FCR & Me: What it means to be a fan of the team.

A friend asked me to provide some reasons as to why FCR is great, I ended up going much deeper, but I hope that anyone who reads this appreciates my responses.

Alright, so you asked me for my opinion as to what has happened to make FCR so good, so here it goes.

FCR started out brutally in their fist year in J2 (2014). FCR finished W8D10L15 with a goal differential of -19 and it was just bad football in terrible temperatures. Some matches would finish with score lines of 7-1 against Zelvia or getting pounded 6-0 by the under-22 J League team which was just embarrassing. 2015 was slightly better but it was truly the year of 2016 that was a turning point for FCR.

2016 began what I would call the “Ryukyu Renaissance.” We had key elements on the squad; Tanaka, Park and Tomidokoro coupled with the managerial change from Noshirio Satsukawa to Kim Jong-Song that really began the drive up and out of the J3.

FCR would finish with a winning record and a positive goal difference. Granted it was 46 scored and 46 conceded for a goal difference of 0 but for the first time ever, FCR became competitive and the matches became meaningful. There was even one point in the season where FCR had a chance to go top of the table for the first time in their history against a strong Akita side. FCR was awarded a very late penalty, in the 3^rd minute of stoppage time which meant the PK would be the last play, and Tanaka stepped up to the spot as the leading FCR goal scorer on the season. Unfortunately, his shot was saved as he really didn’t get any power behind it and the game ended in a draw. I was so distraught from the loss that I couldn’t leave my seat in section S as I just couldn’t believe what happened considering we almost were top of the table for a day. My friends thought it was funny but this is what it means to be a true fan, you feel every loss and relish every win, you are as much a part of the team as the players and management and if FCR wants to achieve the lofty heights of J1 and the Asian Champions League, then they better start to plant and nurture these feelings for their fans.

2017 was the year that we started the push to the J2 but J3 teams failed to notice that FCR was for real, and that they were to be taken seriously. Everything was positive for the boys that year; winning record, positive goal differential and better performances on the pitch. FCR still made mistakes but these were lessons that needed to be learned if they wanted to succeed. FCR would also start to set the standard for performances at home as the undefeated at home streak began in September and is still intact to this day. One side note, Tomidokoro was just on another level that year, his FKs and goals were breathtaking. If you haven’t seen them then you need to Google these games. At the very least, Google the September 30 2017 match.

2018, nothing more needs to be said. Here are some things the “Bengara Boys” achieved that season. Scored 70 goals resulting in a +30-goal difference, dropped points in only 6 games the entire season, didn’t lose a single match at home all year. Early on there were some struggles on defense, most notably when we drew against the Tottori and Osaka after conceding late goals in what was largely considered statement games. I’m sure my cursing and ranting in English played no part in FCRs success that year but strangely enough the boys went on a tear after I lost my cool.

There was a point in the 2018 season in which the boys were just unbeatable, I mean, watching them week in and week out you could see that this was a team of destiny and no one was stopping them on their journey. Literally, as an FCR fan, you could sit down to watch a match and know the boys were going to score, and win. They lost at then end of April that year and wouldn’t lose again until mid-September. The just demolished everybody along the way to the J3 title.

November 3^rd 2018. This is one of the most special days in FCR history. It is the culmination of hard work by the team, excellent front office and coaching management and of course commitment by the fans. 8,500 Okinawans showed up to witness history. I must add this, with all due respect to the Golden Kings and their impressive achievements, football is the world sport and it is massive here in Asia compared to basketball. There is the Asian Champions League, not on par but just as important, as the UEFA Champions League, and I’ve personally attended several of these games in Korea to know that football is king here in Asia.

