THE San Jose Earthquakes Brand Constitution
Contents Our past, our future
3
Dedication
6
Statement of purpose
7
Introduction
8
QUAKES Identity
9
OUR Heritage
14
The Community
25
A New Identity
33
Mission Statement
41
Our Motto
42
Logo Timeline
47
New Logo
49
Branding & elements
50
Uniform Timeline
53
New Team Kit
54
our past, our future 74
96
01
03
05
08
12
14
15
The birth of the San Jose Earthquakes in the NASL.
Major League Soccer kicks off its first season with the inaugural game in San Jose’s Spartan Stadium between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United.
The San Jose Earthquakes complete their worst-to-first turnaround and defeat the LA Galaxy for its first MLS Cup Championship.
The San Jose Earthquakes defeat the Chicago Fire to lift their second MLS Cup trophy.
The Quakes post 18-4-10 record to capture first ever Supporters’ Shield.
MLS revives San Jose’s franchise. The Earthquakes are back.
San Jose puts together best regular season in team history with 66 points to earn Supporters’ Shield.
40th Anniversary. A new era begins.
New Stadium Opens.
“THE FUTURE FOR SOCCER IN THE U.S. IS BRIGHT AND IT IS BRIGHT BECAUSE OF THE FORESIGHT, ENERGY AND ABILITY OF THE SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES.” Tex Maule, Senior Editor at Sports Illustrated, 1974
“WE’RE PROUD TO BE THE TEAM HOSTING THE FIRST MLS GAME. WE HAVE THE GREATEST FANS IN SOCCER RIGHT HERE IN THE BAY AREA. IT’S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS MLS CHOSE SAN JOSE TO KICK OFF THE LEAGUE.” — Peter Bridgwater, 1995
We dedicate this constitution to the generations of players, management, fans and families of our beloved soccer club the San Jose Earthquakes for 40 years and counting.
THIS BRAND CONSTITUTION UNVEILS THE SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES’ NEW IDENTITY AS WE CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF HISTORY. Dwayne De Rosario scores the game-winning goal against the LA Galaxy in the 2001 MLS Cup Final.
introduction THE SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES are MORE THAN A SOCCER Club. We are an occasion for a diverse community to unite and join together in celebration of the world’s game. We are our community’s conduit for a shared global experience as only soccer can convey. We are a mysterious mixture of joy, excitement, passion, anticipation, anguish, and exaltation that is at once irresistible, mesmerizing and beautiful.
Since 1974, from the NASL to the WSA, to being a charter member of MLS, the Quakes have endured. We played, and won our league’s inaugural match. And we are one of its most successful clubs with two MLS Cup titles and two Supporters’ Shield trophies under our belts. 2014 marks our 40th anniversary. With the opening of a new stadium on the horizon, it’s a chance to revisit our values and remind ourselves of who we are, where we came from, what we believe in, and where we aspire to go. It’s an opportunity to create a new mark that serves to unify our club history, drawing inspiration from our rich heritage and looking forward to our limitless future.
We play in a vastly diverse community where the relentless pursuit of creating tomorrow is steeped in the heritage of humble beginnings, blue-collar work ethic, hard work and orchard fields. We are immensely proud of that heritage because the work being done today in San Jose and Silicon Valley represents both the edge of the technological frontier and our community spirit of fearlessly forging ahead. Our new identity embraces that spirit as we move toward 2014 and beyond. We are the San Jose Earthquakes.
AND THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
Heritage, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY
THE CLUB IDENTITY, AND INDEED THE CLUB ITSELF, IS A CELEBRATION OF BAY AREA SOCCER AT ITS BEST. IT REPRESENTS OUR CLUB’S WINNING HERITAGE, BLUE-COLLAR MENTALITY AND OUR PASSIONATE AND RICHLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
OUR heritage
“The potential here is greater than it might be in San Francisco. This area has a great sports potential and, in addition, the prospects of population growth are greater in Santa Clara Valley.”
1974 – TRAILBLAZERS
– Milan Mandaric, Owner, 1973
1973 The North American Soccer League (NASL) announces approval for a Bay Area expansion franchise to begin play in the 1974 season.
Owner Milan Mandaric announces the Bay Area franchise will be based in the city of San Jose and play at Spartan Stadium. Former San Francisco 49ers executive, Dick Berg, is the club’s first GM. Together, Mandaric and Berg fight to ensure the league places their new franchise in San Jose as opposed to the league’s first choice, San Francisco.
