Honda FC facts for kids
| Full name | Honda Motor Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 | ||
| Ground | Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
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| Capacity | 4,000 | ||
| Owner | Honda Motor Company | ||
| Chairman | Masaaki Miyaji | ||
| Manager | Hidekazu Kobayashi | ||
| League | Japan Football League | ||
| 2023 | 1st of 15 (Champions) | ||
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Honda Football Club (ホンダフットボールクラブ, Honda Futtobōru Kurabu), often called Honda FC (ホンダFC, Honda Efu Shī), is a professional football team from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League, which is the fourth level of professional football in Japan.
Contents
History of Honda FC
Early Days and Success
The club started in 1971 as Honda Motor, which was the company team for Honda. They quickly moved up in the football leagues. In 1975, they were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2. By 1981, they reached the top league, JSL Division 1.
Honda FC almost won the top league title twice, finishing third in the 1985–86 and 1990–91 seasons. They also reached the finals of two major cups in 1991, the Japan Soccer League Cup and Konica Cup, but lost both times. They also made it to the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup in 1990 and 1991. The team stayed in the top league until it ended in 1992.
Deciding Not to Go Professional
In the early 1990s, the club thought about becoming a fully professional team and joining the new J. League. They even considered joining with another Honda team and moving to Urawa. However, their owner, Honda Motor, decided they should focus on making cars instead of running a professional football club.
Because of this decision, many players left the team. Honda FC then played in the new Japan Football League Division 1 in 1992. They were moved down to Division 2, but they won that league in 1993. The two JFL divisions then combined in 1994.
In 1996, Honda FC won the JFL championship. Around this time, they tried again to become a professional club. They even got a special membership for the J. League under a new name, Acute Hamamatsu. But their stadium was not big enough, and they didn't have enough local support. Another professional team, Júbilo Iwata, was already nearby. Games between Honda FC and Júbilo Iwata were known as the Tenryu-side Derby.
In 1999, the JFL was reorganized into the current JFL. Honda FC has been playing in this league ever since.
J's Gatekeeper: A Unique Role
Honda FC has a special role in Japanese football. They do not plan to join the top professional league, the J. League. This is because if they became professional, they would lose the financial support from the Honda company.
Even though they don't want to be promoted, Honda FC is often one of the best teams in the JFL. This creates a challenge for other teams that do want to move up to the J. League. To get promoted, these teams usually need to finish in the top two spots in the JFL. Since Honda FC often takes one of these top spots, it makes it harder for other teams to achieve their goal.
Because of this, fans of other clubs sometimes call Honda FC "J's Gatekeeper." This name shows both respect for how good Honda FC is and a little bit of frustration because they block the path for other teams.
Honda FC has also shown how strong they are in the Emperor's Cup. In 2007, they reached the quarter-finals, beating strong J1 teams like Kashiwa Reysol and Nagoya Grampus. This was their best result since 1991. They were eventually defeated by the J1 champions, Kashima Antlers. In 2008, they won the JFL championship.
Home Stadium
Honda FC plays its home games at the Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium. This stadium is located in Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu. The Honda Motor Company owns the stadium. It was updated in 1996 with new seating and floodlights. The stadium can hold up to 4,000 fans.
Club Honours
Honda FC has won many titles throughout its history:
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| All Japan Senior Football Championship | 2 | 1974, 1999 |
| Japan Soccer League Division 2 | 2 | 1978, 1980 |
| Japan Football League (former) Division 2 | 1 | 1993 |
| Japan Football League (former) | 1 | 1996 |
| Japan Football League | 10 | 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 |
Current Players
Honda FC Squad (as of April 4, 2024)
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Coaching Staff
The people who coach and manage the team are:
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Hidekazu Kobayashi |
| Assistant Manager | Takahiro Tsuchiya Shota Itokazu |
| Goalkeeper coach | Moto Nakamura |
| Physical coach | Shoji Takagi |
| Analyst | Tatsuya Furuhashi |
| Trainer | Masataka Oba Tomoya Oba |
| Manager | Shunsei Mashiyama |
Team Managers Through the Years
Here are the managers who have led Honda FC over the years:
| Manager | Nationality | Time as Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Katsuyoshi Kuwabara |  Japan |
1 February 1973 | 31 January 1983 |
| Masakatsu Miyamoto | Japan |
1 February 1983 | 30 June 1990 |
| Masataka Imai | Japan |
1 July 1990 | 31 December 1992 |
| Kazuaki Nagasawa | Japan |
1 February 1997 | 31 January 1998 |
| Akiyoshi Ohashi | Japan |
1 January 2000 | 31 December 2001 |
| Takayoshi Amma | Japan |
1 February 2002 | 31 January 2005 |
| Hideo Yoshizawa | Japan |
1 February 2005 | 31 December 2006 |
| Masakazu Ishibashi | Japan |
1 January 2007 | 31 December 2009 |
| Takahiro Ōkubo | Japan |
1 January 2010 | 31 December 2011 |
| Yoshitaka Maeda | Japan |
1 February 2012 | 31 January 2014 |
| Hiroyasu Ibata | Japan |
1 February 2014 | 31 January 2021 |
| Hiroyuki Abe | Japan |
1 February 2021 | 31 January 2023 |
| Hidekazu Kobayashi | Japan |
1 February 2023 | current |
Team Uniforms
Home Kit History
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Away Kit History
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See also
In Spanish: Honda FC para niños
