Vancouver Whitecaps or Vancouver Royals??

[WhiteRockk]

Hey guys

A brilliant thought just came to mind...

When we get a MLS franchise [hopefully in time before
the 2011 season]...

I am wondering if we should change the name of the
franchise...

Because once we name it we cannot change it...

Like for example...

The Whitecaps colours are blue and white, correct?

Well the colours of blue, white and green plague the
cascadia region and maybe it might be a good idea
to change the name before we launch our MLS
team for it's inaugural season.. [hopefully as soon
as possible]....

Like Whitecaps are good and all but you only get one
shot at this and once you start you cannot change it,
ever.

So I was thinking well what could be the only exception
to changing the franchise name from the whitecaps...

The answer is easy....

Something that would overwhelming be accepted by
everyone..

And my 2 favorites are:

The Vancouver Canadians [my fav] or Vancouver Royals

I mean check out this logo here:

http://www.sportslogos.net/images/logos/52/1379/thumbs/6020.gif

http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1380

http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1379

I mean isn't that just a sweet logo for a soccer team...

It was used for the:

Vancouver Canadians (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/Vancouver%20Canadians) (1967 - 1967) Vancouver Royals (http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1379)
(1968 - 1968) Soccer teams...

I mean out of respect that we might get a MLB franchise
sometime in the future called the Vancouver Canadians
I think the best selection might be the Vancouver Royals

I mean we could really do something amazing with that

Anyways that's my 2 cents for today,

What do you guys think?

WR

[Johnnie Monster]

NO!


If it ain't broke, you don't fix it.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are an internationally recognized brand.

Walk into a pub in the UK, and nobody will have heard of Real Salt Lake or Chicago Fire. But say "Whitecaps" and you've got a 25% chance that someone there will pipe up and say "Oh yeah, Whitecaps. Canada, right? Peter Beardsley played for them. Alan Ball. Alan Hinton. Bruce Grobelaar. Wee Willie Johnston was there as well, drinking his beers mid-match, wasn't he?"

The Vancouver Royal Canadians (subsequently the Vancouver Royals) were actually Sunderland AFC playing under a pseudonym during the English off-seasons from 1967 to 1968.

The Whitecaps (later called the 86ers, and later still the Whitecaps again) have been a North American soccer institution for 35 years. It is the oldest pro soccer club on the continent. It still holds the North American pro sports record for the most consecutive games without a defeat.

You don't throw all that history away with a random name change, especially to something as corny as "the Canadians." Further to that, there's already a single A baseball team called the Vancouver Canadians (and a AAA predecessor by that name too).

Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It's unique, it's historical, it's perfect.

Name change? Not a chance in hell.

[carnifex2005]

NO!


If it ain't broke, you don't fix it.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are an internationally recognized brand.

Walk into a pub in the UK, and nobody will have heard of Real Salt Lake or Chicago Fire. But say "Whitecaps" and you've got a 25% chance that someone there will pipe up and say "Oh yeah, Whitecaps. Canada, right? Peter Beardsley played for them. Alan Ball. Alan Hinton. Bruce Grobelaar. Wee Willie Johnston was there as well, drinking his beers mid-match, wasn't he?"

The Vancouver Royal Canadians (subsequently the Vancouver Royals) were actually Sunderland AFC playing under a pseudonym during the English off-seasons from 1967 to 1968.

The Whitecaps (later called the 86ers, and later still the Whitecaps again) have been a North American soccer institution for 35 years. It is the oldest pro soccer club on the continent. It still holds the North American pro sports record for the most consecutive games without a defeat.

You don't throw all that history away with a random name change, especially to something as corny as "the Canadians." Further to that, there's already a single A baseball team called the Vancouver Canadians (and a AAA predecessor by that name too).

Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It's unique, it's historical, it's perfect.

Name change? Not a chance in hell.




Thanks. You've saved me a huge ass rant at this "idea".

[JohnnyRanger]

me too ;)

[PG Tips]

Other than the status quo, I'd go with -

Whitecaps FC

or

Vancouver FC - and have Whitecaps as the unofficial nickname by the fans(obviously) similar to Toronto FC = Reds, Chelsea FC = Blues. You get the best of both worlds.


The colours should be blue and white, full stop. I've actually done some up to date designs for a badge I'll post in the other thread soon. Should Vancouver go with blue vertical stripes? Not my favourite thing but it might look good. The Vancouver Royals were actually Sunderland AFC, who have red stripe kits so there is a poor, loose connection, but there is a wee bit of history.

The only other clubs in MLS with vertical stripes are Chivas(red), Dallas(red hoops), USL Portland has green hoops.

[canuck51]

Whitecaps or nothing

[dewhitecapfan]

hmm the Vancouver nothing eh? I like it. Maybe we can go skins too?

I agree 100% that a name change from the whitecaps would be awful for the organization. Wasn't it Kerfoot who came in and Revived the Whitecaps name? I personally like the design of our kits as is, but understand the change in brand may have to switch up the kit.

As for the badge, I am not too unhappy with what we have, trying to go ultra traditional like some of the ones on this site isn't too great an idea, but I have seen a couple interesting ones.

