The third installment of this series drops during a time when some of the major cities around Japan, as well as Okinawa, are seeing a sharp increase in their COVID-19 infections. While it is trivial to wish for the return of football when so many people are suffering from this virus, there is also a need to maintain some semblance of our humanity.

And in the case of Neil (@frontalerabbit), he provides a bit of comic relief in his interview for us all to take a moment and have a good laugh. And please keep in mind the many hours I spent translating Neil’s British slang into something we could all understand, without reducing the impact of his message . So please stay home this Saturday Night; Stay safe, and enjoy some laughs with a truly great interview!

As I mentioned earlier, Neil writes a blog for Kawasaki Frontale over at frontalerabbit.blogspot.jp. I first came into contact with Neil shortly after I attended my first ever Kawasaki Frontale match, which was also my first time ever seeing a J1 team play in the ACL when they squared off against Ulsan Hyundai. I started tweeting out some photos and live chants from the supporter section which led to Neil and I following one another on Twitter.

I also had the pleasure of linking up with Neil, and his friends, at the FC Tokyo derby day match later that year that Neil will get into later I am sure.

I begin all of my interviews by asking each particpant to take a moment and tell us how they are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic as it not only provides some useful information for all of us, it shows us all that despite isolation, we are not alone.

Q. Neil, the number of COVID-19 infections in Tokyo are starting to increase each day so how has the virus impacted your life and how are you holding up there in Tokyo?

I’m OK right now thanks. In spite of Japan being one of the first countries to have a case, I think we all know that we’re quite early on in the process here, so clearly there are tougher times ahead.

Very true. The statistics and overall number of cases throughout the world indicate as much. This is why it is vital that people understand the importance of social distancing, limiting your exposure to the virus, washing hands, avoiding touching your face and having proper plans of action in place to flatten the infection curve.

The lack of football is a bummer, but is wholly insignificant when compared to what other people are going through. And just think about the party we can have when this is all over!

Yeah man. I am chomping at the bit to watch FC Ryukyu.

Q. What have you been doing to occupy your time between the long break in Kawasaki Frontale matches?

Probably unintentionally irritating my wife. (ditto on my end!)

My work is unsurprisingly getting a bit quiet (I’m an English teacher), so I’m finding myself with plenty of free time. Normally I’d spend at least some of this free time drinking, or as I like to call it ‘doing research for my other blog’ (a blog about craft beer bars in Japan called Tokyo Beer Drinker http://tokyobeerdrinker.blogspot.com/), but a bout of gout has put pay to that as well recently.

Gout is no joke. Heal up son! Don’t want to be tempting fate by going to the doctor unnecessarily so ease off that beer and switch to Scotch (not medical advice as I have no idea if that makes any difference with gout).

I’m looking at the possible upcoming lock-down as a big opportunity to get things done that I’ve been putting off for ages, but most likely it will be filled with me doing nothing much apart from playing stupid games on my phone and then feeling guilty about wasting time.

Well, maybe take the first few days to rest and relax but it is important that all of us set ‘Goals’ that you can achieve during an extended isolation period. That will at least allow you to reclaim some control over your daily life.

Let’s transition into something a little more happier.

Q. Please describe how you came to Japan and became a fan of the J league and in particular, Kawasaki Frontale? Why did you choose Kawasaki Frontale over other Tokyo based clubs?

I guess it was mainly because of my wife. We met and had been together in London for a few years and then she got an offer to transfer her job to Japan and we thought we’d give it a try. She’d been in London for quite a while so the chance to return to Japan must have been appealing to her.

I am a pretty easy going person when it comes to making big decisions so I thought why not? Before we’d moved to Japan we’d been on holiday here a few times, visiting her family and generally having fun. On one occasion we found ourselves in a bar in Shibuya where I attempted a conversation with some Japanese guys in my then absolutely useless Japanese (now my Japanese is much better, I’d say it was around the level of ‘a bit useless’).

