The 2015 Creamer Awards were announced last week. I went oh-fer but I know that I didn't do my best. I was too confident and lazy about the concept series. I want to come out swinging because I have great ideas, but need to commit myself. Also, ultimately, keep it simple. Less long back story for people to read through. I waited to finish my part of the WIHF project to finally unwrap this!
A few years ago, I did a few A-League concepts. They were okay. I used my soccer template at the time, but was confined by the template cuts. I was too reliant on them, so I decided to tear up my yakball template to make a new easy to change soccer template. Since I made it, I've done probably 200 concepts on it. I love it. That is why I'm releasing my soccer template. So many people have messaged me wanting it that I got annoyed sending out individual emails. Included is 6 different jersey cuts, across all brands. Have fun mixing and matching.
So I felt like I left a lot on the table with my A-League concepts. I had my folder looking at me every time I went to my 2030, CONCACAF, or Tumblr Premier League folder. I felt like I needed to redeem myself. I forget how exactly I stumbled upon the league itself again. They follow me on twitter, but that's not it. It may be because the Cricket World Cup is going on down under, but all that happened was me learning cricket and watching highlights non-stop before they deleted the YouTube channel I did that on.
But I reached out to a group called Expand the A-League. Their goal is to try and push the soccer officials of Australia to expand the top domestic league to more than 10 teams, due to the handful of cities that could support a team. They got to me during the last round of concepts, and really liked my work. I tweeted at them saying that I may do A-League concepts down the line to redeem myself. I began talking to Mark, the author, and next thing I knew I was 3 or 4 concepts in. My idea was a smaller, Australian version of my US Soccer 2030. But much simpler. Just have like, 2 leagues of 14 teams. Hypothetical promotion/relegation mixing A-League teams, existing teams, former teams, and new teams made from scratch. Mark outlined me teams that would be great and where they could go in terms of the league landscape.
My brand is a simple shield with the Southern Cross on it with shades of yellow and green to match the Socceroos. Other brands include the Westfield FFA Cup, the domestic cup between both leagues. The State Cup which I'll explain later as the Australian-only domestic competition. Then the Kiwi Cup, which is the tournament between the 3 teams from New Zealand.
So let me say, thank you for hanging in there through the fluff that normally comes with this stuff. I'm really proud of everything so far, and getting pretty warm reviews on the concepts posted to Expand the A-League.
One last thing, I would really really REALLY love for someone to make a Football Manager mod of this league. Preferably 2014, but I just want to share this series with people because the guy who made the US Soccer 2030 mod really did great, and it's so fun. I would help whoever wants to do help me out immensely. Logos, colors, spreadsheets. Just let me know.
Yah, your idea is like mine :D A-League need 2 divisions with relegated/promoted system. A-League can keep 10 teams there with top6 qualify for play off, but 10th to relegate in second division. I think Australia can have another 10 competitive teams from NPL to play in A-League 2.
ReplyDeleteAnother problem ... I don't like NZ teams in A-League :) For Australians (not me), this is good. For neutral (me), this is not good for NZ Championship..... all their good teams leaves the ASBP for A-League, and NZ league remain all time at an amateur level.
Firstly just wanted to say your work is absolutely outstanding. Thoroughly have enjoyed browsing through your designs and what not. Currently now been experimenting making a few different leagues and mods to FM16...
ReplyDelete... annnnd this has given me the idea to create a similar league system for the Aleague on FM16. However was thinking some slight modifications (league names being sponsored, creating real life kits to import into the game rather than just cartoon graphics and also some other/different teams)
Thoughts on your idea:
- Too many teams to remain realistic in near future with popularity of sport in Australia
- Darwin too small to host a team
- Need two north island and two south island NZ teams
- Some logos too cartoony for my liking, need sharpening and potentially shading/shadows just to make them a bit edgier like other world soccer club logos
- the term "united" is given to soccer clubs who have formed from a merger eg. Adelaide united formed from West Adelaide and Adelaide city both of which shouldn't be used as expansion franchises.
- Iv changed a few names logos and colours id like to see.
Leagues:
- Top league: (Qantas) A-League (Current logo and scheme new sponsor)
- Second League: (ANZ) Championship (Logo same as current Aleague but with ANZ colours light blue, medium blue, black)
Cups:
- Main Cup: Westfield FA Cup (logo unchanged)
- Winners cup: CrownBet Cup (FA Cup vs Aleague champ)
- State Cups:
- Kiwi Cup
- Victorian State Cup
- NSW State Cup
- Battle of Southern Australia
- Battle of Queensland
- Battle for Western Australia
- The Capital vs The Island (cup for Tasmania vs Canberra)
ReplyDeleteAll the default teams of today's A-league remain unchanged with their real life logos
The teams of yours i want to include without modification:
- AFC Geelong
- North Queensland Fury
- Auckland City
Changes to your teams:
- Sporting Fremantle
- Logo looks mint
- Dont use light blue, Keep firmly an all black kit and an all white kit, with gold trim and shorts (yes gold shorts... mainly to avoid clashes with other kits)
- Canberra Capitals FC
- Like the logo and the kit, change the name to remove united
- Tasmanian Devils FC
- Love the logo but change animal to a Tassie Devil
- Love the colours
- Second kit shouldnt be blue??? Id like to see a white kit, with Red and green trim, If you look up Empoli FC 2014/15 white away kit, this is exactly the design id love here with green and red
- Christchurch Saints
- Okay minor change, can you add to logo, the really dark blue of the second kit. Id like it sort of like a trim colour for it
New Teams:
- Eastern Ranges FC
- Logo (renamed): http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/6/229/full/xeti0fjbyzmcffue57vz5o1gl.gif
- Colours: 70s/80s seattle seahawks colours - Blue and Green with white trim
- AFC Port Adelaide Power
- Kit and logo: merge between Adelaide City kit you made and Port Adelaide aussie rules football kit, use teal for the secondary kit, and maybe just some really minor trim on the home kit - - - IDEA: have a horizontal white strip for sponsor, with a small teal stripe at the top and bottom of it, (THINK BOCA Juniors but replace yellow with white and Navy with teal) on both jerseys
- Queenstown (NZ) Avalanche
- Colour and logo taken from Colorado Avalanche, the logo pretty much looks like a Q with an a in it anyway. Pretty much just make the Q more prominent and the A less prominent.
- I understand that you probably dont want to just remake an existing logo but i was keen for you to play around with that concept
Okay so that comes to the end of the request really, was wondering if you do decide to look at this and decide its feasible for you to fit in id love it if the logos could be sent to me via Email (iv also emailed you this post) in .png format so that I can use them on FM. Also if you have all the kit sponsors you use available in .png it would be awesome to have them as well as i am going to use a real kit template to modify and create all the jerseys youve made into real jerseys also for use on fm16.
Appreciate your work mate, understand completely if this all isnt possible but would be amazing if it is. No rush on it, have exams at the minute so will be working on the FM stuff after the 20th.
Thanks again!