Back to the date of immortality, the boys came out firing and nothing that Thespa could do would stop FCR from lifting the J3 trophy that day. I recall watching that match with friends and just stating that I hoped that FCR would score early, which they did, as well as score often, which they also accomplished. The match was out of reach by the 70^th minute and it was an amazing feeling to watch the team you love, with the community of people you love, win a very important match and lift a very important trophy. I cried, I will not lie, it was an emotional moment because so much that I’ve already written about was tied into this one single glorious moment. The heartaches, the heat, the bad football, the almost moments of glory and the bitter defeats, all of it led up to the J3 Championship. But, if you are satisfied here, then you are mistaken, there is always more to achieve. I think sometimes that those of us who’ve played sports, at any level, feel that we can never be complacent and always need to achieve more and never appreciate all that we have right now. At the end of the day this is FCR and not some psychoanalysis by me so the bottom line is trophies and glory mean everything and I am along for the ride.

Finally, to your initial question as to what makes FCR great. First, the owner of this team deserves so much credit for his actions and patience. He has witnessed this team achieve unbelievable heights with unbelievable low attendance levels. Please, I implore all of Okinawa, come watch this beautiful football team in a great stadium with great people. If Okinawa doesn’t show up now to support FCR, you may as you’ve always suspected, be relegated to an afterthought by the people of “mainland” Japan.

Second, the players are amazing and should be treated as such. I have never once seen an FCR player out in town but you better believe if I have that opportunity that not only will I thank them, I’ll serenade them with my own special chant. People of Okinawa, these are professional athletes and human beings, give them your support, recognize their achievements and lift them up because they will do so much for you in return. I hope to see an FCR player out in town one day.

Third reason is the fans of FCR. Hiroaki is an example to us all and was so deserving of the honor to touch and lift the J3 trophy this past season. The man is the spirit and soul of this team and is someone I am so honored to call my friend. I’m grateful his English is far better than my Japanese and he bleeds Bengara Blood like no one on island. There are also the loyal fans that show up each and every week including the road games like our FCR family in Kanto! The Ryukyu Girls, wow do I miss them. Besides their obvious beauty they are very approachable and nice women who are very passionate about FCR and made every match great – bring them back! This team has such a massive opportunity to solidify itself amongst all Okinawan’s, here and abroad, and we need all of you to get behind the boys.

Finally, and the most special reason to me is this; we are all FCR. Put aside all of our differences that others may say exist or try to create, I am here standing shoulder to shoulder with my entire Okinawa family for one cause and that is FCR. I may only speak a little Japanese but I have been woven into the fabric of Okinawa society for 10 years and I want nothing but the best for everyone here and that means having a top-notch football squad. FCR has provided so many memorable moments in my life but here are a few for the readers. 1.) Watching them lift the Okinawa prefectural tournament trophy with my daughter and getting to take part in the team photo was awesome, 2.) 90 minutes of pure intensity in which we almost went top of the table versus Akita on a PK, 3.) watching the boys draw against Oita (almost won BTW) on the road on a televised game on Sky Sports back in 2016 at Camp Nou with Hiroaki (pre-DAZN) was outstanding followed by 4.), watching the inaugural 2017 game at the same bar and FCR earning a draw was also awesome. 5.) Tailgating with my American friends in the parking lot, 5.) Players autographs and meeting the heroes of Okinawa, 6.) the current winning streak the boys are keeping intact started on my birthday, 7.) my son – who was a miracle for my wife and I – was born in the same season that FCR became J3 Champions, 8.) The J3 Championship, 9.) The road match versus Omiya was out of this world and crazy I was so lucky to be there, and finally 10.) for every new memory and experience that is out there, join me, join us as FCR, you won’t regret it.

The Streak

There are a few times in the world of sport where one must sit back and admire the achievements of sports franchises even if they are not the one you support. There are all sorts of remarkable achievements such as winning the most titles in the history of a particular sport, winning multiple titles in consecutive seasons and pulling off some ridiculous winning streaks. The latter is the one I want to focus on for today’s entry because it should be near and dear to all FCR fan’s hearts. FCR has now positioned itself to once again to etch its name into the J League history books for the second consecutive week.