In the UK, I’d always detested Manchester United for various reasons so when I found myself talking about football in Japan, I asked my new friends who I should support. Perhaps because of the color of the kit among other things, I had always associated Man. Utd. with Urawa, so asked them who Urawa’s big rivals were, saying I would support them. They answered Frontale. I guess they were Frontale fans and saw it as an opportunity to recruit a new fan. In hindsight, clearly their answer was factually incorrect, but it was a good enough reason for me.

Ha, I too thought the same thing about Urawa resembling Man UTD and I don’t think some of the actions by their support group the past few years have provided any help in improving their overall image. Every story needs a villain I guess.

Now we live in Tokyo and Frontale are our local team . Distance wise I am only 5km from the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, so pipe down FC Tokyo fans! If you choose to play in a stadium half way to Nagoya you can’t complain about Frontale attracting some people who live in Tokyo. Hehe.

Shots fired!

Q. Why Blogging? Does Kawasaki Frontale have an English Twitter account?

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but when the games are coming thick and fast it sometimes seems like a bit of a curse. When I was living in the UK from time to time I used to enjoy reading a blog about Frontale written in English, which I unfortunately can’t remember the name. When we moved here and started attending games semi regularly I thought I’d check what that blog was saying about them but found that it had been abandoned. I emailed them before I started writing Frontale Rabbit to check that I wasn’t treading on anyone’s toes by doing it but never received a response so I guess that perhaps they’d left Japan or weren’t interested or able to do it anymore.

You bring up a good point Neil. When I was compiling the list of English blogs or Twitter Accounts for clubs throughout the J-league, there were many that were abandoned and that is just a shame. Hopefully we could get to a point where all 56 J-League clubs are represented.

I’m pretty sure I know all the regular gaijin attendees of Frontale games now, so unless one of them is keeping it very secret, I don’t think the writer goes to games anymore. I would imagine that they must still have some interest in Frontale so I wonder if they have ever read my blog. I wish I could restrict my posts to the length of posts they used to write. They were beautifully concise! I definitely tend to get carried away, particularly when I’m whinging, so writing takes a lot longer than it could. There’s no official English language Frontale content. If anyone from the club is reading, I’d be happy to do it. Guess I wouldn’t be able to moan so much then though…

True, not sure of what other protocols you’d have to follow as an official representative of the club.

Q. What has been the best part of this so called ‘labor of love’ when acting as the de-facto English speaking ambassador for the club. Albeit an unofficial one?

It sounds corny, but it’s really all the people I’ve come into contact. Whether that is making friends at games (mainly the other foreigners. I wish more Japanese fans would talk to me. We see each other every week!), meeting opposition fans at away games or even just having people read what I’ve written, retweet my tweets and take part in my end of season questionnaires.

It’s also been an honor to be on the J Talk Podcast as the Frontale correspondent and meet (in conversation, if not in person) some interesting and great people. We went to an FC Gifu game and met Stuart Smith for some beers afterwards and have met a couple of the other regular J Talk contributors at away games. Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to mention that it was pretty great when we got to meet a certain FC Ryukyu fan who’d flown up to see the Tamagawa Classico where we smashed FC Tokyo at their place!

Some serious salvos are being fired in the direction of FC Tokyo during this interview. But that’s OK, a bit of banter is fun and I’m sure the boys over at @FCTokyoKaiGuys will respond in kind in one of these interviews.

To your point about linking up for that game. It was awesome. I try to adhere to a strict rule of one team per football pyramid in a particular country but having experienced at Kawasaki game a few months earlier, it was enjoyable to watch the visitors “do the job’ over their hosts.

Q. As a side note, that FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale match we attended last Spring ranks up there as one of the best matches I’ve attended outside of Okinawa. The atmosphere surrounding the match, you and the boys, as well as the score line made that really special. I also happened to notice that you and your friends wear some very flashy, very ornate, gold chains as part of your match day routine. Please explain how that came about and what other superstitions/routines do you conduct prior to and during Frontale matches?

Haha! Flashy and ornate is perhaps overstating it a little. The source of this whole thing is Matt, one of the guys you met. Over the course of a few years my wife and I kept noticing that there was another foreigner who was going to the same away games we were and he was always wearing a couple of Mr T style gold chains. I guess we are both shy people so didn’t speak for a while, but that duck was broken away to Sagan Tosu.

