Melbourne Heart: The name, the colours & the logo - Are you happy with it?

[FB.]

With the introduction of the West Sydney side and the fan involvement in shaping the club's name, colours, kits and logo, it got me thinking about Melbourne Heart and our identity and whether people are happy with it 2 years on from our formation?

Generally the feeling I find from supporters is that the colours are liked, but the logo and espcially the name Heart could have been different.

So the question is. Do you like the logo, the colours and the club name? And if not, what would have you preffered?

For me personally, I would have preffered the name 'Melburnians FC' without any moniker or mascot. Reasoning why is that it is diffrent from simply calling ourselves Melbourne like 'Melbourne' Victory, appeals to tradition (Think Corinthians, Hibernians) and the infrence in the name is that club represents the people of Melbourne. The logo I would have liked something more traditional perhaps incorporating some aspects of the City Coat of Arms.

Perhaps if there's enough intrest here in a identity change, it's something we could raise at the fan meeting....

Edited April 18, 2012 by Footballism

[LR9]

I agree, I love the colours...

However, I would have preferred Melbourne City FC or AFC Melbourne (Association Football Club).

With the possible nickname of 'the Bats' or 'red legs'.

As for the 'Logo', it is exactly that - a corporate style logo. I would have much preferred a proper football-style badge, possibly a roundel, as no-one in the league had that.

Edited April 16, 2012 by LR9

[cadete]

TBH I have got used to a lot things and grown to like them.

It was not exactly easy supporting a team called “Heart” in the first place as I as Celtic Supporter but I am used to it now.

I also actually even quite like our Logo these days, I like how it does not have any writing on it.

And IMO is in the style of a lot German Clubs.

TBH I am pretty happy that we did go down the obvious Rip Off Path and got named like a bunch of Uni Geeks Futsal Team: Sporting Melbourne ETC.

Edited April 16, 2012 by cadete

[marteaux]

Can live with the name, although it was my 4th choice out of the shortlisted 4 (Melburnians, Sporting Melbourne, Melbourne Revolution, Melbourne Heart).

The badge, has failed to engaged me at all. It doesn't stir the same emotions I feel when I see the Collingwood or West Ham logos and I somewhat don't feel represented by it.

The colours are perfect, I would perhaps change the Away Kit due to it not being a proper/traditional Away Kit (by that I mean having a similiar colour scheme to our home kit.

I'd like to see the team adopt a nickname (I do like the Bats a lot) but I guess this is something that comes with time, so I'll put up with "Hearts" for the time being.

Eagerly awaiting the fan forum in May and further replies to this thread, but that's a different thread.

[FB.]

I dunno about anyone else, but logo has always resembled for me a bloke laying down a massive cable....

I know others have remarked it looks like the Transformers, or like Rugby goalposts....

[DutchPride]

Melburnians would be quality, so would AFC. Revolution is more sell-out than Heart is, so I'd go Heart > Revolution, but I'm still not happy we are referred to as "The Heart" doesn't do a lot for me at all.

The badge is 50/50 for me, it probably doesn't do as much as it should, very simple & very small - Brisbane's is the best logo in the league.

Colours are perfect, but black shorts to me would be better, definitely need an away kit change & I'm sure that'll get a fair go, sooner rather than later.

Edited April 16, 2012 by DutchPride

[Rellum]

Love the colours.

Hate the name. I would hope in the years to come that the club slowly evolves away from it.

Meh to the Logo.

[perthheart]

I think a badge change is the only real change i'd go for. Colours are good, name i can live with. I would take Heart over Victory, Glory, Mariners or Roar.

However, I would have voted for AFC Melbourne if there was a vote. Just for the fact that in a two team league in a traditional football area fans would naturally be more inclined to like that name over a shit name like Victory. Heart and Victory both stink of commercialised franchises. Which to be fair all A-league clubs are. But at least Heart out of all the A-league clubs seem to be attempting to build a proper football culture from scratch within that system. A name that more fully represents those ideals would be nice.

[Benny_MHFC]

now looking at it, the logo looks like optimus prime. the i've got used to the name but seriously whats with all the a league teams ie victory? WTF! roar, is it possible for a name change?

[FB.]

now looking at it, the logo looks like optimus prime. the i've got used to the name but seriously whats with all the a league teams ie victory? WTF! roar, is it possible for a name change?

QLD Roar changed their name to Brisbane Roar a few years ago. Newcastle recently changed their colours. Perth has changed their logo. So there's definitely scope for us to change if enough people wanted it.

[CALZALOL]

Name: Sporting Melbourne

Logo: Needs to suit above name (Sporting Melbourne).

Colours: Stay the same.

[Thalfie]

i find the logo pretty average,

the name i can deal with, but would much prefer Melbournians FC or AFC Melbourne.

and the colours are great.

[dRoy]

Name: Sporting Melbourne

Logo: Needs to suit above name (Sporting Melbourne).

Colours: Stay the same.

I agree with this.

I love the colours (obviously).

The logo is very clever, but doesnt fit us.