1980 – SIMPLY THE BEST The Quakes sign legendary Irish soccer star, George Best, from Scottish club, Hibernian. Although the club does not qualify for playoffs during Best’s two seasons with the club, he manages to regularly wow the crowd. In the 1981 season Best scores what is widely considered to be the best goal in NASL history versus the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
“IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT I DO. I’M AN INSTIGATOR, I GUESS. I HARASS THE AUDIENCE TO CHEER AND THE TEAM TO WIN. IF THEY DON’T CHEER, I TAKE MY DRUM, HOLD IT OVER THEIR HEADS AND BEAT THE DRUM. I TELL THEM TO CHEER OR GET OUT. THEY ALWAYS YELL.” – Krazy George
Paul Child is selected in the NASL draft and becomes the Quakes first player. Child goes on to be the league’s top goal scorer for the 1974 season with 15 goals and 6 assists. NASL Commissioner Phil Woosnam: “First, San Francisco, who do you choose?” Mandaric: “San Jose picks Paul Child.”
1974
“ONE GOAL THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN IS THE ONE I SCORED FOR SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES… I SET OFF. I BEAT ONE PLAYER, THEN ANOTHER. BY THE END I HAD BEATEN SIX OR SEVEN IN THE SPACE OF TEN YARDS. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW I DID IT AND STILL DON’T.” — George Best
1989 The Western Soccer League has a Bay Area team named the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks. The team features many talented Bay Area players, who would go on to join Major League Soccer, including: Paul Bravo, Troy Dayak and John Doyle.
1983 The Earthquakes play two seasons as “The Golden Bay Earthquakes� in 1983 and 1984.
The Western Alliance Challenge Series is formed, with the San Jose Earthquakes as one of four independent teams, joining F.C. Portland, F.C. Seattle and Victoria Riptides.
1985
With the success of the Western Alliance Challenge Series, the organization begins a league with the name Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) Peter Bridgwater, the San Jose Earthquakes President, is voted to be its first Commissioner.
1986
1991–1992 The San Francisco Bay Blackhawks win national APSL title versus the Albany Capitals.
The Blackhawks reach the semifinals of CONCACAF Champions Cup and are narrowly defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Mexican side Club America.
The U.S. National Team puts together an impressive run in the 1994 World Cup, capped by a memorable match at Stanford Stadium in front of over 80,000 fans. June 15, 1994 – Due to its history of success with both professional and international soccer in the Bay Area, San Jose is named a charter member of Major League Soccer.
1994
1995 Former NASL Earthquakes defender Laurie Calloway is named first head coach of MLS club named the San Jose Clash. The team signs local star John Doyle and Nigerian international Michael Emenalo as the first players.
“I want to do everything possible to make soccer in San Jose a great success. I know, with the front office staff, the coaches and the players that we’ve already signed, that we are on our way to win a championship. I’m excited to be here.” — John Doyle, 1995
“WORD AROUND THE LEAGUE IS THAT SAN JOSE, HEADED BY PETER Bridgwater, WILL BE THE MLS LEAD FRANCHISE IN ITS INAUGURAL SEASON.” — Oakland Tribune, December 31, 1995
“This is the only place I wanted to play… I found a lot of people love the game and the atmosphere at matches is much better here.” — Eric Wynalda, 1996
1996 Major League Soccer kicks off its first season with the inaugural game in San Jose’s Spartan Stadium. San Jose Clash vs. D.C. United boasts a record attendance for that venue of 31,683. San Jose Clash forward Eric Wynalda writes himself into MLS history by scoring the first MLS goal to give his team the first victory in MLS history. San Jose qualifies for playoffs in its inaugural season.
“The fortunes of soccer in the U.S. at all levels have been booming. Now comes the time for the cherry on the icing of the cake with the successful launch of MLS. We have the building blocks in place for the most ambitious coast-to-coast soccer league in American history.” — Alan Rothenberg, MLS League Chairman, 1995
“THE EARTHQUAKES IS A SPECIAL NAME IN THIS AREA. THAT TEAM HAD A GREAT TRADITION HERE, AND BY RENAMING OURSELVES THE EARTHQUAKES, WE ARE REALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE PART SOCCER HAS HAD IN THIS COMMUNITY.” — Dan Kraft, 1999
2001 Frank Yallop is named head coach of the Quakes on February 2. An overhaul from the 2000 squad sees the addition of proven veterans such as captain Jeff Agoos who had won three MLS Cup titles with D.C. United, Manny Lagos, and Danish international Ronnie Ekelund to form a well balanced and attacking-style team.
The club goes through brand re-launch. The San Jose Earthquakes are reborn.
2000
“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity and I plan to make the most of it. I’m not making any moves before speaking to the players. I don’t want anyone who doesn’t want to be here; I want happy people, committed people. I look forward to helping San Jose get back to winning ways.” — Frank Yallop, 2001
19-year old Landon Donovan comes to the San Jose Earthquakes from German club Bayer Leverkusen.
