As always (it seems) I was spending a fair amount of time looking at a thread on BigSoccer.com regarding changing the name of the Wizards. somebody mentioned iconic Crests in England. And it got me thinking as always about Arsenal .. the frame for all things football in my world. I started writing and after 15 minutes and a slew of text had passed I found myself more on the fence about name change than I have been at anytime. I abandoned my post and converted the text into this … it is a bit of a ramble, but that is my way…
Iconography and graphics have changed frequently in England and across Europe. Even Arsenal and Manchester United’s. Manchester United’s crest only evolved in the 1970s from its original and highly different logo. Arsenal’s seems to have changed frequently throughout the years, most recently in the early 2000s as they simplified the graphics, changed the colors as well as the orientation of the cannon.
Arsenal, Wizards and Manchester United
logos throughout the ages.
Of course names changed as well. Dial Square became Royal Arsenal became Woolwich Arsenal (as they turned pro) and finally Arsenal (as they moved into the new stadium).
Much of this evolution happened back when the the English football leagues where new, which is in reality where we are now. Maybe it’d be better to get the naming and branding right now, Newton Heath, Thames Ironworks FC, Hotspur FC, and Ardwick Association Football Club just would not have worked so well in 2010 … in the UK the moves were often made to tie the club to broader geographic areas, or to neutralize them from specific locals that no longer where accurate.
In the USA its more about identity, no team doesn’t cover a broad geographic area, but the motivation to link your team to its supporter base via name change is the same. Wizards just doesn’t do KC justice in this light, but then neither does Real Salt Lake, or Red Bull New York. Our name is certainly no less silly than DC United just picking United because it is a traditional English naming convention.
I have been opposed to a name change, but maybe its just the natural course of things as teams develop, improve and evolve into the teams they will be for the next 100 years, rather than who they were for the first 15 or 20. I’m sure fans a hundred years ago were distraught that Arsenal not only moved from South East London to North London (a long old journey even today but made worse then via the lack of river crossings) but also changed their name distancing themselves from their original community.
Those that didn’t change much (or at all) seem odd sounding … Sheffield Wednesday (formally The Wednesday Football Club), Aston Villa, Crewe Alexandra seem oddly out of place in 2010, especially Villa playing in the Premier League with Villa Park a real relic of the past (but a fine stadium regardless). I love those teams for sticking with their names an roots, the likes of Preston North End and West Bromich Albion are not names that would be chosen today. There is no derision for them though, I guess people got used to them after a while — hell they have always been there. Much like the (Wiz)ards have been in MLS. Maybe without a change one day people will quit bitching about ‘Wizards’ and just accept them the way they do Hamilton Academical Football Club. Or maybe Wizards is so epically bad that they never will. If I live to 135 years old I’ll let you know …
If the name changed tomorrow I am not sure I’d care in twenty years, in fact I know I won’t. It is just the here and now where it stings a bit. Those of us that object in some respects are like old men scornful of change, yet its an undeniable thing and it need not always be bad. I am glad the Wizards are no longer called the Kansas City Wiz that much is certain. With all the kits, logos, venues the Wizards have played in over the 15 years you figure we’d be used to it but I guess in a way because of all that we understand what an unwelcome pain in the ass it can also be.
I guess this is me saying I am not going to fret about it either way, what happens will happen. It won’t stop me going to games and hell I buy new merchandise every year or two anyway, I don’t buy a shirt or a scarf for life. I get the feeling those old Wizards shirts would become a real statement if we did change and they were around in 10 years or so … a kind of ‘fuck you, I was here when..’ badge of honor that distinguishes the old fans from the new.
In terms of name change, none of it detracts from past glories in my mind. If ‘The Wiz’ had won it all in the MLS inaugural year we’d still claim that honor today as the Wizards. Its all the same team, right here in Kansas City and I doubt people will forget anytime soon that our ‘<insert euro-centric prefix>’ Kansas City ‘<insert hated new name>’ were once called the Wizards or the Wiz. If it is done well enough, there might be the same wry smile I see from today’s fans when they talk about the old Rainbow logos and Charlie Brown shirts. Change isn’t always bad … and sometimes it is wonderful.
I guess we will see what happens.
I think there are different situations behind each name change. If we take Woolwich Arsenal’s move in 1913, they were named Woolwich Arsenal, not because they played in Woolwich, (they were in Plumstead) but because the work force and many of the players were at the Woolwich Arsenal armaments factory.
And to be pedantic – while the club was there, that location was not in London, anymore than Tottenham was in London when Arsenal moved.
Woolwich Arsenal played in a minor town in Kent, and indeed each year they played a game against “the rest of Kent”. Tottenham H were in Middlesex – their part of the city did not become part of London until a much later reorganisation of the city.
When Woolwich Arsenal moved in 1913 they became “The Arsenal” which was how they were already known by many supporters in the Plumstead – Woolwich area. They didn’t become Arsenal until 1925.
There’s details of the life and times of Woolwich Arsenal in the book “Making the Arsenal” – it tells the story of Woolwich Arsenal in 1910 when the club went into administration and was taken over by Henry Norris, through the eyes of a football journalist working for the Chronicle.
Tony Attwood
Comment by Tony Attwood — July 30, 2010 @ 3:14 am
James, just letting you know I appreciate the work you put into your posts. Even with something currently in the works, I can rarely bring myself to debate this topic anymore after all these years. I feel like I’ve written a novella worth of thoughts on the subject, going back and forth and contradicting myself. I’m just going to wait and see what happens.
Sporting Club Kansas City grows on me by the day, so that’s a good sign, but it’s hard to have clear and rational perspectives on what’s good for the club long term when we’re so close.
Comment by szazzy — July 30, 2010 @ 2:21 pm
@Tony — appreciate the detail, I was going for a brief and illustrative pseudo history of Arsenal rather than a something truly accurate, mere to show the change. Your comment did get me thinking, I am not sure there is truly any teams but Chelsea and maybe Fulham that were founded within the ‘City of London’ itself. The County of London which evolved into Greater London did include both Islington and Woolwich – even in 1913 so we both win
@szazzy — Appreciate the feedback as always. Sporting Kansas City just seems blah to me even if I would have chosen it over the Kansas City Wizards if we were awarded a new MLS team today. Could go for SC Kansas City and just ignore the SC quite happily, but a large part of me wants to stay right were we are.
Comment by James Starritt — July 30, 2010 @ 3:06 pm
I’m ecstatic that KCW has hit it’s heyday now in the summer of 2010, especially with the new arena opening next year. The timing could not be better!
But as a fan of MLS generally I have to say that the ‘Wizards’ is probably the worst team name in the league, if not in all of professional sports (along with the Toronto Raptors). It has neither character, nor does it evoke a sense of competitive respect. I know there will be many people offended by this comment but honestly if you were to start fresh would you really re-name them the Wizards? I thought not.
So at a time when it will be closer to starting fresh then ever before with a new stadium it would also seem the most logical time to re-name the team. After all, KC may never get another legitimate opportunity to alter the name so that when you look back on it 40 years from now you will say gee, I’m really glad we changed that to…
The suggestion that I have heard and liked is the Kansas City 96. But it still lacks a bit of verve. I would like to see the ‘Kansas City 96ers’. It would be a minor change but also endearing in the way that the Philadelphia 76ers and SF 49ers are. I can hear the chant now “Nine-tee-six-ers!”. Hopefully I will also hear that echoing in the stadium soon, instead of just in my head.
Comment by MLS fan Dave — August 2, 2010 @ 11:42 pm