Part II: The Symbol—The Star Above the Crest

3 days ago
2 min read

This is part two in a three-part series exploring the 2013 Eastside FC G98 Red national championship team. From the defining moment, to the people behind it, to the culture it helped shape, each part traces how one team came to influence everything that followed.

As part of our recent brand update in February, we made a small but meaningful change to the Eastside FC crest. The championship star that previously sat within the badge is now positioned above it in a more visible place, similar to how many clubs around the world recognize major titles.

This was not about creating something new. It was about elevating something that already existed.

While reviewing our brand and reflecting on the history behind it, we looked to the G98 Red group that won a national championship as a model for the club. As we gathered stories, history, and context around that team and that year, it became clear that their achievement represents something important in our club culture, not just a trophy but a standard that shapes who we are, and one we want to emulate.

The team grew together over a long period of development before ultimately reaching the highest level of youth competition in the country. What stood out was not just the result at the end but the consistency of the group over time. They stayed together, developed together, and when the moment came, they finished together.

Moving the star above the crest is our way of making that achievement more visible and more central to our identity. Moving forward, it will sit above our crest on our jerseys as a clear reminder that this club has produced a national champion team, and that standard is something every player who wears the Eastside FC jersey steps into. It is a visible marker of the level that has been reached here and the level we continue to build toward.

This change is also a reflection of something we have learned through studying teams like G98 Red. Culture is not just what we say, it is what we recognize and carry forward. G98 Red helped define what is possible when a group stays connected over time, and that example continues to shape how we think about development across the club.

Today, we remember the G98 Red National Championship team: