Team Data: Kashima Antlers

Team Name:

Team Logo & Mascot:

Team Flag:

Home Uniform Away Uniform

Home Stadium

Hakata-no-Mori Stadium



Seats 22,563

Team Data:

Management Corporation: Fukuoka Blux Co., Ltd.
Established: 29 September 1994
President: Kazuhiro Tomoike
Investors: Consortium of 91 organisations and companies, including Fukuoka City, Coca Cola West Japan, and Sanyo Shimpan
Address: 1-1-1 Watanabedori, Chuo-ku,
Fukuoka City, Fukuoka 810-0004
Hometown Area: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Home Stadium: Higashihirao Park Hakatanomori Stadium (capacity: 22,563)
Joined J. League: 1996


Avis-kun

The Japanese yellowjacket is found throughout the country, but it is particularly common in Kyushu, where the really big ones make the local name -- "suzumebachi" (sparrow-bee") --seem accurate in terms of size. Avis-kun has been a popular character in Fukuoka since the team joined the league in 1996, and a few years ago he found a girlfriend named Bibi (or rather, "bee-bee") to share duties on the Fukuoka sidelines.

Team Roster

2008 Schedule

Historical Results

Preseason Forecast


Avispa Fukuoka traces its roots back to 1982, with the formation of the Chuo Bouhan Soccer Club in Shizuoka prefecture -- a long way from the team's current home. The team took part in local competitions in the Shizuoka area until 1985, when it obtained corporate support and suddenly began a charge up the rankings of the JSL. Though still a member of the second division, the team was allowed to be one of the founding members of the (old) JFL, in 1992.

Between 1992 and 1995, the team made good progress through the JFL ranks. In 1994, due to the large number of teams already calling Shizuoka home (including Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata), the team was convinced to move to Fukuoka, in Kyushu (western Japan) where it took the official name Fukuoka Blux, later romanized as "Fukuoka Brooks". The move had a positive impact on the team, since it immediately improved from a ninth place finish in 1993 to third place in 1994. In 1995, the team won the JFL championship, thereby gaining admission to the J.League. With its entry to the J.League, the team changed its name and its mascot, adopting the Spanish word "Avispa" to refer to the aggressive yellowjackets that are so common in the Kyushu area. However, Fukuoka struggled constantly at the bottom of the table, and though it enjoyed decent home-town support, it consistently failed to produce good results on the pitch.

Avispa Fukuoka remained one of the cellar dwellers in the J.League continuously from the team's admission in 1995 through 2001. Until the 2000 season, the team never finished higher than 11th place. However, Avispa were always viewed as a difficult opponent, and they tended to base their team on seasoned veterans who could occasionally spring a surprise on the league leaders. They also gained a less flattering reputation for their physical play, leading the league in yellow and red cards. The addition of some talented foreigners -- most notably Argentine forward David Bisconti -- helped the team climb to sixth place in the second stage of the 2000 season. Fukuoka fans were finally hoping that this would mean the end of the team's long battle for respectability.

Unfortunately, the performance in late 2000 proved to be just a breif mirage, which would be banished the following season. After flirting with relegation every year since the two-league format was introduced, Avispa finally succumbed at the end of 2001, and was relegated to the J2 for the 2002 season.

Following their fall to the J2, Avispa cut loose most of their top players and began retrenching. This strategy seems to have been a mistake, as it simply cemented their position as a mid-level division two club. For a while, it looked like Avispa might follow the same path as Shonan Bellmare and Consadole Sapporo, who were forced to restructure after falling to the J2, and have yet to recover from the bloodletting. However, after spending a year floundering in the lower reaches of the J2, the team slowly began to climb back onto its feet. Avispa was fortunate enough to have a solid base of core supporters, and though its crowds were rather small in 2002 and 2003, the support was steady, and sufficient to provide enough cash flow to pick up players one by one, particularly youngsters from the top high school teams in Kyushu. .

By 2004, Avispa had expanded its gate receipts, as well as its position in the standings, and was ready to make a bid to return to the J1. Midway through the 2004 season, Avispa had enough cash to pick up midfielder Yuki Matsushita on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima, as well as land a quality striker, Edilson Jose da Silva. The addition of these two players gave Avispa a boost, and they began charging towards the top ranks of the J2 in the second half of the season. Unfortunately, both Kawasaki Frontale and Omiya Ardija had already built too large a lead, and despite their late run, Avispa had to settle for third place and a spot in the promotion/ relegation playoff with Kashiwa Reysol.

