Tochigi City FC explained

Clubname:Tochigi City FC
栃木シティFC
Fullname:Tochigi City Football Club
Founded: as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club
as Tochigi City FC
Stadium:City Football Station
Tochigi, Tochigi
Capacity:5,129
Chairman: Takashi Ōkuri
Manager: Naoki Imaya
League:J3 League
Season:2024
Position:JFL, 1st of 16 (champions)
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Tochigi City Football Club (栃木シティフットボールクラブ, Tochigi Shiti Futtobōrukurabu), commonly known as Tochigi City FC (栃木シティFC, Tochigi Shiti Efushi) is a Japanese football club based in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture. The club set to play in the third-tier J3 League from 2025, after promotion from the Japan Football League in 2024.

Origin name

In 2006, Tochigi was adopted the moniker Uva (meaning "grape" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). Grapes are a specialty in the area of Ohira Town,[1] which is the location of the Hitachi Tochigi Plant in Tochigi Prefecture.

History

The club was formed in 1947 as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club, the works team of the local Hitachi, Ltd. affiliate.

After finishing as a runners-up in the local Kanto Soccer League in 2009 season, they were promoted to the 2010 Japan Football League through the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series. Prior to their first season in JFL, the club has dropped Hitachi prefix in its name and changed the reference to sport from "soccer" to "football" following general Japanese trend. From the 2019 season, the club has adopted the new name as Tochigi City FC.[2] [3]

Promotion to JFL

In 2023, Tochigi City secure promotion to JFL after defeat Tsukuba FC 4–0 in final day of 2023 Japanese Regional Football Champions League, Champions of Japanese Regional Football Champions League for the first time in history due to finish 2nd place in Kanto Soccer League and return to fourth tier after six years absence since change name from Tochigi Uva.

Promotion to J. League

On 24 September 2024, Tochigi City announced that it was officially granted a J3 Club License after approval from the J. League Board of Directors. [4]

On 17 November 2024, Tochigi City secured the 2024 Japan Football League championship and promotion to the J3 League for the first time in history after defeating Atletico Suzuka 6-0 in Kanseki Stadium Tochigi in match week 29, their final home match of the season.[5] [6]

League and cup record

bgcolor=goldChampionsbgcolor=silverRunners-upThird placebgcolor=palegreenPromotedbgcolor=pinkRelegated
League Emperor's
Cup
Shakaijin Cup
Season Div. Tier Teams Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts
Hitachi Tochigi Uva SC
2006Kanto Division 2 5 8 bgcolor=silver2nd 14 9 3 2 35 18 17 30 Did not qualify Not eligible
2007Kanto Division 1 4 8 bgcolor=silver2nd 14 9 0 5 33 17 16 27
2008bgcolor=silver2nd 14 8 2 4 24 19 5 26 3rd round
2009bgcolor=silver2nd 14 10 1 3 30 16 14 31 Did not qualify
Tochigi Uva
2010318 15th 34 7 10 17 41 75 -34 31 Ineligible
17 10th 33 12 9 12 40 43 -3 45 2nd round
201217 17th 32 4 10 18 36 70 -34 22 Prefectural qualify round
201318 17th 34 9 3 22 34 64 -32 30 2nd round
2014414 13th 26 4 7 15 16 37 -21 19 1st round
201516 16th 30 5 4 21 29 61 -32 19 1st round
201616 15th 30 5 1 24 34 77 -43 16 1st round
201716 bgcolor=pink16th 30 5 9 16 22 56 -34 24 2nd round
2018Kantō Soccer League Division 1 5 10 1st 18 17 1 0 55 14 36 52 Did not play
Tochigi City FC
2019Kantō Soccer League Division 1510 3rd 18 9 5 4 30 15 15 32 2nd round
2020 10 bgcolor=gold 1st 9 7 2 0 25 6 19 23 Cancelled
202112 4th 22 14 2 6 45 26 19 46 2nd round
202210 bgcolor=gold1st 18 11 4 3 33 14 19 37 Prefectural qualify round Quarter final
202310 2nd 18 11 3 4 54 24 30 36 1st round
2024416 bgcolor=gold1st 30 19 7 4 66 35 31 64 Ineligible
2025320 TBD 38
Key

Honours

Honour !!scope=col
No. !scope=colYears
In chronological order-->scope=rowTochigi Prefecture Division 1101967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002
scope=rowTochigi Prefecture 2nd Division A21989, 1990
scope=rowTochigi Prefecture Division 211991
scope=rowKantō Soccer League32018, 2020, 2022
scope=rowJapanese Regional Football Champions League12023
scope=rowJapan Football League12024

Current squad

As of 3 April 2024.[7]

Out on loan

Club staff

.

Position Staff[8]
Manager Naoki Imaya
Defense coach Takuma Tsuda
Offense coach Atsushi Izawa
Goalkeeper coach Yuki Takita
Strengthening coach Nobuaki Sekimura
Analyst Daito Kai
Kazuki Yokoyama
Chief trainer Arihiro Koizumi
Trainer Kosuke Inoue
Competent/Kitman Masateru Hata
Side affair and interpreter Naoki Iwahashi
Reinforcement affairs Takumi Abe

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Grape picking in Ohira, Tochigi . visit-tochigi.com . 25 November 2024.
  2. https://mainichi.jp/articles/20181220/ddl/k09/050/064000c mainichi.jp
  3. https://www.sankei.com/region/news/181220/rgn1812200021-n1.html sankei.com
  4. 2025シーズン J3クラブライセンス交付のお知らせ. 栃木シティFC . 2024-09-25. 2024-09-28.
  5. Web site: Jリーグ入会(J3)について:Jリーグ公式サイト(J.LEAGUE.jp) . Jリーグ.jp(日本プロサッカーリーグ) . 2024-11-17 . ja.
  6. Web site: J3昇格決定のお知らせ . 2024-11-17 . ja.
  7. Web site: Tochigi City FC . Tochigi City FC . 14 February 2022.
  8. Web site: Club staff 2024 . jfl.or.jp . 7 April 2024.