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Shonan Bellmare
湘南ベルマーレ

Full name	Shonan Bellmare
Nickname(s)	-
Founded	1968
Ground	Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Capacity: 18,500)
Chairman	Kiyoshi Makabe
Manager	Yasuharu Sorimachi (2009- )
League	J. League Div.1
2009	Div.2 3rd Place (promoted)
Home colours Away colours

Shonan Bellmare (湘南ベルマーレ, Shōnan Berumāre ^?) are a Japanese professional football (soccer) club, currently playing in the J-league Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "beautiful" and "mare" for "marine". Shonan refers to an area that includes Hiratsuka.

History

Early years as corporate team

The club was founded in 1968 as Towa Estate Development S.C. in Tochigi city. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League (JSL) Division 1 in 1972. They changed their name to Fujita Kogyo S.C. when Towa Estate Development gave up the ownership to their parent company Fujita Kogyo, which moved the club to Hiratsuka.

They won the JSL three times (including two doubles with the Emperor's Cup) between 1977 and 1981. They were nevertheless relegated to the JSL's Division 2 in 1990. Although they won the last JSL Division 2 season in 1991-92, the professionalization and formation of the J. League meant they did not meet the new top flight league's criteria and the runner-ups, Kashima Antlers (formerly Sumitomo), were promoted instead.

1993 (JFL)

In 1993, they adopted new name Shonan Bellmare. Their application to the J. League Associate membership was accepted. They played in the former Japan Football League Division 1 and won the league championship. After Hiratsuka City Council committed to finance the refurbishment of the Hiratsuka Stadium to meet the J. League requirements, J. League accepted the club.

1994 - 1997 (Golden era)

Bellmare Hiratsuka 1994-1999 crest

The club was forced to change their name to Bellmare Hiratsuka because J. League required the participants to designate only one city or town as their hometown and include its name in the club names at that time. The club initially struggled to cope with the J. League opponents and finished 11th out of 12 in the first stage of the 1994 season. However, they came back in the second stage and finished 2nd. With this momentum, the club won the 1994-1995 Emperor's Cup. This title qualified Bellmare for the 1996 Asian Cup Winners Cup, which they won by beating Iraq's Al Talaba in the final. Hidetoshi Nakata joined the team in 1995 and they also successfully recruited Brazilian-born Wagner Lopes and influential Korean international Hong Myung-Bo. This is arguably the most successful period of the club.

1998 - 1999 (Difficult period)

Four Bellmare players were selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They were Nakata, Lopes, Hong and a goalkeeper Nobuyuki Kojima. However, as Nakata left for Italian club Perugia just after the World Cup, the club's fortune started to decline. The main sponsor Fujita decided to discontinue the financial support in 1999 due to their own financial difficulties. It forced the club to release some highly paid players including Lopes, Hong and Kojima. They finished bottom of J1 in 1999 and were relegated to J2.

2000 - 2009 (J2)

The club made a new start. The ownership was transferred to a community-owned organisation. They also changed their name to Shonan Bellmare as J. League allowed them to enlarge their designated hometowns to include several cities and towns surrounding Hiratsuka. The club's performance on the pitch has not been strong and they have not been serious contenders for the promotion to J1 so far.

A J1 comeback in 2010, if they are able to achieve promotion, will be the first without Fujita as their sponsor. Although for a time they refused to consider their history as the championship-winning Fujita corporate team in their current history, this year they celebrated the club's 40-year anniversary in 2009 as deduced from the badge in their Web site.

On December 5, 2009, Shonan returned to J1 as third place finishers in 2009 seasons.

2010 - Present (Return to J1)

Record as J. League member

Key

• Tms. = Number of teams
• Pos. = Position in league
• Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Titles

Towa / Fujita

• All Japan Vase: 1971
• Japan Soccer League: (3) 1977, 1979, 1981
• JSL Cup: (1) 1973
• Emperor's Cup: (2) 1977, 1979

Bellmare Hiratsuka / Shonan Bellmare

• Emperor's Cup: (1) 1994
• Asian Cup Winners Cup: (1) 1996

League history

• Kanto Football League: 1970 - 1971
• Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1972 - 1989 (1972 - 1974 as Towa Real Estate Development; 1975 - 1989 as Fujita Industries)
• Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1990 - 1991 (as Fujita Industries)
• Division 2 (Japan Football League (former) Div. 1): 1992 - 1993 (as Fujita Industries)
• Division 1 (J. League Div. 1): 1994 - 1999 (as Bellmare Hiratsuka)
• Division 2 (J. League Div. 2): 2000 - 2009 (as Shonan Bellmare)
• Division 1 (J. League Div. 1): 2010 -

Current players

As of January 13, 2010 Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Yosuke Nozawa 2 DF Yuzo Tamura 3 DF Jean 4 DF Takahiro Yamaguchi 5 DF Kohei Usui 6 DF Taisuke Muramatsu 7 MF Yoshito Terakawa 8 MF Koji Sakamoto 9 FW Yutaka Tahara 10 MF Adiel 11 FW Yoshiro Abe 13 DF Nobutaka Suzuki 14 DF Akihiro Sakata 15 MF Han Kook-Young 16 GK Kei Uemura 17 MF Kenji Baba 18 FW Tatsunori Arai 19 MF Satoru Hayashi 20 MF Yuki Igari 21 MF Ryota Nagata 22 MF Yuya Nakamura 23 MF Tatsuki Kobayashi 24 DF Yuki Ozawa 25 GK Kim Yong-Gwi 26 MF Shota Kobayashi

