Fujieda MYFC
Online-subscriber-funded club that rose to J2 League.
Fujieda MYFC (藤枝MYFC, Fujieda Maiefushī) is a professional football club from Fujieda, Shizuoka, Japan. The team competes in the J2 League, the country's second tier. It was originally funded by online subscribers, a first for a Japanese club.
The club was created in 2009 through the merger of two sides: Fujieda Nelson (named after Daishiro Yoshimura's Brazilian middle name) and Shizuoka FC. The My Football Club project had purchased Fujieda Nelson CF in 2008 and renamed it Fujieda MYFC. In 2009, My Football Club bought Shizuoka FC and merged the two, forming Shizuoka Fujieda MYFC. Toshihide Saito became player/manager. The new club won the Tokai League Division 1 in its first season (2009) but lost in the Regional League promotion series. In 2010, it finished second in that promotion series, earning a spot in the Japan Football League (JFL) and becoming Shizuoka Prefecture's third representative in the national leagues. The club then dropped "Shizuoka" from its name, becoming simply Fujieda MYFC.
Fujieda finished 11th in its debut JFL season in 2011, securing its place for 2012. After placing 13th in the JFL in 2012, the club was accepted into the inaugural J3 League for 2014. Following this acceptance, player/manager Toshihide Saito left. On 7 January 2014, Musashi Mizushima was appointed manager. In April 2019, the club announced "Kaihōku" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation as its official support song.
After nine seasons in J3, Fujieda MYFC secured promotion to the J2 League for the 2023 season—its first time in the second division. Promotion was confirmed with a 0–0 draw against AC Nagano Parceiro on the final matchday of the 2022 season, finishing as runners-up with 67 points from 34 matches. On 26 September 2023, the club was declared to have met the requirements for a J1 League license.
Fujieda plays home matches at the Fujieda Sports Complex Park, which opened in 2002 and has a capacity of 5,056. The club has qualified for the Emperor's Cup five times, debuting in 2013.
Quick Facts
- Clubname
- Fujieda MYFC / 藤枝MYFC
- Fullname
- Fujieda MYFC
- Nickname
- MYFC, Wisteria
- Ground
- Fujieda Soccer Stadium / (Fujieda, Shizuoka)
- Capacity
- 13,000
- Chairman
- Jun Koyama
- Manager
- Tomoaki Makino
- League
- FujiedaM
- Season
- FujiedaM2
- Position
- FujiedaM3
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The current club was formed in 2009 as a merger of two clubs, Fujieda Nelson (named after Daishiro Yoshimura's Brazilian middle name) and Shizuoka FC. The My Football Club project bought Fujieda Nelson CF in 2008 and renamed them Fujieda MYFC. Then in 2009, My Football Club bought Shizuoka FC and merged the two clubs to form Shizuoka Fujieda MYFC. Toshihide Saito was appointed player/manager of the club. In their first season (2009) the club finished 1st in the Tokai League Division 1 but was knocked out of the Regional League promotion series. In 2010, they took second place in the Regional League promotion series and therefore won promotion to the Japan Football League for the first time, becoming the third representative of the prefecture in the national leagues. They then dropped the Shizuoka from their name and became just Fujieda MYFC.
Reader's Guide
Fujieda MYFC represents a unique experiment in Japanese football: a professional club funded by online subscribers, a model that was the first of its kind in Japan. The club's journey from a merger of two local sides in 2010 to the J2 League by 2023 illustrates a steady climb through the regional and national tiers. After two seasons in the Japan Football League, they were accepted into the inaugural J3 League in 2014. Nine seasons later, they secured promotion to the J2 League for the 2023 season, finishing as runners-up with 67 points in 34 matches. In September 2023, the club met requirements for a J1 League license, signaling potential for further ascent. Their story highlights how fan-funded models can achieve professional success, and their stadium, Fujieda Sports Complex Park, remains a modest but dedicated home ground. The club's official support song, 'Kaihōku' by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, adopted in April 2019, reflects their cultural integration.
Did You Know?
- Fujieda MYFC was the first Japanese club funded by online subscribers.
- The club was formed in 2009 from a merger of Fujieda Nelson and Shizuoka FC.
- They were promoted to J2 League for the 2023 season after nine years in J3.
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