FCR currently sits atop of the J2 table with a 24-game J League home unbeaten streak dating back to the 2017 J3 League season. Some may argue that a majority of those games were against lesser competition but I would counter that by saying you can only play the competition in front of you. As a side note, this streak is only for the J League since FCR has lost their initial Emperor’s Cup match at home the past 2 seasons but that discussion is for a later time, for now, let’s focus on the achievement and special moments to date for this record.

The Start: September 30^th 2017, special moment indeed as this is my birthday, but seriously FCR faced off against the Under-23 Cerezo Osaka side. The match ended 1-0 after and absolutely top drawer take by # 10 Tomidokoro in the 48’ where he received the ball near the top of the box and sent a beautiful curler around the left side of the keeper. A familiar face was in the lineup that day besides Tomidokoro as Keita Tanaka made his return to FCR on loan from Mito-Hollyhock.

FCR would then go on to earn consecutive draws against Morioka and FC Tokyo Under-23s, a win against YSCC, draw with Tochigi and finally a win against Kattaler Toyoma on the final match day of the season. Streak started out with 3 wins and 2 draws for 2017.

2018: The streak continued in the opening match of the season with a 4-3 win against Kattaler Toyoma and this was a great match. FCR were up 3-0 at halftime with goals by Yu Togashi, Nakagawa and Uejo and they were cruising. However, the game took an interesting turn at the end as Toyoma made a serious push with 2 late goals to bring the score to 4-3 but it was Uejo’s second goal of the day that proved to be the difference.

Okinawa Ozzy Loses His Cool: There were two matches early on in this streak that really struck a nerve with me as a massive fan of the club because I viewed those matches as must wins. First, FCR squared off against Gainare Tottori, who at the time looked to be one of the stronger teams in the early part of the 2018 J3 League season. I viewed this as a “statement” game that if FCR were serious about doing anything for the season (apparently there were as history has shown) then they needed to assert themselves in this match. FCR twice took the lead against Tottori but it was a goal in the 2nd minute of stoppage time that ended the match in a draw. Now, I wasn’t that upset but slightly disappointed. It was the following match were I kind of had a momentary lapse in judgement due to circumstances beyond my control.

Match Day 6 of 2018 saw FCR taking on the Under-23 Cerezo Osaka team. I viewed this match, along with all under-23 matches that season, as must wins and surely FCR with their players should get the job done against some youngsters. Well the Bengara Boys were done in by another late goal in the 88’ and thus the game ended in a draw. I couldn’t believe that we had only taken 2 points, out of a possible 6, from games that I thought we should’ve won. Had we won the game against U23 Cerezo Osaka I probably wouldn’t have lost it like I did when the team came over to the supporter section after the match to say thanks. I am not proud of my antics, but as passionate fans, we can get very emotional at times. Once the team was in ear shot, I yelled out “that’s not good enough” (there may have been some profanity in there as well), followed by a resounding, “you better fix that crap (not the exact word I used) at the back!” Of course, the team kindly smiled and ignored those remarks and went about their business.

Now, maybe my motivational speech at the end of the match sparked something or likelier the squad just got better and began to assert their dominance in the J3. Starting with the next home match against U23 Gamba Osaka on Match Day 9, FCR went on a serious unbeaten streak (home and away) that saw them shoot up to the top of the table. FCR would win or draw 13 matches in a row and didn’t lose again until September 15^th to of all squads, the U23 Gamba Osaka squad who started them on the streak. From there FCR went on to win or draw another 7 games in a row with the 7^th being the most memorable.

History: Match Day 30, November 3^rd 2018. A date that will forever be etched into the history of FCR. The boys squared off against Thespakusatsu Gunma with a chance to lift the J3 title in front of crowd of around 8,000. This was the best atmosphere the boys played in all season at home, and you know what, they responded magnificently (HINT, HINT! FANS = MOTIVATION FOR FCR). It was dream start for FCR as they quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals by who other than Nakagawa and Togashi with a third by Wada by the 50^th minute. At this point I just wanted the ref to blow that final whistle but things of course got a little interesting near the end. Gunma pegged one back in the 66^th minute to make it 3-1 but FCR quickly responded with a goal in the 66^th minute by Nakagawa (miss that dude so much, what a player). Despite Gunma adding a late goal in the 86^th minute the game was out of reach and the boys lifted the shield in very dramatic fashion.

