Date: February 2nd 2010
Author: Aidan Ormond
From: Four Four Two Australia

EXCLUSIVE: A buoyant Melbourne Heart CEO Scott Munn says the next step in the new A-League club’s development is to grow a new fanbase alongside A-League giant Melbourne Victory.

Heart confirmed their name and logo today in a key move for the fledging club. Additionally, their new kit will be launched in the coming weeks with a red and white stripe look the hot tip.

But now the club's CEO is sharpening his focus to the supporters, saying it's time Heart began building their fan-base.

And with around seven months till they kick their first ball in the A-League, he is acutely aware that time is running out.

"Time is our biggest enemy now. Every day lost is one we miss out on," Munn told au.fourfourtwo.com today.

"The big one for us now is for fans to go to our website at www.melbourneheartfc.com.au and register their support. It costs nothing and we'll give you regular updates. That's our next big step.

"The fans are going to be the lifeblood of Heart and key to our longevity."

The club plan to launch their memberships over the next two to three months and, as Munn puts it, they want their fans to "put their hand on their hearts and support us".

"We'll deliver exciting football; traditional style of play from John van't Schip with great technical experience. It's going to be an absolute fun experience to come to our games," he added.

"Gee, I'm looking forward to that first match against Victory."

The club's logo and playing strip is predominantly red and white, taken from the official Melbourne flag. It is 'truly representative of the city's sporting public', say Heart.

"The one thing about a logo is that everyone has an opinion and everyone's entitled to it," added Munn, who is en-route to Sydney for an A-League CEOs meeting on Wednesday.

"But the general feedback has been positive. We wanted to make sure the shield in the logo reflected our historical values and we think it will look striking on a jumper and we're really happy with the feedback."

Munn also paid tribute to the silks at FFA who navigated tricky legal issues surrounding the club's new official name.

There were reported issues with the name and Melbourne Football Club in the AFL. But that appears to have been surmounted thanks largely to the FFA.

"It would've been frustrating if we'd announced something early then later had to retract the legal process," he said.

"When I first took over we had a clear meeting with the board where it was clear that the name couldn't be Melbourne Heart for legal reasons, but all credit to FFA's legal department who worked tirelessly to work through all the avenues.

"But ultimately the public made the choice. It resonated with the fans."

So what will the fans be cheering at Heart matches? Munn said while Heart is the name it's possible that an unofficial nickname may also enter the Bubble Dome lexicon over time.

He added: "If we end up having another nickname that works as an unofficial moniker, okay, but we'll start with Heart."

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/121756,heart-now-to-find-our-fans.aspx