The name, "heart" is hard to understand, which heart does it mean. etc.

[Jimmy]

Colors are great. Wouldn't have any different if I had the choice.

Didn't enjoy the name at first but has defiantly grown on me. I think it's pretty much locked in for us at this stage. Any name change would destroy our brand recognition, which isn't good in a period where we have to grow fast or end up like other expansion teams. That being said however, I wouldn't be opposed If the name was to be changed to "Melbourne FC" very gradually by fading out the Heart moniker, using it less and less.

The thing that has to change is the logo. It's pretty damn bad. A big heart with a "M" in the middle is cheesy and plastic. The sooner we change to a more traditional looking logo the better.

[JD.]

Name- Can deal with it, but would personally definitely prefer Sporting Melbourne.

Colours- Like the colours, top choice, but like what has been said before, we really need an away strip with different colours.

Logo- Not a fan, rate our logo close to one of the worst in the league, ahead of Perth's. Altough I do like how it's simple with no writing.

[cadete]

Not having a go here @ people in particular here but seriously why is Sporting Melbourne is so popular?

A similar name is alos big with the Western Sydney fans.

In every Futsal League there is at least one team called Sporting Something: Usually consisting of a bunch of hairy nerds in Fluoro Barca Kits.

I think the name is popular in Oz because the Portuguese league is a big enough league for ppl to know of its Powerhouse Clubs but also a League not many Australians actually actively follow.

Sporting Lisbon are called as such because they compete in over 20 sports not just Football like MH: Which I am sure was one of the many reasons it was not chosen in the first place.

Edited April 16, 2012 by cadete

[FB.]

The idea behind Sporting Melbourne was that the name reflected the massive Sports culture of Melbourne, nothing to do with being a true Sports Club in the continental sense.

I still find it intresting to this day that we were given a poll in the Herald Sun to choose our club's name, but the results were never published and we were just told that Melbourne Heart was the favourite. Following the club closely from the start, Sporting Melbourne was the clear favourite from what I saw across internet forums and social media and through people I met.

TBH, have always felt dubious about whether the poll was actually sincere...

Edited April 16, 2012 by FB.

[Libero]

logo looks amazing

like the name too....

melbourne heart's current colors are great, nothing could be improved

the name melbourne heart is a bit iffy however.

what about Melbourne Athletic FC ?

Edited April 16, 2012 by nicotera5

[cadete]

The idea behind Sporting Melbourne was that the name reflected the massive Sports culture of Melbourne, nothing to do with being a true Sports Club in the continental sense.

I still find it intresting to this day that we were given a poll in the Herald Sun to choose our club's name, but the results were never published and we were just told that Melbourne Heart was the favourite. Following the club closely from the start, Sporting Melbourne was the clear favourite from what I saw across internet forums and social media and through people I met.

TBH, have always felt dubious about whether the poll was actually sincere...

I know that was the argument behind it, But for me personally I did not buy it...

To me its popularity will always have a lot more to with sounding like Sporting Lisbon than anything to do with Melbourne's Sporting Culture.

[JD.]

what about Melbourne Athletic FC ?

Oh please no.

[AyeCee]

The name is the biggest issue, probs the least favourite thing for me. However, as was said before, changing it will lead to loss of identity.

That being said, I would only be happy with Sporting Melbourne if, like Cadete said, we were active participants in at least 2 other sports. AFC Melbourne has the best ring to it for me, but will never come about. I'm hoping that if we call ourselves Melbourne FC enough, the heart bit will eventually be forgotten.

Colours are fine, and all logos change over time.

[cadete]

Another name which IMO has more to do with trying to replicate a European Club more than anything else...

[Jimmy]

The name is the biggest issue, probs the least favourite thing for me. However, as was said before, changing it will lead to loss of identity.

That being said, I would only be happy with Sporting Melbourne if, like Cadete said, we were active participants in at least 2 other sports. AFC Melbourne has the best ring to it for me, but will never come about. I'm hoping that if we call ourselves Melbourne FC enough, the heart bit will eventually be forgotten.

Colours are fine, and all logos change over time.

Not a fan of sporting melbourne or athletic or insert other european club name here, because as cadete said, it's just a rip off.

Like I said before, and as you've just said, the only thing that we should be excepting of is just slowly phasing out the heart part of Melbourne Heart FC

Edited April 16, 2012 by NoMorePineapple

[Tesla]

I wasnt a fan of Heart, not that the other proposals were b etter. But I have gotten used to it now. Dont particularly like the logo, but whatever.

Melbourne FC would be my preference. Dont like AFC Melbourne at all, makes me think of a club that has gone bankrupt and then remade, or something along those lines.

I have similar hopes as AyeCee in seeing the "Heart" in the name lose significance through being used less.

[KSK_47]

Its all been said, but my two cents...

Name- horrible. Even as a passionate supporter of the club I still cringe every time I say it. Melbernians- with nickname "the red legs" is best for me. Athletic, sporting, etc are a complete rip without any relevance or originality.

Colours- Great. Melbourne is red and white.

