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.
What does FC in FC Dallas stand for?
F stands for "Futbol" which is the globally used term for the sport, and C stands for "Club" which again is the accurate reference to a team globally. As people across the metroplex will learn in the coming months and years, there are a variety of terms that more accurately describe the sport; such as Futbol Club when referring to the team itself.
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.
