FC Sète 34 was a French football club based in the Mediterranean port city of Sète, in the Hérault department. The club’s visual identity was built around the colors green and white and a dolphin emblem, a nickname long associated with its players.
Design and History
The club’s logo was represented by green and white, the historical colors of the club, with the insertion of a dolphin, the nickname given to the players.[1] The dolphin became both the nickname and emblem of the football and water-polo sections in 1919, when the club integrated the Sète swimming and water-polo club Cette Sports.[1]
The club’s origins trace to 1900, when Olympique de Cette was founded. The city was then spelled “Cette” until 1927, when the name changed to Sète and the club was renamed FC Sète.[2] The green and white striped colors were adopted early in the club’s history, inspired by the colors of Celtic FC, the Glasgow club favored by the Scottish player Victor Gibson, who joined the team in 1912.[2]
In 2023, the club was dissolved following a judicial liquidation.[3] The French Football Federation prohibited the directors from reusing the FC Sète name, so the club restarted under the name Sporting Club sétois for the 2023-2024 season.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The dolphin on the club’s crest reflects the nickname “Les dauphins” given to the players.[1] The exact origins of the dolphin symbol are not documented, though it bears a strong resemblance to the whale that appears on the coat of arms of the city of Sète.[5] The city’s historical name “Cette” and its evolution may relate to cetacean terminology, which could explain the presence of a sea mammal on the city’s heraldry.[5]
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