The weather was pretty bad, I’d got soaked but wasn’t going to let that get in the way of what must be the best away trip for boozing in J1. Sagan Tosu’s stadium has a wide range of shochus, nihonshus (although not last year…), beers and even Saga ‘champagne’. Because their shirt sponsor last year was DHC they had four or five different types of DHC beer available so my wife and I tried all of them. And it wouldn’t be Sagan Tosu away if I didn’t have at least one mouth scorching shochu. After all of this liquid refreshment I spotted Matt and decided there would never be a better time to say hello.

After I did, Matt popped away and came back with a gold chain for me and the rest is history. The gold chain, (and to be honest there should be inverted commas around that as they are definitely not gold in anything but color), is now something that I use as in emergencies when we really need a goal or some luck. So far it has been quite good for that. I think I put it on for the penalty shoot out in the Levain Cup final last year. Aside from the chain, I went through various different superstitions last season to try and get us playing a bit better. The items involved were a few soft toys and a Frontale mug with various combinations of them being used and the items being called into action on the day of the game or the preceding day. Shockingly, now I think that perhaps I have to admit that THESE DON’T HAVE ANY EFFECT! I can’t believe it…

As someone who played baseball thorough college I have a serious set of superstitions I follow for FC Ryukyu matches. And just like any idiot who fills his head with the notion of hubris, I decided to change the shirt I wear for every FC Ryukyu game and then we promptly lost to Kofu 5-2 at Home which snapped our 36 game home unbeaten run. There is a word that comes to mind when I recall that day and it rhymes with duck.

But those chains are hilarious.

Q. As you may know FC Ryukyu don’t really have a local rival that can make for a true derby. I yearn for the time when OSV will assert themselves to create a nice rivalry on Okinawa but for now, I live vicariously through larger clubs. I usually ask everyone to ran the most heated/hated to lesser known ones for their clubs but judging from your responses so far, I assume that to be FC Tokyo. In any case, what has also been the best derby match in Frontale’s History?

To answer in reverse order, the best derby match I think I have been to was probably the game mentioned above where we met you. Beating FC Tokyo at their place is always nice, but to do it when they were doing well in the league and we were doing badly was extra sweet. And we did absolutely wallop them, which made it even better. It was probably the highlight of our league campaign last year but at the same time was ultimately pointless.

Bittersweet. And makes for a fun train ride home through Tokyo I’m assuming.

As for rivals, the two big ones are Yokohama F Marinos and FC Tokyo who are our closest neighbors and represent the cities that sandwich Kawasaki. Given that they won the league last year, I think Marinos would probably currently top the list of most heated/hated. No one likes their neighbor doing well, particularly when everyone is saying what nice football they are playing.

I think though that it could be a good kick up the backside for us though as a few years ago we were playing nice attacking stuff and recently have atrophied into dullness. Who knows what’s going to become of this season now though?

Other than these two, Shonan Bellmare could be another rival, although I think the bad feeling comes from them to us rather than the other way round. Or maybe it’s just that Shonan Bellmare’s English twitter account is the source of all these bad feelings.

Interesting. I’ll pay a little closer attention to that ongoing Twitter battle between Frontale fans and Bellmare when the season resumes.

Q. Do you follow any clubs in the lower tiers for the J-League or around the world?

On Frontale’s off weekends we’ve been to a few games where we’ve approached it as kind of neutral fans but have picked up some affection for some teams. Because of the aforementioned Stuart Smith, I’m always interested in Gifu and when we loaned them a player last year we had a great opportunity to see them play. The player didn’t even make the bench though…

When Frontale were playing Sagan Tosu away we arrived a day early and on a whim went to Giravanz Kitakyushu to watch a game in their stadium hoping to see the ball sail over the stand into the sea. Sadly that didn’t happen, but I have a soft spot for them too now. Perhaps due to them serving 5 different types of Mojiko Retro beer in the stadium. It’s a brewery I really like and the opportunity to drink some nice beer whilst watching the game was great.