The remainder of the 2018 season saw FCR losing 2 of their 3 matches but that’s to be expected of teams who have already won the title and are giving other players on the squad their chance at some playing time. However, what was so vital to this home game winning streak was the 5-1 drubbing of SC Sagamihara on FCRs final home match of the 2018 season. Tomidokoro had a brace and of course Nakagawa scored his 16^th goal of the season which would prove to be his last in an FCR uniform. 2018 Home Record: 12 Wins and 4 Draws. Streak at 21

A New Era: FCR has started off with a serious bang in the 2019 J2 season. They are currently riding a 5-game unbeaten streak and face off against a Yamaguchi this weekend who have conceded a lot of goals so far and find themselves near the bottom of the table. If FCR wins or draws, I believe they set a new J League record for games unbeaten at home with 25. 2019 Season to date; 3 wins. Steak at 24.

I must give a lot of credit to Tobias (@ConDrei) for doing the research on this streak. Tobias pointed out that the J2 record is held by Kawasaki Frontale from 2003-2004 as well as Shonan Bellmare from 2012 to 2014 in which the 2013 season they played in J1.

Let us now put the FCR home unbeaten streak in perspective against other records in Football as well as other sports. The longest unbeaten streak in Football stands at 119 for Steaua Bucharest from 1986-1989 that saw them lift 5 consecutive titles. That’s just ridiculous. The Cleveland Indians of the MLB won 22 consecutive games in 2017. In Boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez won 87 fights in a row from 1980-1993, whoa! The Pittsburgh Penguins – my home town – won 17 straight games in the NHL in 1993, Mario Lemieux anyone? Wilhelm Steinitz from Austria won 25 straight chess matches from 1873 to 1882 and I’m willing to bet that wasn’t against friends and family. And then there is ZeRo from Chili who won 53 consecutive Super Smash Bros. Wii U tournaments from 2014 to 2015.

Well that was fun, but I should bring this back to the FCR streak with some nice stats: 1.) FCR has won 10 consecutive home matches in the J Leagues dating back to August 25^th 2018. 2.) FCRs last draw at home was July 21^st 2018. 3.) FCRs last home loss was on September 16^th 2017, that’s over 18.5 months ago, let that sink in for a moment. 4.) FCRs losses each season starting in 2014 have gone down by one (6-5-4-3) and of course there were 0 home losses in 2018. 5.) Since 2014 FCR has played 79 home matches with a winning percentage of 49.3%, while drawing 28% of the time and 22% for a loss, so if wins and draws are combined that means FCR has achieved a favorable outcome in matches 78% of the time at home.

For me, it was humbling to extrapolate these stats for FCR. Its humbling because the team is displaying a penchant for winning at home and the number of fans that show up each week pale in comparison to the results FCR achieves on the home pitch. This is a very good ascending club that requires the support of this community in the form of large crowds. We can no longer argue that the performance on the pitch by FCR keeps people away as we have seen this is categorically false. FCR needs Okinawa as much as Okinawa needs FCR. Okinawa is far removed from the “mainland” and therefore could be considered an afterthought at times. What better way to really draw attention to the Okinawa prefecture from those in the mainland, and stick it to them if you wish, than by having a major sports franchise supported by the entire Okinawa community that just consistently lifts trophies.

In closing, lets get out there this Saturday to cheer on the boys, who we know will be giving it their all, and witness a bit of history for Okinawa sports. It would be the third such occasion in a short period of time for this club.

#fortressRyukyu

Community Engagement to Increase Attendance.

