Going Local from the Start

Originally named the Louisiana Premier League in 2014, the league had to be rebranded two years later to the Gulf Coast Premier League because it had outgrown the state of Louisiana. Now the league operates in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. The GCPL originally came into my radar while covering Motagua’s run in this year’s USOC qualifying. But recently I spotted a new kit in my twitter feed and found another GCPL club. Honestly, the first time I read the name Krewe FC, I thought someone had made a major spelling mistake. But because I’m a nerd, I decided to google it. Turns out it’s a real term for the team of people that operate a float for street festivals (you probably already are, but think Mardis Gras). So a club from Lafayette, Louisiana, the Cajun Capital, couldn’t be more appropriately named. Lafayette is somewhat isolated from other soccer clubs, so this year Krewe FC was formed to provide an outlet for the local soccer talent coming out of area high schools and academies.

Often times, when we write an article on a kit, it’s a rebrand. The tired and old is pushed out for something slick and new. But today’s Uni-Formity is about a brand new kit, fresh and clean, the Icarus-designed away kit for Louisiana Krewe FC. Yes, before I go further, Icarus sponsors this column and is an advertiser on our site. They also make some of the most amazing kits in the lower league.

I talked with Krewe FC about their new away kit and they described their thought process in choosing the club colors - “we wanted to go with something that would really resonate with South Louisiana. It made sense to go with the black and gold color scheme. Sports fans here relate and identify to those colors.”  Drawing inspiration from the local sports scene for the colors was only the beginning, inspiration for the stripe came from a place far from Louisiana. The inspiration for the sash design was inspired by “the newest kit Peru rolled out for the World Cup and the old Umbro shadow stripe jerseys of the early 80’s.”

That sash really makes the kit pop, particularly with the inclusion of more local inspiration. “The diagonal “shadow”stripe accented by the Fleur de Lis. A Gold Fleur de lis is also located just under the collar on the back of the jersey.” Even more local flair will be on the kit with “the addition of the club motto on the back of the jersey, running across the very bottom; ‘Toutes les Mains Aye’. This French phrase refers to the order, All hands on deck, or All hands Aye. This refers to the Regions French history and the Naval and Marine history of South Louisiana. In order for our Club and our objective to be met, “All hands” will be required to work and contribute.”

While the away kit is an absolute beauty, the home kit has yet to be revealed. The club plans on making that public in the near future, with public kit sales in early January. There are also plans in the works for a limited run of “Mardi Gras Edition” jersey in early 2019 (mock up of that kit below).

Kick It Off With a Bang

During the winter months, leagues take care of all the business that the regular season crowds out. League meetings, player tryouts, kit redesigns, almost anything you can think of happens when the weather outside is inhospitable in most parts of the country. One of those pieces of business is adding clubs. Whether through introducing a brand new club or adding on an established club who is jumping from one league to the next, expansion offers a spotlight on clubs, mostly through their crests (because most have a limited track record on the field). With all the announcements from league after league, we decided to put together a short list of some of our favorite badges from expansion sides this winter. Enjoy!

- Dan Vaughn

Dan Vaughn

Louisiana Krewe FC - Lafayette, LA - GCPL

I’m a sucker for maps. The shapes of states, cities, countries, you name it, love that stuff. This crest features the shape of Louisiana on a gray/black background. The name of the club is featured above the state with the smaller “FC” below. Rather than a round shape, the crest is almost the shape of a police or fireman badge, with the three points on top and the single point at the bottom. The colors are very much in line with the NFL’s Saints, connecting the club to familiar territory for Louisiana sports fans. By the way, Krewe is a term for a group of people that put together a float in a carnival (much like in Mardis Gras). It’s a sharp badge and I can’t wait to see the uniforms that will feature it.

Steven Ramirez

AC Miracle Hill - Desert Hot Springs, CA - UPSL Western Conference

If you live in Southern California and have made the drive through the desert, you have been faced by many giants that ruled in Don Quixote's time. The Southern California desert hosts a wind farm that contains over 4,000 windmills and is known to many travelers. When creating a crest for this Desert Hot Springs club, nothing makes more sense than those towering windmills. Using the “Athletic Club” moniker applies a traditional naming convention that is sporadically used in the world, especially in the U.S. soccer sphere. In their first year of existence this UPSL crest jumps out as one of the best in the league.

Aarik Long

Chattanooga Red Wolves - Chattanooga, TN - USL League One

I was at Edley’s BBQ on November 15th to witness to unveil of this logo for Protagonist Soccer.  The atmosphere inside of the restaurant was incredible. When the crest was finally unveiled, there seemed to be a positive response inside the building. However, people have seemed to not agree online. It’s been mocked repeatedly, but I think it’s a great crest. To begin with, I love that red is the primary color. It’s pretty common and maybe a little cliche, but there’s nothing like a cross-town, red vs blue rivalry. The wolf looks great. It isn’t a goofy cartoon canine, but it also is not overly realistic. The overall shape of the badge looks really nice, as well. The spikes at the bottom aren’t very common among crests, so the unique shape is refreshing. Some of the reasonings behind different parts of the logo seemed like a little bit of a stretch, but I think the crest itself is extremely solid and among the best in USL League One.

Dab Williams

Contra Costa FC - Concord, CA - UPSL

The round of expansion teams for Spring 2019 hasn’t impressed me much, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, they might be great on the field, but artistically and stylistically I’ve been underwhelmed. Contra Costa FC was a breath of fresh air. CCFC’s badge is in the shape of the Union Pacific logo and features a similar design with the white and red stripes across the base of the badge.  The top of the badge features some mountains, the name and, outside the limits of the badge, is the star, which I assume is from winning the Liga NorCal Copa Cup championship in May 2018. Across the front of the crest is a soccer ball with wings (not my favorite feature of this one), completing the look of the badge. I love the color palate, love the shape, it’s the best of the UPSL expansion clubs, without a doubt.