IIRC, part of the holdup was that MLS wanted the MLS4theLou group to get someone other than Enterprise on board for shirt & stadium sponsors - i.e. they didn't want the bid to put all their sponsorship eggs in one basket. Now, if the team *name* becomes something along the lines of the "St. Louis Enterprise" (sounds Star Trek-y) then maybe you'd get the name on the front - but not in the sponsor spot.
It's not a rule, it's just what was reported over this past summer as something that had been asked of STL in particular. I'm guessing it's a part of "expansion ownership group requests" that wasn't a thing back when but is a thing now after more than a decade of the expansion race. That is, if Red Bull were trying to buy a club right now, they'd be asked to find different shirt+stadium sponsors - but it wasn't something asked of them when they joined, and no one is seeing a reason to ask them to change now.
Not my idea, I have seen it kicked around here (or Reddit, or both?) in the the past. Panera / St. Louis Bread co for jersey sponsors. Could do Panera on the road , Bread co at home? Any other teams have different* home / away sponsors. * yes i know they are the same entity, just different names in and out of the STL market.
Re-read Sport Billy's original post - he said "Shamrocks" plural, not "Shamrock." I would be okay with the name Shamrocks. It was the name of one St. Louis's early professional teams from the late 1800's-early1900's. But it seems a little too 'Irish-only' by today's standards. I think the ownership group will want something more inclusive. By the way, why do you feel that MLS will "push" the ownership group to take the St. Louis FC name? What's in it for MLS?
The picture he posted and most recent post referencing that name clearly shows an image that says "Shamrock" and there is no part of that post that says "Shamrocks". I didn't go back and look at his previous posts after he posted it. Sorry about that. Just based on following the league since inception in 96, and as I have stated many times now...the trend of the latest teams is city name with FC/SC. I also know the league tried to force Minnesota away from using United so that tells me the league definitely tries to push the teams to or away from some names. They gave in after there was fan push back. FC Dallas (the first one...rebranded in 2005) Toronto FC Orlando City SC (virtually the same idea as city name FC/SC) NYCFC LAFC FC Cincinnati Nashville SC Austin FC 4 of the last 5 teams to be named have been in this format. Inter Miami is the one that wasn't. 6 out of the last 9 if you count Orlando City SC. What's in it for MLS? Well they actually own the team names. So they definitely have some influence and say and ultimately the final approval power. I think MLS likes and prefers the generic branding of city name FC/SC. I think they like that there is no way it can offend anyone or ruffle any features and it also has a traditional appeal to it. It just seems they are definitely moving heavily toward it. 4 out of last 5 is hard to ignore. There has also been some talk of the league and club possibly renaming Chicago Fire to Chicago FC or similar. Not sure it will happen, but sounds like it has been discussed.
MLS may have approval power over names but I don't think they influence the decision-making aspect of team naming much, if at all, until that final approval (or attempted denial in MNUFC's case). In fact, I think the MNUFC is the "exception that proves the rule", as it were. It was the first time we'd ever heard of MLS trying to influence a team's name. Trying to attribute more of the naming process to MLSHQ than we have evidence for is a sizeable folly, IMO. Also, the club's full name is Club Internacional de Futbol Miami, or Inter Miami *CF*. Just because a club has the FC/SC/AC/CF/whatever doesn't mean it can't have whatever extra as well. I mean, think of two of the Cascadian expansion teams. In fact I think they added those initials versus their previous USL names.
Not sure what your point is about Inter Miami. I am saying they are the one recent team that hasn't followed the city name plus FC/SC. I specifically only listed the teams that are only city name + FC/SC. I didn't mention any of the others that have FC or SC in their official name. Toronto FC is just Toronto FC there is no "extra" in their name. Same with LAFC and so on. Sure teams can have "extra" in their name but the ones I mentioned don't.
------------------------------- With the use of FC/SC, wouldn't that then evolve into a nickname for teams kind of organically? TFC (I think) is the Reds for example.
Here I just wanted to add my two cents for naming the club "Gateway FC St. Louis" along with a crest idea:
I like Gateway FC but I can't see them going for it without the city name in there. I like AC St. Louis or St. Louis AC. No one uses AC yet.
AC would certainly be unique on the landscape, but I doubt anyone wants to dig up the skeleton of the previous ACSTL.
Not my team, although glad y’all are in, so feel free to tell me to take a hike, but I hope y’all go with St Louis Archers FC.
I'm not a fan of the name, but my compliments on the logo design and the choice for color palette. Well done!
Same here, From an outsider perspective I think the Archers name would be great! Confluence is a good name too but probably needs a nickname with it.
Gateway St. Louis sounds sharp to me. FC/SC on the end of it is arbitrary and wouldnt need to be actually said, (Who says "anybody want to go to the Seattle Sounders FC game with me"?) I think this is one of the only distinct real names that MLS would find palatable and accept. @SteveUSSF_ref8 logo is legit. Looks clean and modern, not too simple but not too busy, and completely relevant with the Arch and flag featured. This logo is actually MLS-ready.
St. Louis' MLS team name will be unveiled in the 'next couple weeks' https://kmox.radio.com/articles/news/st-louis-mls-team-name-to-be-unveiled-in-couple-weeks #weneedsomeleakage
It will be close between St Louis FC, FC St Louis, St Louis SC, SC St Louis or, breaking the mold, AFC St Louis.
St Louis Explorers Explorers FC Explorers SC -Kind of like the relation to St Louis position in the westward expansion of the country, up and down the rivers. You could have fun with graphic say of a canoe, a fir trader paddling, Similar Gateway SC Gateway FC Gateway St Louis -As in gateway to the west.