Kamatamare Sanuki is a football (soccer) club based in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. They play in the second division of the J League. They entered the J League in 2014 after finishing as runner-up in the Japan Football League in 2013. The first part of their name was coined by combining the Japanese word Kamatama (a type of udon noodle bowl) and the Italian Mare ("Sea"). The second part is what Kagawa Prefecture used to be called. Their name as well as their crest, which also features a kamatama udon bowl, are so unique that the club instantly became one of the most well-known non-J. League sides in Japan when announced in October 2005.
History
The club was founded in 1956 as Takasho OB (Old Boys) Soccer Club (高商OBサッカークラブ) by the former students of Takamatsu Commercial High School's soccer club. Since renaming themselves Kagawa Shiun Football Club (香川紫雲フットボールクラブ) in 1991, they have been the leading football club in Kagawa, winning the Shikoku League Championship twice. The club's name changed again in 2000 to Sun Life (サンライフ) Football Club, when a consumer loan company Sun Life signed a sponsorship deal that continued until the end of the 2004 season. In October 2005, after briefly being called Takamatsu Football Club, the club officially announced their intention to rise to J. League status, and changed their name to Kamatamare Sanuki. In 2010 they won the non-league treble by winning the Shikoku League, the Shakaijin Cup and the Regional Promotion Series, and by virtue of the latter they were at last promoted to the Japan Football League.
League record
| Season |
League |
Pld |
Pts |
W |
D |
L |
|
| 1977 |
Shikoku League |
14 |
10 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
6th |
| 1978 |
14 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
8th |
| 1979 |
Kagawa Pref. League |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Champions |
| 1980 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Champions |
| 1981 |
Shikoku League |
14 |
15 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
5th |
| 1982 |
14 |
13 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
8th |
| 1983 |
16 |
21 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
2nd |
| 1984 |
14 |
17 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1985 |
14 |
11 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
6th |
| 1986 |
14 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
7th |
| 1987 |
14 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
8th |
| 1988 |
14 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
7th |
| 1989 |
14 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
6th |
| 1990 |
14 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
8 |
6th |
| 1991 |
14 |
21 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1992 |
14 |
18 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
3rd |
| 1993 |
14 |
22 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1994 |
13 |
23 |
11 |
1 |
1 |
Champions |
| 1995 |
14 |
30 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
2nd |
| 1996 |
14 |
31 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
| 1997 |
14 |
30 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
Champions |
| 1998 |
14 |
22 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
3rd |
| 1999 |
14 |
28 |
9 |
1 |
4 |
2nd |
| 2000 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
1 |
5 |
4th |
| 2001 |
14 |
24 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
3rd |
| 2002 |
14 |
30 |
10 |
0 |
4 |
2nd |
| 2003 |
14 |
13 |
4 |
1 |
9 |
6th |
| 2004 |
14 |
24 |
8 |
0 |
6 |
3rd |
| 2005 |
14 |
22 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
4th |
| 2006 |
14 |
37 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
Champions |
| 2007 |
14 |
37 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
2nd |
| 2008 |
14 |
40 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
Champions |
| 2009 |
14 |
36 |
12 |
0 |
2 |
2nd |
| 2010 |
14 |
38 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
Champions |
| 2011 |
JFL |
33 |
40 |
11 |
7 |
15 |
11th |
| 2012 |
32 |
53 |
15 |
8 |
9 |
4th |
| 2013 |
34 |
68 |
21 |
5 |
8 |
Runners-up |
| 2014 |
J2 |
42 |
33 |
7 |
12 |
23 |
21st |
| 2015 |
42 |
51 |
12 |
15 |
15 |
16th |
- Note: The 1994 season saw one game cancelled due to the disqualification of Alex SC who fielded ineligible players. The 2011 season saw one game cancelled as Sony Sendai could not play a full schedule due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami barring regular use of facilities.
Current squad
As of 2 August 2014. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Honours
In pop culture
The Kamatamare players made cameo appearances in the 2006 film "UDON" directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro[1].
External links