There has been a lot of noise on twitter after our last match concerning the lack of fans who attended the match. It’s understandable considering there were close to 8,000 people at the opening match two weeks prior in much poorer weather conditions compared to around 2,500 for this last one. Hopefully it can be attributed to the poor weather and this article can be a distant memory going forward; but at the end of the day the bottom line is, FCR must get more fans into the stands to have a sustainable future in the J2 and beyond.

In my opinion, there are three potential factors acting against FCR when it comes to getting people to attend matches. They are: affordable public transportation to the games, the climate of Okinawa and the demographics of the island. First is the accessibility issue. The only forms of public transportation to and from the match are buses. There is no rail system and taxis can be expensive depending on your origin. It is not realistic to think that many fans are willing to sit on buses for long periods of time just to attend a match at their own expense. I know FCFR has offered shuttle services in Naha and Awase but there are so many more areas on the island to consider.

Second is the climate of Okinawa. Despite being a tropical destination for many tourists, playing matches between 1200 and 1800 is not feasible during the summer months. I can recall back in 2014 and 2015 when FCR was playing matches at these times and it really dampened the football watching experience. Players had to take constant breaks in that heat and at times it derailed the overall momentum for those teams. It just isn’t safe conditions for either the players or the fans and I am glad to see the JLeague schedule a majority of FCR games in the evening during these months.

Finally, the population of Okinawa is spread out over a wide swath of land and a majority of the workforce here is possibly employed in the tourism or retail (izakaya, restaurant and bar) industries. Therefore, those people who could afford the cost of a ticket on a regular basis are probably at work during the 1800-2000 kickoffs and cannot attend the games on a consistent basis, thus potentially limiting the number of season ticket holders and casual fans. When added together these three factors almost reinforce one another and make it difficult to find a large audience to attend matches on a regular basis.

Please keep in mind that I pulled a majority of this data from the Japan External Trade organization but I am making some very liberal assumptions when it comes to the number of employed persons per industry and overall median income for the people of Okinawa. You could poke numerous holes throughout that argument.

All this points to the notion that more community engagement is required by FCR. This is not to say that FCR is doing nothing in the local community, quite the opposite actually, but maybe there is potential to target more of the Okinawa and foreigner populations on the island. Let’s look at what could be done to target some of the foreigners on island.

As an American living and working in Okinawa I rarely see any advertisements for FCR on any of the bases. There are around 50,000 American military personnel, families and civilians here on Okinawa and a majority are sports fans. As an American it is quite challenging watching your local sports team due to the large time differences between the Japan and the U.S. and that makes FCR an attractive option. I am aware that FCR will offer free entry on occasions to the SOFA personnel but what I am talking about is engaging more with the likes of the Marine Corps Community Services and Moral, Welfare and Recreation organizations. Simple things such as announcing upcoming home games over the AFN radio during the morning and evening commutes could impact a very large audience and draw in more potential fans. Now let us look at what can be done to attract the local populace.

Since a majority of the FCR website is in Japanese I assume that most people in Okinawa are aware of what community engagement events FCR conducts. What I am suggesting are some changes that I’d like the club to explore to entice greater attendance at matches. First, let’s try to improve the awareness and atmosphere as you approach the Tapic Stadium. Hang some pennants on the light poles of the road ways indicating the presence of a professional football team. Walking off the train in Omiya it was immediately apparent that the town was Orange and Blue and there were pennants everywhere leading up to the stadium. Simply an awesome atmosphere and made me excited as an opposing teams’ fan. Leverage the fact that Okinawa City claims to be the home of FCR and get them to authorize the hanging of pennants on their streets surrounding the stadiums at no cost to FCR.

I am not sure if FCR conducts any meetings with the head of their supporters’ club, Hiro, but he is the most visible supporter of the club and the strongest voice. Engaging with Hiro on issues concerning the fans and locals will go a lot further than simple surveys at the stadium.

Another idea would be to team together with the Ryukyu Kings and attempt to market a total Okinawa Sports package that included a ticket to both a Kings and FCR game on the same weekend (SAT & SUN or vice versa) at a reduced price. Getting insight from an organization that seems to constantly sell out home games and keep a lively atmosphere can only help.