I also like Ehime’s mascots, the angry orange and the cheeky newt or whatever it is. I think everyone likes FC Ryukyu too and I look forward to one day being able to go to a Frontale game there. As you can probably see, my reasons for liking or disliking teams are quite random, but I think a lot of the teams in smaller cities have their charms. It’s great to see a local club supported by local people who are normally very welcoming. And if the city is nice, that’s a bonus!

In England my team is Leyton Orient, which is my hometown team and are currently in the fourth tier. It’s a bit strange that my Japanese team has recently been so successful. As an Orient fan I’m not used to success. But my years as an Orient fan prepared me well for the relentless disappointment that was Frontale’s league campaign in 2019, so that was handy!

Ha, nice.

Q. What are some of you most memorable football experiences?

Of course the games where we won titles are definitely up there. Losing away at Cerezo Osaka, yet still taking the title the year before last was a bit weird though. The Levain Cup final last year was just a crazy game, but there was way too much tension for me to be able to fully enjoy it.

I can associate very well with your nervous tension pre-match and neurotic behavior.

Kashima throwing the title away and us taking it on the last day of the season in 2017 was pretty special, particularly as it was our first title. I’d probably say though that my best experiences have been going to away games in more unusual places and having locals be welcoming but also a little surprised at my attendance. I’m thinking of Mito away, Yamagata away, Niigata away, Eastern SC away in the ACL. (actually, most of these games were pretty bad though, to be honest!). Also, the pregame love in between the two sets of fans at Sendai we have every year is always great.

I cannot tell if that was another dig you tossed out there with that last line so I’ll just leave it be. And I wholeheartedly agree that away matches are just an awesome experience.

Q. Let me say, that I really love reading your blog because you offer more critical analysis than the normal match day preview/report that is issued from clubs within the J League. I often follow this pattern as it’s so easy to lob praise when things go right, but rarely does anyone address the underlying issues when things go wrong. What is your routine for analyzing matches and putting together your match previews/reports? I would offer that those of you who don’t follow Neil’s blog really, really, really need to.

Thank you! I have a feeling that I often don’t know what I’m talking about on a technical or tactical level, but there is definitely something different that you pick up when you actually go to a game rather than watch on DAZN or just see the highlights. I often wonder if I am crazy, as at times something seems glaringly obviously horrible to me, but the consensus on twitter is the opposite. I think actually though that I may moan a bit too much for most people.

I haven’t checked back, but I think there probably is a difference in tone between my posts pre- and post- first title. Last year was horrible as we had so much potential and just messed up over and over again. I try to be fair though and give Oniki some credit when he does something I disagree with that works. I’m fully aware that moaning about draws looks pretty arrogant, or entitled, when other teams would welcome those results. But what you notice most of all when attending live games is all the decent opportunities squandered prior to shooting, or the endless sideways and backwards passes resulting in nothing when we’re chasing a game.

Obviously, these things don’t make the highlights package. I also think my blogging style includes trying to mention things that aren’t obvious from watching the highlights. I try to refrain from describing goals as it’s clearly better and easier to understand if you just watch the replay. Maybe some of these reasons are why my posts seem more negative and petty but quite different!

You’re right. Easier for many to watch the highlights but pointing out the little things that go unnoticed provide a deeper glimpse into the goings on at a particular club.

Q. Why do we devote so much time and effort, FOR FREE, to our blogs for our clubs?

This is a question I often find myself pondering. I think I’ve got a bit lazier recently, but I haven’t failed to put a post up before the following game yet. I guess we do it for the glory, right? Ha!

I suppose we do it for free because there’s no chance of anyone paying us for it! I often have similar feelings about my other blog. Why do I bother? I can’t really explain it but it does somehow feel like my duty. Until there is someone else covering Frontale in English, I guess I’ll carry on.

Well said.

Q.Kawasaki Frontale is a large club, please tell us of their history as well as some of the most memorable moments for you as a fan?

I reckon I’d put us in the second tier of large clubs, particularly before we won the league for the first time. I don’t think we will ever have the financial clout to compete with the really big boys if we don’t win the league every so often. But yes, still a fairly big club I guess.

As you probably know, we were perennial silver collectors till 2017, with a string of final defeats and failures to get over the line from good positions. I think we’ve got that monkey off our back but we really need to compete a bit more this year with the talent we have. I think the atmosphere around the club is pretty good and that might contribute to some of our bigger players not wanting to leave for better contracts at bigger clubs. Long may that continue!

