Mito HollyHock
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese professional football (soccer)
club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2
. The team's hometown is located in Mito
, Ibaraki Prefecture
.
Its nickname "HollyHock
" derives from the family crest of the Tokugawa clan
who governed from Mito in the Edo period
.
. It changed its name to Prima Ham FC Tsuchiura and gained promotion to the Japan Football League
after finishing as runner-up in the 1996 Regional League play-off. It merged with FC Mito (founded in 1994) and re-branded itself as Mito HollyHock before the start of the 1997 season when Prima Ham decided to discontinue its financial support to the club.
Mito's application to play in the inaugural 1999 season of J. League Division 2 was initially turned down due to an unstable financial and fan base. However, after finishing 3rd in the Japan Football League
in 1999 and gaining support, the club was invited into the J. League in 2000.
playing style, which is also a pun on the hometown's local specialty, Mito natto
.
Recently, though, the team has been attempting implementation of stronger offensive tactics in an attempt to gain momentum for a promotion bid.
Key
João Paulo
Francisco Fernández
Takafumi Akahoshi
Nobuhisa Isono Jun Mizuno Shunta Nagai Shōhei Ogura
Masanori Kizawa Yuichi Shibakoya Derlis Florentín
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2
J. League Division 2
The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...
. The team's hometown is located in Mito
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.45 km², giving a population density of 1,212.91 persons per km²...
, Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
.
Its nickname "HollyHock
Hollyhock
Alcea , commonly known as hollyhocks, is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae. Most species are native to southwest and central Asia, although a few are native to southeast Europe or Egypt...
" derives from the family crest of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
who governed from Mito in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
History
The club was founded in 1990 as Prima Aseno FC by the factory workers of Prima Ham (a food company) in TsuchiuraTsuchiura, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki prefecture, in Japan. It is situated along the western shores of Lake Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan. Tokyo city lies about 60 km to the south, and Tsukuba science city borders Tsuchiura to the west.-Demographics:...
. It changed its name to Prima Ham FC Tsuchiura and gained promotion to the Japan Football League
Japan Football League (former)
The former was an association football league that existed from 1992 to 1998. Also known as the JFL, it was the 2nd tier of the Japanese football hierarchy following J...
after finishing as runner-up in the 1996 Regional League play-off. It merged with FC Mito (founded in 1994) and re-branded itself as Mito HollyHock before the start of the 1997 season when Prima Ham decided to discontinue its financial support to the club.
Mito's application to play in the inaugural 1999 season of J. League Division 2 was initially turned down due to an unstable financial and fan base. However, after finishing 3rd in the Japan Football League
Japan Football League
The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...
in 1999 and gaining support, the club was invited into the J. League in 2000.
Strategy
Being a traditionally weak club in the league, Mito has tended to play a defensive game and has proven successful at it. This stinginess at the back is often referred to as "Mito-nachio" after the CatenaccioCatenaccio
Catenaccio is a tactical system in football with an emphasis on defence. In Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt", implying a highly organized and effective backline defense which is intended to prevent goals.-History:...
playing style, which is also a pun on the hometown's local specialty, Mito natto
Natto
is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. It is popular especially as a breakfast food. As a rich source of protein and probiotics, nattō and the soybean paste miso formed a vital source of nutrition in feudal Japan. Nattō can be an acquired taste because...
.
Recently, though, the team has been attempting implementation of stronger offensive tactics in an attempt to gain momentum for a promotion bid.
2011 Roster
As of July 26, 2011Record as J. League member
| Season | Div. | Tms. | Pos. | Attendance/G | J. League Cup J. League Cup J. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to... |
Emperor's Cup Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | J2 | 10 | 9 | 2,021 | 1st Round | 3rd Round |
| 2001 | J2 | 12 | 11 | 1,559 | 1st Round | 3rd Round |
| 2002 | J2 | 12 | 10 | 2,739 | - | 3rd Round |
| 2003 | J2 | 12 | 7 | 3,085 | - | 3rd Round |
| 2004 | J2 | 12 | 9 | 3,773 | - | 4th Round |
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 10 | 3,334 | - | 4th Round |
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 10 | 3,017 | - | 3rd Round |
| 2007 | J2 | 13 | 12 | 2,415 | - | 4th Round |
| 2008 | J2 | 15 | 11 | 3,044 | - | 4th Round |
| 2009 | J2 | 18 | 8 | 2,673 | - | 2nd Round |
| 2010 | J2 | 19 | 16 | 3,608 | - | 3rd Round |
Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
- Attendance/G = Average league attendance
Notable former players
AndersonAndrade Antunes Anderson
Andrade Antunes Anderson is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Maltese club Valletta F.C..- Club career :...
João Paulo
Sérgio Luís Donizetti
Sérgio Luís Donizetti, best known as João Paulo is an association footballer striker.-Career with Bari:...
Francisco Fernández
Francisco Fernández (Chilean footballer)
Francisco Fernández is a former Chilean footballer currently played for clubs of Chile and Japan, the Chile national U-20 football team and the Chile national football team....
Takafumi Akahoshi
Takafumi Akahoshi
is a Japanese footballer, currently playing for Pogoń Szczecin in Poland.-Career:Previously he played for Latvian side FK Liepājas Metalurgs. Akahoshi had a great season with Metalurgs. Soon after joining the team he became a vital figure in its first eleven and made several excellent appearances...
Nobuhisa Isono Jun Mizuno Shunta Nagai Shōhei Ogura
Shohei Ogura
is a football player who plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan's professional J. League Division 1. His position is defensive midfielder.On December 30, 2006, he was announced as being selected to be on Japan's Under-22 national team...
Masanori Kizawa Yuichi Shibakoya Derlis Florentín
Derlis Florentín
Derlis Javier Florentín Noguera was a Paraguayan football striker.-International career:He was part of the U17 and U20 Paraguay national football teams that won the Milk Cup competition in 2001 and 2003....
International Players
|
Park Joo-Ho Park Joo-Ho is a South Korean football player currently playing for Basel in Swiss Super League. As captain, he played for South Korea national under-20 football team in 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.-Basel:... Shin Byung-Ho Shin Byung-Ho Shin Byung-Ho is a South Korean former football player who played for Jeju United, Gyeongnam FC, Chunnam Dragons, Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Mito HollyHock in Japan.... |
Sérgio Luís Donizetti Sérgio Luís Donizetti, best known as João Paulo is an association footballer striker.-Career with Bari:... Francisco Fernández Francisco Fernández (Chilean footballer) Francisco Fernández is a former Chilean footballer currently played for clubs of Chile and Japan, the Chile national U-20 football team and the Chile national football team.... |
