Honda FC facts for kids
| Full name | Honda Motor Football Club | ||
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| Founded | 1971 | ||
| Ground | Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
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| Capacity | 4,000 | ||
| Owner | Honda Motor Company | ||
| Chairman | Masaaki Miyaji | ||
| Manager | Shota Itokazu | ||
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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 Japanese football club. They are based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. The team plays in the Japan Football League. This is the fourth level of semi-professional football in Japan.
Contents
Team History
The club started in 1971 as the Honda Motor company team. They moved up to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975. By 1981, they were in Division 1. Their best finishes were third place in 1985–86 and 1990–91. In 1991, they reached the finals of two cups but lost both. They also made it to the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup in 1990 and 1991. They stayed in the top league until it ended in 1992.
Becoming a Pro Team
In the early 1990s, Honda FC thought about becoming a professional team. They wanted to join the J. League. They even considered joining with another Honda team and moving to Urawa, Saitama. However, the owner, Honda Motor, wanted to focus on making cars. So, the club did not become professional.
Because of this choice, many players left the team. In 1992, they played in the new Japan Football League Division 1. They finished 9th and were moved down to Division 2. They won the Division 2 championship in 1993. In 1994, the two JFL divisions combined, and Honda FC joined that league.
In 1996, they 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. Also, there was not enough local support. Another professional club, Júbilo Iwata, was already nearby. The games between Honda FC and Júbilo Iwata were known as the Tenryu-side Derby. Because of these issues, Honda FC gave up on becoming professional.
In 1999, the JFL was reorganized into the new JFL. Honda FC has been playing in this league ever since.
J's Gatekeeper
Honda FC does not plan to move up to the J. League. This is because they would lose support from the Honda company. Even so, they are often one of the best teams in the JFL. They make it hard for other teams to get promoted. To move up, other teams need to finish in the top two spots. Honda FC often takes one of these spots. This makes it tougher for other clubs to achieve their goal. Fans of these other clubs sometimes call Honda FC "J's Gatekeeper." This shows both respect and a little bit of frustration.
In 2007, Honda FC played very well in the Emperor's Cup. They reached the quarter-finals. They beat strong teams like Kashiwa Reysol and Nagoya Grampus. This was their first time in the quarter-finals since 1991. However, they lost to Kashima Antlers on December 22. In 2008, they won the JFL championship.
Home Stadium
Honda FC plays its home games at the Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium. It is in Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu. The stadium is owned by Honda Motor Company. It was updated in 1996. This included adding 1,000 new seats and lights for night games. The stadium can now hold 4,000 fans.
Team Achievements
Honda FC has won many titles over the years:
- All Japan Senior Football Championship: 2 times (1974, 1999)
- Japan Soccer League Division 2: 2 times (1978, 1980)
- Japan Football League (former) Division 2: 1 time (1993)
- Japan Football League (former): 1 time (1996)
- Japan Football League: 10 times (2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023)
Current Players
As of April 4, 2024.
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Coaching Staff
| 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 Over Time
| Manager | Nationality | Time with Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Katsuyoshi Kuwabara |  Japan |
February 1, 1973 | January 31, 1983 |
| Masakatsu Miyamoto | Japan |
February 1, 1983 | June 30, 1990 |
| Masataka Imai | Japan |
July 1, 1990 | December 31, 1992 |
| Kazuaki Nagasawa | Japan |
February 1, 1997 | January 31, 1998 |
| Akiyoshi Ohashi | Japan |
January 1, 2000 | December 31, 2001 |
| Takayoshi Amma | Japan |
February 1, 2002 | January 31, 2005 |
| Hideo Yoshizawa | Japan |
February 1, 2005 | December 31, 2006 |
| Masakazu Ishibashi | Japan |
January 1, 2007 | December 31, 2009 |
| Takahiro Ōkubo | Japan |
January 1, 2010 | December 31, 2011 |
| Yoshitaka Maeda | Japan |
February 1, 2012 | January 31, 2014 |
| Hiroyasu Ibata | Japan |
February 1, 2014 | January 31, 2021 |
| Hiroyuki Abe | Japan |
February 1, 2021 | January 31, 2023 |
| Hidekazu Kobayashi | Japan |
February 1, 2023 | January 31, 2025 |
| Shota Itokazu | Japan |
February 1, 2025 | current |
Team Uniforms Over Time
| Home kit - 1st | ||||
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| Away kit - 2nd | ||||
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See also
In Spanish: Honda FC para niños
