dot FC" or "Bloods Doomstown FC" might be more appropriate. Sad stuff.

In all seriousness, the name should be Blizzards. But, I'll be happy with any name that has some relevancy. In fact, I've been thin king of a name recently that I haven't heard mentioned before that I would be happy with...

Maple Leafs Football Club.

Maple Leafs is a well established name in the city. Yes, it's a hockey name, but it's a unique, historical hockey name rather than a manufactured, marketing name (like, say, Raptors).

Many first generation Canadians in Toronto still cheer for the club team in the home country, but they express their new hometown pride through the Leafs. Attaching the name to the MLS team may draw some of those same fans over--at least in an abstract way.

And although it isn't typical in NA to have teams from different with the same name there really isn't any reason why it can't be done. Some people may argue that it will confuse people, but it's the situation at most universities...

MLFC. Works for me.

He!!, call them the Flying Nuns of Brampton for all I care, just get them in the league.

Ya, me too. Blizzard first, Maple Leafs second. Yorkmen, uh, no way. If we want something historical, how about Grenadiers or Knights. I'm sure Ben would go along with that.

[Blizzard]

Perhaps we ought to call the team the Toronto Anarcho-Syndicalist Communes? ;)

Bloody peasants! :mad:

[RealGooner]

Calling the team Toronto FC would be a refreshing approach. Fans could come up with their own nicknames and not have to live with an official nickname they dislike, a la Raptors.

[Toronto Red]

Hey There,

Good news about MLS is coming to TO. (Fairly confident now!)

I have been following the boards for a while and decided to get involved at last. First, I am a massive soccer fan and I am looking forward to having a team in the city, I am likely to buy season ticks. I grew up supporting Heart of Midlothian for about 10-12 years and have always followed Liverpool since the Dalgleish days. I really miss having a local team to follow. Footy mean so much more when you are a week to week supporter!!

I think the name Toronto FC is good (or pehaps SC would be more correct in Canada) . I love the neutrality, as in this city, I am willing to bet you can alienate a lot of the population by using a euro name like Inter or sporting. Imagine how many AC milan fans or Benfica fans there are who could not bring themselves to chant for inter or sporting. As a Liverpool fan, I am not sure I even could. Blizzard is OK but I would rather see a fresh, more modern approach.

The Yorkmen's not a bad suggestion but "the Blues" would be great, I like the idea of the double blue, sky and navy.

Cheers

[quebec_libre]

Call it the Upper Canada Revolution