Honda F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Honda F.C.

| fullname = Honda Motor Football Club
nickname = Honda FC
founded = 1971
ground = Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium
Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
capacity = 4,000
chairman = flagicon|Japan Hiroshi Sato
manager = flagicon|Japan Masakazu Ishibashi
league = Japan Football League
season = 2007
position = 5th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FF0000|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

nihongo|Honda F.C.|ホンダFC|Honda Efu Shī are a Japanese football (soccer) club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.

History

The club was founded as Honda Motor Hamamatsu Soccer Club in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981. They stayed there until the conclusion of the league in 1992.

In early 90's, the club considered the possibilities of turning professional and participating in J. League. They sought the merger with their sister club Honda Motor Sayama F.C. and Urawa was chosen as a possible hometown. However, they failed to persuade the owner Honda Motor who insisted they should abide by their principle to concentrate on their core business that was automobile manufacturing.

As a result of this decision, many players left the club. They played in the newly formed Japan Football League (former) Division 1 in 1992 and finished 9th out of 10. They were relegated to Division 2 where they won the championship in 1993. The 2 divisions of the JFL were merged in 1994 and the club joined the league.

In 1996, they won the championship in the JFL. Around that time, the club made the second effort to be a professional club. They acquired associate membership in J. League under new name Acute Hamamatsu but the inadequate stadium and insufficient local support (the closest professional club is Júbilo Iwata, formerly part of Yamaha Motor Corporation), forced them to give it up. Iwata was a common derby foe in the JSL and their fixtures were known as 天竜川決戦 (Tenryu-side Derby).

In 1999, the JFL was reorganised as the new JFL. They have been playing in the league since its inception.

J's Gatekeeper

Honda F.C. does not intend to be promoted to the J. League due to the mandatory loss of corporate backing, although they have been always considered as one of the JFL title contenders. They provide a big hurdle for those independent sides (such as Tochigi S.C. or F.C. Ryūkyū) who wish to gain promotion. In order to achieve this goal, these teams need to finish in the top four in the league. Honda perennially occupying one of these spots makes their challenge even more difficult. Supporters of these clubs have dubbed Honda F.C. as J's Gatekeeper (the Gatekeeper of J. League) with respect and some resentment.

Honda F.C., having played in the old Japan Soccer League in the past but never contending for the title, has in 2007 given some J1 teams a run for their money in the Emperor's Cup, reaching the quarterfinals after disposing of former champions Kashiwa Reysol and top contenders Nagoya Grampus. They were nevertheless defeated by J1 champions Kashima Antlers on December 22.

Honours

*Japan Soccer League Division 2: 1978, 1980
*Japan Football League (former): 1996
*Japan Football League (former) Division 2: 1993
*Japan Football League (current): 2001, 2002, 2006

Results in JFL

1992: (Former JFL Div. 1, 9th)
1993: (Former JFL Div. 2, Champions)
1994: (Former JFL, 9th)
1995: (Former JFL, 7th)
1996: (Former JFL, Champions)
1997: (Former JFL, 4th)
1998: (Former JFL, 5th)
1999: Runners-up
2000: Runners-up
2001: Champions
2002: Champions
2003: Runners-up
2004: Runners-up
2005: 5th
2006: Champions
2007: 5th

Current squad

"As of February 1, 2008"

Former players

* Yasuharu Kurata
* Hisashi Kurosaki
* Yasuto Honda
* Yoshiyuki Hasegawa
* Toshinobu Katsuya
* Tatsuya Furuhashi
* Wagner Lopes
* Tsuyoshi Kitazawa
* Marcus

External links

*(Japanese) [http://www.honda-fc.gr.jp/ Official Website]

Japan Football League