As far as memorable moments, away games make the best memories. When I heard that there is a plan to maybe ban away fans in the league this year (if we ever resume the season), I was gutted as the difference in atmosphere between home and away is huge. Running into other Frontale fans in craft beer places in different cities after away games is always a lot of fun. And the strange looks I got from some of the players at open practice sessions when getting photos taken and shirts signed is quite a good memory too. It’s weird, but it seems that I enjoy more of the things that happen around the games rather than the games themselves.

I think you’ve captured the essence of what it means to be a traveling fan here in Japan. It will absolutely be a shame to not travel, but I could make do with that for a brief period of time until we kick this COVID-19.

Q. What is the outlook for Kawasaki Frontale this year? Especially after what seemed like a down season for the club last year? What have you seen from some of the J1 predictions as far as where Frontale are expected to finish? What players have they brought in/let go that could strengthen/weaken the squad?

Judging by our opening game at home against Sagan Tosu, I’d say we are in for another season of dullness. But we always play badly at home against Tosu and we always start slowly, so that needs to be a consideration. It seems that Oniki has got the message from last year and has rung the changes a bit this season. In a way, maybe this enforced break might work out well for us as we were clearly disappointed with the opening result and disappointing but things seem to be picking up a bit at the club.

I heard that we destroyed FC Tokyo in a training game with the FC Tokyo manager using words to that effect. Shame that one wasn’t on DAZN. In the first Levain game we ran riot against Shimizu but I thought that maybe they weren’t very good and the score was a reflection of that rather than our quality. I try to start the season positive, so I’ll keep that going for a while. I think we can definitely challenge this year, especially with Oniki’s new open mindedness. The fact that this season might be shortened and has no relegation could suggest that all the teams are going to see it as a free hit and we might see some crazy attacking football.

I’d say that would play into our hands as we have generally struggled against teams looking to keep it tight and play for a 0-0. This was supposed to be the year that our youth players were unleashed and the opening two games would suggest that is going to happen. I’m pretty excited about seeing some of them get their chance. It’s a real shame that we might not have so many Levain Cup games now (if the season is restructured). I think we have a bright future and perhaps the blend of youth and experience will work really well this year.

Interesting point about the reduction in non-league matches and the affect it will have on player development with reduced opportunities.

Q. Do you have a favorite player in the squad?

It used to be Nara. He always gave 100% and I really liked that about him. But now he’s at Kashima. That transfer was a major bummer, but I totally understand him leaving given what happened for him last year.

This year I haven’t bought a shirt. I don’t really like the design and I couldn’t decide who I might want on the back. So this is all a backhanded way of saying I don’t currently have a favorite player.

I’ve been quite lucky as I can’t really remember us having that many players who I didn’t like. They all seem like they’re nice people. Each year I buy a towel with a different player’s number from that of my shirt. I haven’t decided who it will be this year yet, but I am leaning towards either Kamiya or Issaka. I have no justification for either of these selections!

Q. Have you met anyone from the Frontale squad or staff in person?

Only at the practice sessions where I’ve had some photos taken and got Nara to sign a couple of shirts and Kengo to sign an old Kengo tshirt I own. We have sat near some players on planes and at airports but I’ve never really felt like I should bother them.

Matt bumped into our Brazilians walking round a mainly closed Oita city center last year after the away game and I wish I’d done the same. Guess my preferred activities outside of football don’t really correspond with those of professional athletes. I’d love to run into a player at a beer bar or a weird noise music concert though. Then I would probably introduce myself.

Q. What are some ideas you have been mulling over for your blog?

I was considering writing some posts on more general J league issues last year. I went as far as making a list of those issues and writing an introduction to the first post and then decided I wouldn’t bother. Perhaps I’ll come back to this idea if/when we get locked down and run out of other things to do.

In case you are interested these topics were: dynamic pricing, queueing, referees, the difficulty of buying away tickets, Brazilians, and inconvenient kick off times. I think I’d probably have to do a bit too much research for my liking on some of these topics so that is a reason that might not get off the drawing board.