No.   Position Player 27 FW Genki Nakayama 28 DF Naoto Matsuo 29 MF Isamu Matsuura 30 FW Tsuyoshi Shimamura 36 FW Kazushi Mitsuhira

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player DF Shoma Kamata (to JEF United Ichihara Chiba) DF Kento Fukuda (to F.C. Kariya) MF Daisuke Kikuchi (to Thespa Kusatsu) MF Yohei Maeda (to Fukushima United F.C.) FW Tetsuya Kanno (to Zweigen Kanazawa)

2010 season transfers

For recent transfers, see List of Japanese football transfers winter 2009-10.

In Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 14 DF Akihiro Sakata (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka) DF Naoto Matsuo (Transferred from Albirex Niigata) DF Yuki Ozawa (Transferred from Mito HollyHock) MF Kenji Baba (On loan from Vissel Kobe) MF Tatsuki Kobayashi (Loan return from Thespa Kusatsu) MF Satoru Hayashi (Loan return from Gainare Tottori) MF Han Kook-Young (Drafted from Soongsil University) MF Isamu Matsuura (Drafted from Hamamatsu Kaiseikan High School) 36 FW Kazushi Mitsuhira (Drafted from Kanagawa University) FW Tatsunori Arai (Transferred from JEF United Ichihara Chiba) FW Genki Nakayama (Transferred from Consadole Sapporo)

Out Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Tomohiko Ito (Retired) 13 MF Shota Suzuki (Released) 17 MF Daisuke Kikuchi (On loan to Thespa Kusatsu) 18 DF Shoma Kamata (On loan to JEF United Ichihara Chiba) 20 FW Ryuta Hara (Retired) 24 FW Tetsuya Kanno (On loan to Zweigen Kanazawa) 27 DF Keisuke Takigawa (Released) 29 DF Kento Fukuda (On loan to F.C. Kariya) 31 MF Yohei Maeda (On loan to Fukushima United F.C.) 33 MF Kai Harada (Released) 40 MF Shuto Suzuki (Loan return to Kashima Antlers) MF Toshitaka Tsurumi (Transferred to Gainare Tottori) FW Kohei Yamamoto (Released)

Former players

Worldcup players

World Cup 1998

• Hidetoshi Nakata
• Nobuyuki Kojima
• Wagner Lopes

External links

• (Japanese) Shonan Bellmare Official Web Site
• (Japanese) Bellmare Sports Club

Japanese football champions 7 titles Tokyo Verdy (1983, 1984, 1986/87, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993, 1994) Kashima Antlers (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009) 5 titles Urawa Reds (1969, 1973, 1978, 1982, 2006) Yokohama F. Marinos (1988/89, 1989/90, 1995, 2003, 2004) Sanfrecce Hiroshima (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970) 4 titles Cerezo Osaka (1971, 1974, 1975, 1980) Júbilo Iwata (1987/88, 1997, 1999, 2002) 3 titles Shonan Bellmare (1977, 1979, 1981) 2 titles JEF United Chiba (1976, 1985/86) 1 title Kashiwa Reysol (1972) Gamba Osaka (2005)

J. League   Domestic League & League Cup Seasons Division 1 & 2 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 2010 League Cup 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 2010   2010 J. League Clubs & Associate Members Division 1 (18 clubs) Vegalta Sendai · Montedio Yamagata · Kashima Antlers · Omiya Ardija · Urawa Red Diamonds · F.C. Tokyo · Kawasaki Frontale · Yokohama F. Marinos · Shonan Bellmare · Albirex Niigata · Shimizu S-Pulse · Júbilo Iwata · Nagoya Grampus · Kyoto Sanga F.C. · Cerezo Osaka · Gamba Osaka · Vissel Kobe · Sanfrecce Hiroshima Division 2 (19 clubs) Consadole Sapporo · Mito HollyHock · Tochigi S.C. · Thespa Kusatsu · JEF United Ichihara Chiba · Kashiwa Reysol · Tokyo Verdy · Yokohama F.C. · Ventforet Kofu · Kataller Toyama · F.C. Gifu · Fagiano Okayama F.C. · Tokushima Vortis · Ehime F.C. · Giravanz Kitakyushu · Avispa Fukuoka · Sagan Tosu · Roasso Kumamoto · Oita Trinita Defunct Club(s) Yokohama Flügels Associate Members Machida Zelvia · Gainare Tottori · V-Varen Nagasaki   Competitions involving Japanese clubs Domestic J. League Division 1 · J. League Division 2 · Yamazaki Nabisco Cup · Emperor's Cup · Xerox Super Cup · JOMO All-Star Soccer Defunct Suntory Championship · Promotion/Relegation Series · Sanwa Bank Cup · A3 Champions Cup International AFC Champions League · Pan-Pacific Championship · Suruga Bank Championship   J. League Awards Most Valuable Player · Top Scorer · Rookie of the Year · Best Eleven · Manager of the Year   See Also Japanese football league system · J. League Associate Membership · J. League records · J. League contracts · Japanese football champions · Notable J. League players · List of football clubs in Japan