Football Confidential: Sydney FC trademark Sky Blues moniker

There may be two teams in the A-League playing in Sky Blue, but there will only ever be one Sky Blues – and that’s official.

Sydney FC players celebrae after Adam Le Fondre (second right) scored in the FFA Cup final. Picture: Getty Images

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There may be two teams in the A-League playing in Sky Blue, but there will only ever be one Sky Blues – and that’s official.

Anyone tempted to refer to Melbourne City by that nickname might end up with a legal letter, because Sydney FC have trademarked it, in a magnificently legalistic protection of their turf.

An idle perusal of the government’s intellectual property register – and Confidential likes nothing better – shows Sydney first started the application back in 2014.

But efforts got really serious in the middle of 2016 – at the time FFA decided Melbourne City could play in sky blue – and was granted before City’s official colour change last year.

That’s why the Melbourne club officially play in “City blue”, and won’t ever refer to sky blue.

Sydney FC players celebrae after Adam Le Fondre (second right) scored in the FFA Cup final. Picture: Getty Images

To say Sydney were unhappy at FFA’s change of heart, after initially blocking City’s plans to change from red and white colours, would be an understatement.

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WE wondered whether Usain Bolt would get a chance to farewell his Central Coast teammates after his fleeting pre-season jaunt to Gosford. It came post-match at AAMI Park on Sunday night, when the sprint king and would-be footballer raced straight down to the Mariners’ change rooms.

Usain Bolt made a visit to the Mariners’ dressing room in Melbourne at the weekend. Picture: AP

It was an emotional moment – not least because they’d just copped a 4-1 pasting from Melbourne Victory.

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THERE were great scenes at McDonald Jones Stadium before their game against Melbourne Victory with winger Joey Champness rapping outside the ground, and introduced by a blinged-up CEO Lawrie McKinna.

Blinged up Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna.

Most assumed McKinna’s gold chains were a legacy of his time as Mayor of Gosford, but Confidential understands the whole outfit cost McKinna $32 from his local $2 shop. Sadly the bling has since gone missing, but enquiries by the club have identified the lead suspect – McKinna’s young grandson.

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ONE Western Sydney player has one of those cheeky trick voicemail messages. It prompted one journalist to leave not one, but two voicemails on his phone to the tune of “Hello … Hello … Patrick, are you there?” We hear his wife has subtly told him it needs changing.

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IT’S a sign of the time – we hope – that media will be allowed into Monday’s historic FFA AGM for the first time. Previously journalists had to hang about outside waiting for news – not that there was ever much to report.

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IT”S good to see ABC Radio broadcasting A-League games and internationals, broadening the reach of the game – and apparently broadening its terminology too.

Eagle-eared listeners heard more than one reference to the penalty area as the “18-year-old box” last Saturday.

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Naumoff set for emotional reunion

Former Sydney FC attacker Chris Naumoff, whose fledgling career was brought to an awful halt in 2016 by the discovery of a potentially fatal heart condition, will have a very emotional reunion in the next few days.

Naumoff, who was awarded a scholarship from the players’ association in July to continue his coaching studies, is off to Europe this week, and will visit Arsenal to learn from the club’s women’s team coach, Aussie Joe Montemurro for a week.

Former Sydney FC forward Chris Naumoff.

Then Naumoff is heading to Numancia, the Spanish club he had signed for but which discovered his heart condition in the midst of conducting his medical.

Numancia have been hugely supportive towards Naumoff since, and it promises to be an emotional few days for all parties.

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