[Dynamo442]

Hey guys

A brilliant thought just came to mind...

When we get a MLS franchise [hopefully in time before
the 2011 season]...

I am wondering if we should change the name of the
franchise...

Because once we name it we cannot change it...

Like for example...

The Whitecaps colours are blue and white, correct?

Well the colours of blue, white and green plague the
cascadia region and maybe it might be a good idea
to change the name before we launch our MLS
team for it's inaugural season.. [hopefully as soon
as possible]....

Like Whitecaps are good and all but you only get one
shot at this and once you start you cannot change it,
ever.

So I was thinking well what could be the only exception
to changing the franchise name from the whitecaps...

The answer is easy....

Something that would overwhelming be accepted by
everyone..

And my 2 favorites are:

The Vancouver Canadians [my fav] or Vancouver Royals

I mean check out this logo here:

http://www.sportslogos.net/images/logos/52/1379/thumbs/6020.gif

http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1380

http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1379

I mean isn't that just a sweet logo for a soccer team...

It was used for the:

Vancouver Canadians (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/Vancouver%20Canadians) (1967 - 1967) Vancouver Royals (http://www.chriscreamer.com/team.php?id=1379)
(1968 - 1968) Soccer teams...

I mean out of respect that we might get a MLB franchise
sometime in the future called the Vancouver Canadians
I think the best selection might be the Vancouver Royals

I mean we could really do something amazing with that

Anyways that's my 2 cents for today,

What do you guys think?

WR


Sorry dude but that's a terrible idea.

But if you do it, You can have any color but orange! :rolleyes:

[JacksonJazz#9]

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE IDEA... Vancouver HAS to be the whitecaps!!

[WhiteRockk]

OUCH!!!

Yeah I had a feeling you guys would say this...

But on the other I have to say it was a total
crap shoot if you guys would like it or not...

OUCH!!!

Go Whitecaps!!

[Dynamo442]

OUCH!!!

Yeah I had a feeling you guys would say this...

But on the other I have to say it was a total
crap shoot if you guys would like it or not...

OUCH!!!

Go Whitecaps!!


I hope you guys do get a team this time around, Vancouver is awesome.:)

[NF-FC]

Whitecaps, no discussion.

Also, who says you can't change names, remember the Dallas Burn? or Houston 1836?

[Dynamo442]

Whitecaps, no discussion.

Also, who says you can't change names, remember the Dallas Burn? or Houston 1836?


The Burn didn't have a particularly illustrious history at that point and the 1836? That was just a name with no soccer history at all. The Whitecaps have a notable history that has been detailed in this thread.

I think WhiteRockk might have an idea where changing the colors is concerned. Blue and White could benefit from the addition of some brighter accents but that's for the folks in Vancouver to hash out.

[NF-FC]

I'm not suggesting a name change, I'm just showing that it is possible

[Goodsport]

Vancouver Whitecaps.

[PG Tips]

I do think they'll stay Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. but like I mentioned before, I think from a marketing standpoint they might want to be Vancouver F.C. but keep the "Whitecaps" as their unofficial name. The fans will be calling them that anyway. Toronto FC does a great job of marketing their team as the "Reds", which the fans refer to them regularly.

So you ask, why not just call them the Whitecaps then? They may want to stay clear of the North American way of nicknaming their sporting teams, and have a more marketable international image. Perhaps to please MLS and stay clear of the NASL image, a league that failed. It was thought that MLS hinted towards this when the naming of Seattle came up. Does MLS really want to be compared with NASL? I think they want to be as far away as possible from that.

[carnifex2005]

I do think they'll stay Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. but like I mentioned before, I think from a marketing standpoint they might want to be Vancouver F.C. but keep the "Whitecaps" as their unofficial name. The fans will be calling them that anyway. Toronto FC does a great job of marketing their team as the "Reds", which the fans refer to them regularly.

So you ask, why not just call them the Whitecaps then? They may want to stay clear of the North American way of nicknaming their sporting teams, and have a more marketable international image. Perhaps to please MLS and stay clear of the NASL image, a league that failed. It was thought that MLS hinted towards this when the naming of Seattle came up. Does MLS really want to be compared with NASL? I think they want to be as far away as possible from that.

I think after Seattle's success, the MLS will stay with any historical ties to previous teams. That's why Portland will stay the Timbers and Montreal will stay the Impact.
I personally would prefer that they be Whitecaps FC when going to MLS. Don't even mention the Vancouver part. At least that naming convention will be unique to NA sports.

[Rick O'Shea]

We had all this with Seattle when they thought about changing from the Sounders, luckily reason prevailed and they kept the name. Don't abandon history - Whitecaps forever!!!

Besides the Royals name needs to be kept for when Salt Lake get rid of their hideous Real tag! :D

[mednus]

WOW i can't believe one of you wants to be
Sunderland A.F.C. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunderland_A.F.C.)

[GOALSeattle]

Whitecaps is unique!

http://assets.cornerstone.edu/pages/1109/Image/Whitecaps%20Primary.JPG


Doh!:D