Onto the rapid-fire round

Q. Tea or Coffee here in Japan?

Tea at home (PG Tips), coffee if I’m out.

Q. Best food item at your current location?

I’m a vegetarian, which is tricky in Japan, so aside from the fact that I always have a lot of crisps (that is chips for my American readers), perhaps my favorite snack, in my house. I’d say it’s probably a huge bag of veggie smoked frankfurters in the freezer.

Q. Tell us the name of the podcasts/twitter accounts you follow that would help out the English fan of the J league, or football in general?

Probably the same ones that everyone else who listens to the great J Talk Podcast follows. Starting with them, @JTalkPod and @FRsoccerSam. Obviously I have to keep an eye on my ‘enemies’ so @TricolorePride & @FCTokyoKaiGuys. In addition to being rivals, they also happen to be very nice people.

@aishiterutokyo usually has the official info quickest and straight from the horse’s mouth. And I sense that @JSoccerMagazine is a kindred spirit in that he seems as blinkered towards his teams as I am towards Frontale. @BlogGamba is my unofficial proofreader as I seem to make a lot of mistakes recently and he points them out to me. Thanks!

@sushi_football and @J2KantoBites keep me in touch with J2 and J3 and I really like their J Talk extra time podcasts. And I was going to say @mcintinhos but in trying to find his twitter address I realized I wasn’t actually following him. I am now.

I don’t have any secret sources I’m afraid. Although, my wife follows a lot of Japanese accounts that seem to have more scoops and she’s nice enough to tell me about them. Oh, and of course @OkinawaOzzy!

One final mention should go to @bellmare_en who seems constantly on the edge of a nervous breakdown or explosion of anger, particularly when he’s talking about Frontale. One of my Frontale friends enjoys bantering with him and the results are often fantastic. I’m sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone.

That was perfect!

Q. How hard was it for you to assimilate to Japan since your arrival, and what has made the transition easier?

I don’t think I’ve had that much trouble assimilating to Japan or Japanese culture. I’m quite a timid and laid back person so I haven’t encountered some of the tougher situations that many other foreigners may have experienced in Japan.

I guess the most difficult part for me will always be the food, as although vegetarian options have increased recently it’s still definitely a lot more difficult for me to eat here than it was in the UK. I can’t really give it up though, as I’ve been vegetarian for over 25 years now.

At games, perhaps some might say I’m a bit more critical and vociferous than other fans, but I’d say that impression is exaggerated by the fact that most Frontale fans are unrelentingly positive and gentle. It’s fair to say that if it wasn’t for my wife I’d be totally screwed here in so many ways so I’d have to thank her for making the transition so easy.

Excellent point. a big thanks to all the wives, girlfriends and significant others of all the bloggers, tweeters and pod-casters as without their patience and understanding, we’d never be able to do a hobby we love that occupies so much of our time.

That is all I have for you Neil. The platform is yours.

Not sure what to say, so I’ll just ramble a bit. I guess I should apologize for not posting much on my blog recently, but obviously there’s not been much happening. However, even in normal times we don’t seem to get much information from J League teams. Frontale is a hell of a lot more secret than my English team is. Presumably they like to keep things close to their chest in order to avoid giving opposition teams any advantage ahead of games, but the lack of information regarding injuries is always something that I find strange.

I think a similar thing was mentioned on the podcast, but sometimes we find out injury news via a players social media account rather than through the club who often seem to pretend nothing is wrong. At the same time, one thing I think the J League does a lot better is make the stadiums a really welcoming place for fans. It’s very nice to go to games without any worries about trouble with the opposition’s fans. The atmosphere at games is always pretty good I think. And at away games it’s even better!

Traveling to different cities, going to different pubs and restaurants is such a privilege and I feel very lucky to be able to do it.

Well, it was an absolute pleasure talking with Neil as he cast shade across so many J-League clubs and I really enjoyed the laughs. Neil, please stay safe and continue the excellent work on your blog. Again, you can find Neil on Twitter @Frontalerabbit for all things Kawasaki Frontale as well as at frontalerabbit.blogspot.jp.

Until next time!