MLS FC Dallas

Dallas Burn to Change Identity Starting With 2005 Season

Published on August 12, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


DALLAS (Thursday, August 12, 2004) -- A new tradition of professional soccer begins today as Hunt Sports Group (HSG) and the Dallas Burn announced that, upon the completion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season, the Dallas Burn will now be known as FC Dallas.

"FC Dallas is a name that is representative of the sport and is all-inclusive for those in the DFW area," said HSG founder Lamar Hunt. "While the Burn has certainly enjoyed its share of success in the league's first nine years, we feel that this is the ideal time to unveil a team name that is more synonymous with the sport and one that the fans can rally around and identify with."

The new identity, created by MLS Creative Director Richard S. Levy in conjunction with HSG and New York-based Firefly Design, includes a more traditional "badge" or "shield" look that is easier to read and more recognizable than the current logo.

The new shield contains a mixture of new and old elements. With the name placed in a dominant position, the balance of the mark includes "Tex," a Texas cattle that was so prominent on the Shawnee Trail through the 1800's. The new color combination includes a strong representation of Republic Red, Lonestar White, Bovine Blue as well as a hint of Shawnee Silver in the "96." Similarly, these are the exact base colors of the United States and Texas flags with the Shawnee Silver added for an accent.

The "96" represents the year the franchise was established in Dallas and the distinctive mark on Tex's forehead is the exact flame from the old Dallas Burn logo.

FC Dallas is currently accepting $100 deposits for season seats for the 2005 season, which will be played at the new, state-of-the-art 20,000-seat stadium in Frisco. Current season seat holders have the first option to reserve their seats through August 20. Non-season seat holders may also put down a $100 deposit now, and they will be seated after the current season seat holders.

Further information regarding ticket pricing, deposits for 2005 season seats or other general ticketing questions can be obtained by contacting Shawn McGee or Megan O'Sullivan of the Dallas Burn at 214-979-0303 or visiting the Burn's website at www.dallasburn.com .

FC DALLAS FACT SHEET

Name of new team

FC Dallas will be the new name of the team effective immediately following the completion of the 2004 season.

What happens to Dallas Burn?

The team is and will continue to be the Dallas Burn throughout the remainder of the 2004 season, including the team's run to MLS Cup 2004.

Why the change at this time?

The team announced in June that its name and image would change to coincide with the organization's move to the sparkling new Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center's 20,000-seat soccer specific stadium in 2005. The change is being made to create a fresh, new, vibrant team identity that parallels the image of the new facility and the history of the game in North Texas, the United States and around the world.

Why FC Dallas?

The name says who the team is very clearly and defines the team's intention to be the soccer leader in North Texas and beyond. Memorability and recall are important, especially in a sports market such as Dallas.

Shield description

With a name in tow that truly said "soccer," the team set out to design a new identity that looks and feels like a soccer logo should. After looking at the top clubs all over the globe, it was decided that the best logos featured a "shield" or "badge" shape.

The new image was created by Richard S. Levy, MLS Creative Director in conjunction with Hunt Sports Group and New York-based Firefly Design.

What is the significance of the animal in the shield?

A major strategy shaping the vision for the new logo was to incorporate a theme into the logo via its dominant imagery. This theme needed to be both local and legendary.

Just as Dallas' Major League Soccer team is migrating to its new home in Frisco, Texas cattle - a major part of North Texas' history and lore - were long ago moved along many trails throughout the area. In the 1800's, both Dallas and Frisco played a major role in the cattle industry, with many trails, including the famous Shawnee Trail, running through each city. In fact today, both Dallas and Frisco have dramatic cattle statuary as part of their landscape; Dallas has Pioneer Plaza while Frisco has the Bridges of Frisco. These mixed-breed cattle drives were a major part of Frisco's heritage, and it was only fitting that an icon in the new logo reflected that. One such cattle, Charley Goodnight's "Old Blue" was one of the strongest, most determined of all and he was used many times to lead the herd to railheads. We refer to the animal in the shield as "Tex."

Dallas Burn - gone but not forgotten

The "96" above the bull's head represents the year the franchise was established. The old Dallas Burn logo also gets incorporated into the new FC Dallas logo by borrowing the famous flame from the horse icon and incorporating it as a distinctive mark on the cattle's forehead.

Shield Colors

Republic Red

Lonestar White

Bovine Blue

Shawnee Silver

Additional Marks

Secondary and tertiary marks will be developed and unveiled at a later date.

Uniform

Major League Soccer is in the final stages of partnering with a uniform supplier for FC Dallas to replace the team's current supplier. The team hopes to have its first look at new uniforms for FC Dallas by October 1.

Merchandise

Limited varieties of merchandise are available through the team's current website - www.dallasburn.com - and will be available at the August 28 home match.

Key Contacts

Hunt Sports Group

John Wagner

Hunt Sports Group President

214-720-1690

FC Dallas

Greg Elliott

President and General Manager

214-777-0245

Jeff Busch

Vice-President, Marketing & Communications

214-777-0246

Chris Ward

Senior Director of Media Services

214-777-0203

Shawn McGee

Senior Director, Soccer Business Development

214-777-0220

Megan O'Sullivan

Director of Corporate and Group Ticket Sales

214-777-0247

Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center

John Alper

Senior Vice-President, Business Development

214-777-0216

Check out the FC Dallas Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 12, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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