Offer greatly reduced ticket prices across a wide spectrum of categories. For example: slightly reduced tickets for college students every game (if they don’t already), drop the price of tickets at or after kickoff and at half time, provide reduced pricing on the special select S seating for each game if tickets go unsold so people can experience the match from a different vantage point. Explore the possibilities of special seating sections for families away from the rowdy supporters, or sell special seating on the track near the pitch at premium prices for those that want to get as close to the action as possible.

I am not aware of the dynamics for any FCR partnerships so this is all speculation that FCR doesn’t do this right now. I therefore have no idea if partnerships with resorts, resort groups or restaurant establishments on island could be beneficial to the club. It certainly would be nice if some places like Sukiya, Yoshinoya, KFC or Blue Seal would offer a food promotion based on the presentation of a ticket stub or Season Pass from FCR supporters following a match.

In the end we must consider a some of things. First, unlike some professional teams in America, FCR faces the realistic possibility of promotion and relegation throughout different leagues that require different operating budgets. It is imperative to increase the demand signal from the population of Okinawa now so in the event FCR does achieve high levels of success, the fan base can support and sustain the club. Finally, it’s not realistic to think that one day there will be a 35,000-seat stadium filled to the brim for each match. The island just cannot support a stadium that size. But consistent attendance levels of 10-15,000 is a very realistic possibility. Third, FCR may have already explored a majority of these options and found them not feasible.

Those of us that support FCR want nothing but the best for this club and that means allowing the club to execute their immediate, mid-term and long-term goals for success. This hinges on several factors but a crucial one is attendance levels. If we wish to buy top players and compete at high levels, near capacity attendance is required for each home match. It also means FCR cannot simply say it is too hard to do these things if they wish to grow their fan base. 19 home games are left, not including the Emperor’s Cup, so let’s do all we can as supporters at the grass root level to draw in more fans.

Proposed layout for a pennant ring surrounding the stadium.

A road leading directly to the stadium. It just lends itself well to hang some FCR flags along this street don’t you think?

Reverse view from same street at the entrance of the park. The spill over FCR parking lot is just off to your left.

Tailgating

My friends, this is a subject dear to my heart. This is probably one of the best things – besides watching your team win- to take part in at a sporting event. The idea of getting together with friends, family and even strangers who are supporting the same club you do, hours before a match and sharing food, drinks, stories and games is awesome.

So what is tailgating? It is defined as; “host or attend a social gathering at which an informal meal is served the back of a parked vehicle, typically the car park of the local stadium.”

Most Americans understand what this is and is something I sorely miss living overseas as it just doesn’t happen on the large scale compared to America. I am not sure of Europe or other places so please let me know what goes on there.

Here we tried a few times the past couple of seasons in the lot just outside the Comprehensive Park Pool parking lot (labeled as an empty lot w/ number 23 on google maps). You cannot brings grills into the park and cook food outside of the designated areas so this are is sorta like the wild west of the U.S. back in the day as it seems little rules apply out here. However, it never took hold and this was a time when FCR averaged under 1,000 fans per home game so not many people were exposed to what we were trying to accomplish.

I’d love to try and get this going at some point and hope that if any people from Okinawa or mainland Japan are in the area and want to get it going please let me know.

All we need is a: Grill, meat/chicken/fish, beverages and the desire for a good time starting at 3 to 4 hours prior to kickoff.

FCR Merchandise

Well once again let down by the fact that none of the FCR kits come in a size larger than L/XL in US sizes. I understand this could be motivation to lose more weight and fit in a kit finally but I see other clubs offering kit sizes in 3L/4L/5L. Hope one day I could special order that size. I understand the club cant risk paying money for those sizes and then they are going unsold so hopefully that could be an option.

Also, any unsold kits from years past should be greatly reduced in price; i’d love to decorate my “man cave” with seasons past jersey’s. Especially the one when they lifted the J3 championship shield.