2001
“It’s absolutely awesome to play here. I’m having the time of my life.” — Landon Donovan, 2001
2001 San Jose is host to the 2001 MLS All-Star Game on July 28. The crowd is treated to a 12-goal thriller.
The Earthquakes complete their worst-to-first turnaround by defeating the LA Galaxy 2 – 1 in the MLS Cup Final to lift the Rothenberg Trophy for the first time. Dwayne De Rosario scores the winning goal in sudden-death overtime.
2001 – Worst To First “It has to be the best turnaround story in the league’s history. I don’t know how this ranks in other professional sports leagues or what the media thinks, but hopefully in 40 or 50 years someone will ask me about this special day. This was done with a group of players that nobody’s ever heard of.” — Jeff Agoos, 2001 MLS Defender of the Year
“This year’s team has been about a lot of heart.”
“I feel like the team deserves to win. We do the right things, we play the right way, we treat our fans the right way, we treat each other the right way, and there’s a factor in there that says we really deserve to win.”
— Ronnie Ekelund, 2003
— Landon Donovan, 2003
2003 –“WE BELIEVE” A Second ChampionshiP In the MLS Cup Playoffs, facing a 4-0 aggregate goal deficit, Yallop’s squad responds with the tenacity and desire shown all season as they net four unanswered goals in regulation. Chris Roner ties the game with a 90th-minute header while Rodrigo Faria caps the comeback with an overtime winner, setting off a celebration at Spartan Stadium. The 5-2 (5-4 aggregate) win has since been called the greatest game in MLS history.
“To come back from 2-nil down in the game, and 4-nil down overall, to win 5–4 was incredible. It was the best night I’ve ever had. This was the greatest playoff run ever.” — Frank Yallop, 2003
“To put it mildly, I’m very excited. It’s something that we have wanted to do, and the very fact that we were allowed to exercise our option early is very important to us. Our staff is getting bored just talking about soccer – we want to do something!” — Lew Wolff, on coming back to San Jose
Landon Donovan becomes first man to be named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year three years in a row.
2004
2005
2010
The team sets the MLS record for the fewest losses in league history with four and becomes the second team in MLS history to surpass 60 points in a season. With a regular season record of 18-4-10 and 64 points, the Earthquakes clinch the club’s first Supporters’ Shield.
The Quakes advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since their 2008 return to Major League Soccer and reach the Eastern Conference Championship before bowing out 1-0 against the Colorado Rapids.
The Earthquakes play their final season before being relocated to Houston at the end of the season by owners AEG.
After two seasons, Lew Wolff purchases rights for an expansion team for San Jose. The Earthquakes are back.
2008
Chris Wondolowski wins 2010 Budweiser MLS Golden Boot award.
2010
2011 The Quakes complete demolition of the former FMC factory at their stadium site and push for approval of their Planned Development Permit with the City of San Jose.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that we broke the record. We had over 6,000 people turn out to break ground and help make our home. It was a wonderful feeling and I’ll never forget it.”
2013 2012
— Dave Kaval, Club President
The Quakes finish regular season with league-best 19-6-9 record and 66 points, third-most in MLS history. The total earns San Jose its second Supporters’ Shield.
Stadium construction begins with a record-smashing groundbreaking ceremony that includes 6,256 community members digging at the site of the future playing field for two minutes. The event sets a Guinness World Record.
The Earthquakes reached a major milestone for the club with their 200th MLS win. On Sept. 21, the Quakes topped Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium thanks to a brace from Steven Lenhart.
Wondolowski’s 27 goals match the longtime record of Roy Lassiter for most goals in a season, earning him his second Budweiser MLS Golden Boot. Wondo also becomes the first Earthquakes player to be named the Volkswagen MLS MVP.
2012 “It’s a dream come true playing for your hometown team. I grew up going to games at Spartan Stadium. To get the chance to represent San Jose on the field is something special.”
“If you had to chisel an Earthquakes player out of rock, it’d be Wondolowski. I’m not sure everyone is always happy for the guys who perform well in this league. But you won’t find a guy who isn’t happy for Wondo.”
— Chris Wondolowski
— Frank Yallop
Quakes community a lot of people here love the game
We love this game The Bay Area is all that our country strives for. It is among the most culturally and ethnically diverse communities and one of the most highly educated and employed. It is also recognized as the most innovative and forward thinking in the world, with Silicon Valley serving as headquarters for the tech and semiconductor industries. By the time the San Jose Earthquakes of the NASL first took the field at Spartan Stadium in 1974, much of the transformation of the Santa Clara Valley from being known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” to becoming the “Silicon Valley” was well underway.