Logo- Meh. I have seen worse. I dont mind it in the roundel, but would not be gutted if we lost it.

Kit- As soon as I heard we had gone with vertical stripes my first thought was "How boring. Go default settings FC". Honestly, I dont think we could have come up with anything less original. I actually really like the away strip and would prefer that as our home strip and have a charcoal design as our away strip.

I understand people's concerns about losing our identity, but I would rather see it happen now in our infancy than down the years when we have built up a strong identity an history.

.

[Jimmy]

I have similar hopes as AyeCee

ffs. Invisible.

[Footballism]

I would take Heart over Victory, Glory, Mariners or Roar.

TBH I am pretty happy that we did go down the obvious Rip Off Path and got named like a bunch of Uni Geeks Futsal Team: Sporting Melbourne ETC.

Couldn't agree more with these two points.

Like Cadete has been saying a lot of the names are just cringey Euro knockoffs with no real connection to the club. I would have preferred just Melbourne FC but obviously that was never going to happen so I think Heart was the best choice.

I don't like the logo tbh but I can live with it.

We were always going to be red and white and I accepted that (even though it was hard) early on. Red and White does makes sense so I am happy enough with it now.

[toogood18]

I love the strips, so nothing bad to say about that.

I must say though the logo and name aren't great, but do we really want to start again? I say no, it makes no sense

[Benny_MHFC]

am i the only who gest pissed off, whenever some says hearts? WERE NOT SCOTTISH! if changing the name means getting it right then i'm up for it

[Myki]

Fine with the name... nicknames are pretty much a prerequisite for any sporting team these days. With the vicmongs around before us I guess there was no other way to avoid confusion and difference ourselves from those pieces of shit. Personally I kind of like the originality and subtext behind the name.

The colours are perfect... the inclusion of charcoal as the 'terrace' colour is awesome and the forbze kit was truly beautiful. Would like to see a more traditional 'all stripes' home kit moving forward.

The logo is horrendous... for me it says nothing about the identity of the club (aside from the obligatory connotation), that we play football or the community being represented. It is simplistic and boring. Like FB said, looks more like an image of rugby goals.

I've been thinking about the club logo recently and would like to see more of a shield design... with Flinders St Station as the main image... as when I think of Melbourne, the city, it springs to mind as the most recognisable icon and is 'grand' in nature. 'Meet me under the clocks'... It is the 'heart' of this city.

[belaguttman]

We are who we are. It's a bit like your own name, you didn't pick it yourself but it is a part of who you are. I wouldn't have chosen Heart myself but I'm happy with it now, especially when sub-editors finally run out of weak Heart pun headlines. I do like the logo, we are a 21st Century club that deserves a modern icon not a pretend history with an old style icon. The colours are great and there are a lot of fantastic red/white jerseys we can model our own ideas on. I'd like to see it more like the Ajax jersey myself

[KSK_47]

especially when sub-editors finally run out of weak Heart pun headlines.

I dream of the day this happens!

[Jimmy]

I'd like to see it more like the Ajax jersey myself

I made an Ajax kit on photoshop but with the colors reversed back at our inception when everyone was discussing kits, colors and names. Still my ideal kit.

Edited April 16, 2012 by NoMorePineapple

[Ando]

I always thought that if the club was going to be going down that 'traditional' path and 'looking to engage the community', it could've done a lot worse than model itself on eastern European sporting clubs where a number of different sports are affiliated under one banner. That way you would achieve (in theory) a cross over of fans loyal to the club as a whole and able to support a few different codes.

Dynamo Melbourne - power in motion

As it stands, the logo could do with a reworking, it's not as if any one is attached to it at all. The club colours are fine and the name, well you've got my opinion written above.

[dRoy]

Kit- I actually really like the away strip and would prefer that as our home strip and have a charcoal design as our away strip.

Boooooo. I hate the away strip. It's the same as my Sydney Swans heritage jersey a few seasons ago. And I didn't like that.

[cadete]

By the way perhaps I should mention in this thread that a number of us already do but I encourage others to also call the side "The Redlegs" as a nickname.

[KSK_47]

Boooooo. I hate the away strip. It's the same as my Sydney Swans heritage jersey a few seasons ago. And I didn't like that.

Tsk, tsk. I thought a dapper fellow like yourself would know the sexiest kit in the HAL when they saw it.

[marteaux]

I can't seem to like the Redlegs as the nickname for a Football club, others seem to though, so I guess it's not that bad. Is it a VFL thing or am I just missing the whole point?

I like the Bats, as cheesy as it is.. Infact, all nicknames usually are bar the eldest and most recognised. (ie Hoops, Nerrazurri, Spurs, Gunners...)

[marteaux]

Tsk, tsk. I thought a dapper fellow like yourself would know the sexiest kit in the HAL when they saw it.

"Dapper", what an awesome word.

[Libero]

By the way perhaps I should mention in this thread that a number of us already do but I encourage others to also call the side "The Redlegs" as a nickname.

would you prefer it to heart?

im pretty sure i would