Ventforet Kofu

Ventforet Kofu (ヴァンフォーレ甲府, Vanfōre Kōfu) are a Japanese football (soccer) club from Kofu. They compete in the J. League Division 1, and their home ground is the Kose Sports Stadium.

The word "Ventforet" is coined combining two French words Vent ("Wind") and Forêt ("Forest"). This derives from the famous phrase Fū-rin-ka-zan (風林火山）that Shingen Takeda, a Kofu-based prominent daimyo in the Sengoku period, liked to see on his war banners. This phrase refers to the idea of Swift as the Wind, Silent as a Forest, Fierce as Fire and Immovable as a Mountain.

History

Kofu Club (1965–1994)

The club were founded in 1965 when the old boys' club of Kofu Dai-ichi High School called Kakujo Club started to recruit graduates of other highs with the intention of promotion to the Japan Soccer League.

The club joined the newly formed JSL Division 2 in 1972. They stayed there until the conclusion of the league in 1992 when they became a founding member of the former Japan Football League.

Kofu Club were a club, in the real sense of the word, formed by voluntary members, unlike other mainstream football clubs at that time in Japan whose players were mostly the employees of their sponsoring companies.

Kōfu

Kōfu (甲府市, Kōfu-shi) is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.

As of November 1, 2015, the city had an estimated population of 193,127 and a population density of 909 persons per km². The total area was 212.41 square kilometres (82.01 sq mi). Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province". During the Sengoku period, it was famous as the stronghold of Takeda Shingen.

Geography

Kōfu is located in north-central Yamanashi Prefecture, extending from the northern border of the prefecture with Nagano Prefecture, south until it almost reaches the southern border of the prefecture. It is narrow along its east-west axis. The city bisects the Kofu Basin, and is at an elevation of between 250 and 300 meters, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Much of the northern portion of the city is within the borders of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park

Surrounding municipalities

Kawasaki Frontale

Kawasaki Frontale (川崎フロンターレ, Kawasaki Furontāre) is a J1 League association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.

History

Founded in 1955 as Fujitsu football club. The club was one of many city clubs that comprised the Japan Soccer League, including Yomiuri (later Tokyo Verdy 1969), Toshiba (later Consadole Sapporo) and NKK SC (now defunct). They first made the JSL First Division in 1977, only to be relegated the next season afterwards and would not return to the top flight until 2000, when they were first promoted to the rebranded J1.

The club co-founded the Japanese second tier three times under its three names: JSL Second Division (1972), Japan Football League Division 1 (1992) and J. League Division 2 (1999).

Fujitsu's club became professional in 1997, and changed its name – "Frontale" means "frontal" in Italian. The club old crest and colours are based on those of Brazilian side Grêmio, because both clubs have cooperated since 26 March 1997. The club joined the second division of the J. League in 1999, and became the champion of the division. But in the next season, it sank to the bottom of division one, and was relegated. In 2004, they were champions of J2 and won promotion to J1 for the second time. With the former rival city clubs out of the way due to relocation or liquidation, Frontale began building its power base in the city.