CF Montréal vs Montreal FC
The owner of the Club de Hockey Canadien de Montréal George Gillette and Montreal businessman Joey Saputo said this week that they were working together to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Montreal.
That’s cool. People in Montreal are loving soccer. Support for Saputo’s Impact soccer team of the struggling United Soccer League is very strong and a new 15 000 seat stadium is being built for the team in the eastern part of town. MLS itself is a league on the rise with no less than David Bekham now playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
One thing bugs me, though. In every story I read about this news item, Montreal’s new Major League Soccer team is called Montreal FC. As in Montreal Football Club.
I don’t know if M. Saputo and Mr. Gillette have expressed their preference for that name or if it’s only a coincidence, but Montreal FC is a really bad name for a soccer team.
Common, now! I get it! I understand those who want a name that recalls the great FC’s of international soccer, but I don’t think Montreal should have a soccer team with an English name, and I don’t think I should have to explain why.
FC is lame. It’s so lame it’s what Toronto’s team picked as a name.
If Montreal wants to look to Europe for inspiration, I think l’Olympique de Montréal is the obvious choice.
Right… Olympic is not necessarily an inspirational word in this town…
How about the more subtle CF Montréal
CF for Club de Football de Montréal? Get it?
The name is directly inspired by the truly glorious Montrealers: le Club de Hockey Canadien de Montréal – That’s what the CH on the jersey and tattooed on your heart stands for.
CF makes you think of Canadiens-Français, so federalists can’t claim it’s covert separatist propaganda.
CF Montréal instead of Montreal FC is a name that will hint at Québec’s and Montreal’s frenchness without the cruelty of forcing Anglophones to say words like Alouette.
It’s in French yet « Club de Football » gives the name that true franglais feel that all Montrealers can bond around.
Plus, it’s obvious. CF Montréal instead of Montreal FC. People will get it.
Or how about AC Montreal, for Associazione Calcio Montreal?
It’s neutral ground, being neither French nor English, and still is very Montreal as italian has long been Montreal’s strong third language.
Furthermore, the role of Montreal Italians in Québec soccer is undeniable.
Unless you’d rather go with another another classic Football club name: Montreal United.
Right. Montreal United. All Montrealers, Franco, Allo, Anglo united around a united team. Montreal United… Or will it be l’Unité de Montréal?
And then they’d have to do one of those silly graphics that kind of looks like a D but at the same time kind of looks like an accent aïgu and a Fleur-de-Lys….
How about not?