The ’74 Quakes were pioneers on the pitch and in the community. Their attitude was: grassroots game, grassroots impact. Players even drove around San Jose with spare boots in their car trunks to stop at local fields and conduct impromptu soccer clinics, much to the delight of surprised amateur players, children and fans. They would appear at up to four schools and events in a single day, multiple days a week. That tradition of community service has been a constant during the Quakes 40-year history.
“It’s super watching those little guys playing. We had a clinic and indoor exhibition last week. There was no publicity, but still 800 kids showed up and they yelled the whole time.” — Johnny Moore, 1974
With the inaugural season of MLS in 1996, the club reestablished its tradition of grassroots community involvement through partnerships with youth soccer clubs, schools and charitable giving. At the heart of many of these programs was empowering, educating and inspiring young student athletes throughout the Bay Area.
“It’s in our club’s DNA to have a strong relationship with the local community, especially at the youth level. Our players are positive role models within the community and participate regularly in community events to enhance the lives of Bay Area children. We have developed numerous programs that have helped inspire youth, while teaching them about the importance of healthy living and staying active. We are proud to be a leader in community service.” — Dave Kaval, 2012
“During my time in San Jose, there has always been one constant and certainty that could be experienced everyday, and that is the love San Jose has for our team. As a result of that support, it has been our pleasure to return that love and passion back into our community any way we can. Hospital visits, elementary school visits and soccer clinics are just a few of the ways we make a difference throughout the year. We cherish our commitment to our community and will continue to do our part in making the Bay Area better in whatever way we can.” —Jason Hernandez
Community WITH THE RETURN OF THE CLUB IN 2008 CAME A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. At the heart of the club’s community endeavors is the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, the 501 (c)3 charitable arm of the Earthquakes. Established in 2008, the Community Fund is dedicated to identifying and building partnerships throughout the Bay Area that help improve the health and fitness of at-risk youth, while also raising awareness about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The foundation’s partnerships include fitness programs, clinics and school appearances by players, among other endeavors. The Earthquakes established their youth academy in 2011, featuring U16 and U18 teams that wear Quakes kits. These teams compete in the U.S. Soccer
Development Academy League. The academy has since expanded to include a U14 team, along with regional development schools throughout the Bay Area for children between 5-12 years old. The Academy teams are fully funded by the club and allow youth players from all walks of life the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Several of these players have gone on to compete on U.S. National teams, including goalkeepers Kendall McIntosh and JT Marcinkowski. Many have also had the chance to train with the club’s first team and compete in MLS Reserve League games, giving Bay Area youth players a direct line to the first team.
The majors
THE BAY AREA IS HOME TO SEVEN MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN ALL, AND HAVE won 16 league CHAMPIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM: Earthquakes: 2 MLS Cups Oakland Raiders: 2 Super Bowls Oakland A’s: 4 World Series Championships Golden State Warriors: 1 NBA Championship San Francisco 49ers: 5 Super Bowl Championships San Francisco Giants: 2 World Series Championships San Jose Sharks: 1 Presidents’ Trophy
Today the club works tirelessly in our role as an integral part of San Jose and the greater Bay Area. It’s a commitment of service to the community that originated in our inaugural season in 1974 and through four decades has become woven into the fabric of our identity.
A NEW IDENTITY A new look and rallying cry
leading the way The CLUB & The Community combine to make the Quakes Code These are our values, the principles that define us both individually and as a club. Together, they are the Quakes Code. Simple words on a page, but their collective meaning provides definition and direction to everything we do, on and off the field. Leading the way.
Community Diversity Inclusion Teamwork Humility Our greatest strength is our unity as a club and community. We are a hard working, humble-but-proud expression and extension of the diverse people of San Jose and Silicon Valley.
DEDICATION PASSION HEART PERSEVERANCE DESIRE TO WIN CREATIVITY WORK ETHIC We are devoted to the game and to all our fans. Our devotion and dedication are the source of our heart and perseverance. They inspire creativity and drive our work ethic. They hold our desire to compete and be the best.
TRADITION HONOR PRIDE AUTHENTICITY Our heritage runs deep, from 1974 in the NASL to the WSA, and finally to MLS and two championships. We are proud to be a part of this continuum, and grateful to all our fans across four decades.
our mission statement AS A CLUB AND aS A COMMUNITY, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD AS ONE.
our motto The purpose of our motto is to inspire. We’ve endeavored to capture a phrase that articulated the fundamental intentions of relaunching a unified Earthquakes brand identity.
the logo is sacred.
1974–88
1996–99
2000–13
Shield
Shield / Primary
in soccer, THIS IS A FLAG.
PLAYERS DON’T WEAR BRANDS. PLAYERS WEAR BANNERS. What we wear is who we are. For 2014, we’ll see subtle deference to heritage with bold insights into the future.
1974
1976
1977
1979
1981
1996
2000-02
2003-04
2008
2011
2014