By Chris Wright
After taking a gentle stroll through the best badges South American, Asian and African football have to offer, we thought we’d do something a little different this week and mosey back through time to the now-defunct NASL’s heyday to have a cheeky peek at their finest logos, crests and insignia.
Tally ho and away we go…
1. New York Cosmos
Old school cool…
2. Atlanta Chiefs
Hang on. We can’t help but feel like we’ve seen this before somewhere…
3. Golden Bay Earthquakes
Lovely bit of topographic typography there…
4. Chicago Sting
Nothing says “fearsome bumblebee” like a little straw boater…
5. Montreal Manic
About as manic as a two-hour instructional seminar on photocopier toner…
6. Tampa Bay Rowdies
The club’s official slogan was “The Rowdies are…a kick in the grass!”
7. Detroit Express
Nice to see what Roger Rabbit’s car was up to before it was famous…
8. Edmonton Drillers
Gonna drill you silly…
9. The Caribous of Colorado
Who, lest we forget, played in the greatest kit EVAH…
10. California Surf
Fine, fresh, fierce; they’ve got it on lock…
11. Jacksonville Tea Men
Historically apt, yes. Good name for a football team, not particularly…
12. Calgary Boomers
Just 11 guys going boom boom all over the pitch…
13. Oakland Stompers
Either it’s a wine reference or that is one seriously grim case of haemorrhoids…
14. Minnesota Kicks
Isn’t that the same little lad from “Charley Says”?
15. Portland Timbers
Shiver me timbers…
16. Los Angeles Aztecs
Suddenly got a hankering for half a Terry’s Chocolate Orange…
17. San Diego Sockers
In case it went over your head, we think “Sockers” may be a clever pun on “soccer”…
18. San Francisco Gales
Oh mist rolling in from the Pacific Ocean…
19. Washington Whips
Naff name, swish logo…
20. Team Hawaii
Hopefully all their results were listed as 5-0 for comedy’s sake…
21. Cleveland Stokers
Thank God they didn’t go with “The Steamers”…
22. Washington Diplomats
Johan Cruyff’s former employers, no less…
23. San Diego Jaws
Der dum, der dum, derdumderdumderdumderdum….
24. Memphis Rogues
That’s one angry pachyderm…
25. Tulsa Roughnecks
(All images via Sports Logos)