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.
| Full name | Tochigi City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club 2019 as Tochigi City FC | ||
| Stadium | City Football Station Tochigi, Tochigi | ||
| Capacity | 5,129 | ||
| Chairman |  Takashi Ōkuri | ||
| Manager | Naoki Imaya | ||
| League | J3 League | ||
| 2024 | JFL, 1st of 16 (promoted) | ||
| Website | tochigi-city | ||
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Origin name
editIn 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
editThe 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
editIn 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
editOn 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]
On 13 December 2024, Tochigi City officially first J3 League home game against SC Sagamihara on 15/16 February 2025 and first away game against relegated teams from J2, Thespa Gunma on 22/23/24 February 2025.[7]
On 20 December 2024, Tochigi City officially first J.League Cup match against J1 League club, Kashima Antlers on 20 March 2025.[8]
League and cup record
edit| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | Emperor's Cup |
J. League Cup | Shakaijin Cup | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Div. | Tier | Teams | Pos. | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||||
| Hitachi Tochigi Uva SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Kanto Division 2 | 5 | 8 | 2nd | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 30 | Did not qualify | Not eligible | ||
| 2007 | Kanto Division 1 | 4 | 8 | 2nd | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 27 | ||||
| 2008 | 2nd | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 26 | 3rd round | ||||||
| 2009 | 2nd | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 31 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| Tochigi Uva | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Japan Football League | 3 | 18 | 15th | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 41 | 75 | -34 | 31 | 1st round | – | Ineligible | |
| 2011 | 17 | 10th | 33 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 40 | 43 | -3 | 45 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2012 | 17 | 17th | 32 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 70 | -34 | 22 | Prefectural qualify round | |||||
| 2013 | 18 | 17th | 34 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 34 | 64 | -32 | 30 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2014 | 4 | 14 | 13th | 26 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 37 | -21 | 19 | 1st round | ||||
| 2015 | 16 | 16th | 30 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 29 | 61 | -32 | 19 | 1st round | |||||
| 2016 | 16 | 15th | 30 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 34 | 77 | -43 | 16 | 1st round | |||||
| 2017 | 16 | 16th | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 56 | -34 | 24 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2018 | Kantō Soccer League Division 1 | 5 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 14 | 36 | 52 | Prefectural qualify round | Did not play | ||
| Tochigi City FC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Kantō Soccer League Division 1 | 5 | 10 | 3rd | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 1st round | – | 2nd round | |
| 2020 † | 10 | 1st | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 19 | 23 | 1st round | Cancelled | ||||
| 2021 | 12 | 4th | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 46 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2022 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 14 | 19 | 37 | Prefectural qualify round | Quarter final | ||||
| 2023 | 10 | 2nd | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 54 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 2nd round | 1st round | ||||
| 2024 | Japan Football League | 4 | 16 | 1st | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 66 | 35 | 31 | 64 | 2nd round | Ineligible | ||
| 2025 | J3 League | 3 | 20 | TBD | 38 | TBD | ||||||||||
- Key
- Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
- † Number of games played reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
Honours
edit| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Tochigi Prefecture Division 1 | 10 | 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002 |
| Tochigi Prefecture 2nd Division A | 2 | 1989, 1990 |
| Tochigi Prefecture Division 2 | 1 | 1991 |
| Kantō Soccer League | 3 | 2018, 2020, 2022 |
| Japanese Regional Football Champions League | 1 | 2023 |
| Japan Football League | 1 | 2024 |
Current squad
editAs of 3 April 2024.[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club staff
edit- As of the 2024 season.
| Position | Staff[10] |
|---|---|
| Manager | Naoki Imaya
|
| Defense coach | Takuma Tsuda
|
| Offense coach | Atsushi Izawa
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| Goalkeeper coach | Yuki Takita
|
| Strengthening coach | Nobuaki Sekimura
|
| Analyst | Daito Kai Kazuki Yokoyama
|
| Chief trainer | Arihiro Koizumi
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| Trainer | Kosuke Inoue
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| Competent/Kitman | Masateru Hata
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| Side affair and interpreter | Naoki Iwahashi
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| Reinforcement affairs | Takumi Abe
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References
edit- ^ "Grape picking in Ohira, Tochigi". visit-tochigi.com. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ mainichi.jp
- ^ sankei.com
- ^ "2025シーズン Ｊ３クラブライセンス交付のお知らせ" (Press release). 栃木シティFC. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ "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） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ "Ｊ３昇格決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ "2025シーズン 年間対戦カード決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ "２０２５ＪリーグYBCルヴァンカップ 1stラウンド組み合わせ決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ "Tochigi City FC". Tochigi City FC. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Club staff 2024". jfl.or.jp. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
External links
edit- Official website (in Japanese)
- Tochigi City FC on Twitter
- Tochigi City FC on Facebook
- Tochigi Uva FC U-15 U-12 Football School (archived)
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