The Vancouver Whitecaps have one of the more unique stories of any soccer club. Along with being a staple in Vancouver for nearly 50 years, they are a rare Major League Soccer club that was not an expansion team but a transfer team from another league. As such, the Whitecaps have a distinct logo history, with several beloved logos to date. In today's piece, we'll examine their logo history, beginning with their North American Soccer League logo and ultimately arriving at their current MLS logo.
Original Logo: An Ode to the Maple Leaf
In 1973, Vancouver was announced as an expansion franchise in the NASL, entering the league in 1974 along with Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Jose. Vancouver had not had a soccer team since the Vancouver Royal Canadians, a United Soccer Association team, last played in 1968. At the time, they were just the third central professional Canadian sports team, following the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.
The first logo was a simple one, featuring a white soccer ball with a red-tiled design. The seams led to the pronounced red maple leaf in the middle of the insignia, the focal point of the logo. The ball was enclosed in an inverted arch outline with the "Vancouver Whitecaps" centered above the soccer ball in a distinct display-style font. This was the Whitecaps' logo until 1978.
Iconic Blue Logo
In 1979, the Whitecaps dramatically changed their logo, removing red altogether. This is the logo most fans are familiar with, thanks to Vancouver's immediate run to the championship that same year, when they won the NASL's Soccer Bowl for the first and only time in the franchise's history.
The new logo kept the familiar inverted arch outline, with a break in the top right corner. The display-styled "Vancouver White" was also changed, with "Vancouver" made smaller and "Whitecaps" becoming the focal point. Above the text was a light blue background, set against a now-famous navy blue wave. On top of the wave sat a soccer ball. This logo remained the primary logo until the NASL went defunct in 1984.
The Whitecaps Return As The 86ers
After the NASL collapsed, Vancouver retained their team as the Vancouver 86ers in the new Canadian Soccer League. The name was a shoutout to the year Vancouver was founded (1886) and the year the new team was commissioned (1986).
The 86ers had two distinct logos. The first, the team's logo from 1986 to 1992, retained the inverted arch outline. However, it replaced the more retro designs of the past with a distinctly European, crest-style logo, similar to those found in the Premier League. The logo featured a red and yellow design with navy accents, included "Vancouver" in arched text above a soccer ball on the lower half, and showcased the team crest sandwiched between the numbers "8" and "6".
In 1993, Vancouver abandoned the crest style and opted for a distinctly 90s-style logo, the simplest in club history. This design had no outline or numerals but instead featured a soccer ball sandwiched by the words "eighty" and "sixers" with "Vancouver" arched across the top of the ball.
Vancouver Returns To The Whitecaps
In 2000, after widespread public support, the franchise officially changed its name to the Whitecaps. The team participated in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues A-League as the Whitecaps from 2000 to 2004, before moving to the United Soccer Leagues between 2005 and 2009, and playing a final season under the logo in the United States Soccer Federation Division 2 Professional League in 2010.
The design itself was a refreshed version of the iconic 1979 design. However, there were significant changes. The most notable is the introduction of teal as an accent color to navy blue. A soccer ball remained in the middle behind the iconic wave design. Still, rather than a pronounced inverted arch outline, the design had a pointed bottom with "Whitecaps" written across the top of the logo.
The Whitecaps Move To The MLS And Get A Fresh Look
Following their second USL championship in 2008, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced Vancouver as the 17th MLS franchise in March 2009. The franchise retained the Whitecaps name but got a brand refresh before their first match. With the move to the MLS, Vancouver opted for a much sleeker and more modern logo.
No soccer ball was in the design for the first time in franchise history. They also removed the iconic wave design featured in the 1979 and 2001 logos. Instead, the design featured three mirrored triangle outlines. The top outlines are white, with the mirrored bottom outlines colored powder blue. Sandwiched in between is the text "Vancouver Whitecaps FC". This logo remains the team's logo to this day, and the team is as strong as ever, setting attendance records this year and reaching the playoffs once again.
Is Another Brand Refresh Coming?
It is unlikely that the current logo will remain the logo forever. However, it remains the longest-standing design, spanning 12 years to date. It is doubtful that the Whitecaps will undergo a brand refresh soon, but the current logo may evolve as the franchise expands.