The team was not quite strong enough to win promotion at the first attempt, losing both legs of the playoff by the same 2-0 score line. Nevertheless, the results in the latter half of 2004 -- both on the pitch and in the stands -- put Avispa back among the ranks of J2 challengers, and encouraged the team to pick up a few more quality players to improve their chances in 2005. This time, Avispa maintained a strong performance from start to finish, and though they could not match the dominance of Kyoto Purple Sanga, they did take the number two spot in the J2, and with it, a ticket to promotion. Unfortunately, their second visit to the top-flight division was even more short-lived than the first, and in 2007 they were right back where they started after falling to Vissel Kobe in the promotion/relegation series.

In 2007, coach Pierre Littbarsky took over the coaching job, and used his past experience in both the J.League and Australia to begin rebuilding the club in a slightly different image. Though Avispa finished a disappointing seventh, there were signs that Littbarsky's new approach may be starting to take hold. We would not be surprised to see the Yellowjackets back in the promotion race once again, in 2008.


Team Results for 1993-04

YearRankWinDLGFGAG.Dif
90ETPK
1996159
2
194264-22
1997 (1st)173 00
131127-16
1997 (2nd)153 01
121831-13
1998 (1st)18 201
142247-25
1998 (2nd)15 410
121138-27
1999 (1st)1142
092330-7
1999 (2nd)1531
1101829-11
2000 (1st)1433
091928-9
2000 (2nd)661
2622202
2001 (1st)1241
0101325-12
2001 (2nd)1531
292231-9
2002 (J2)810

12225869-11
2003 (J2)421

8156762+5
2004 (J2)323

7145641+15

Team Results for 2005-Present

YearRankPtsWDLGFGAG.Dif
2005 (J2)221 781587243+29
200616275 12173256-24
200777322 719776116
*Note: Data for pre-2005 results is separated from more recent data to reflect the switch in the J.League's format, to a single-stage season


Avispa Fukuoka -- Team Roster for 2008


NamePos.Birth Date
Birthplace
Height (cm)
Matches
Weight (kg)
Goals
1 Ryuichi KAMIYAMAGK 10-Nov-1984 18896
Osaka (J1/J2) 1/48 (J1/J2) 0/0
2 Toru MIYAMOTODF 03-Dec-1982 17668
Yamaguchi (J1/J2) 21/118 (J1/J2) 0/4
3 Tatsunori YAMAGATADF 04-Oct-1983 17263
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 6/64 (J1/J2) 0/1
4 Mark RUDAN ** DF 27-Aug-1975 19292
Australia (J1/J2) 0/0 (J1/J2) 0/0
5 Satoshi NAGANODF 02-Aug-1982 18578
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 3/54 (J1/J2) 0/1
6 Takanori NUNOBEMF 23-Sep-1973 17772
Osaka (J1/J2) 234/78 (J1/J2) 20/7
7 Kiyokazu KUDOMF 21-Jun-1974 17368
Hyogo (J1/J2) 223/78 (J1/J2) 8/4
9 Teruaki KUROBE **FW 06-Mar-1978 17776
Tokushima (J1/J2) 114/76 (J1/J2) 28/39
10 Hisashi JOGOMF 16-Apr-1986 18377
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 25/16 (J1/J2) 4/2
11 Yusuke TANAKAFW 03-Feb-1986 17672
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 22/107 (J1/J2) 2/13
13 Tomokazu NAGIRADF 17-Oct-1985 17876
Shimane (J1/J2) 8/12 (J1/J2) 0/0
14 Hokuto NAKAMURAMF 10-Jul-1985 16769
Nagasaki (J1/J2) 30/37 (J1/J2) 4/4
15 Daisuke NAKAHARAI **MF 22-May-1977 17369
Shizuoka (J1/J2) 199/102 (J1/J2) 19/11
16 Tatsunori HISANAGAMF 23-Dec-1977 17166
Kagoshima (J1/J2) 199/89 (J1/J2) 16/3
17 Takanori NAKAJIMA **DF 09-Feb-1984 17775
Chiba (J1/J2) 20/107 (J1/J2) 0/1
18 Jun SUZUKI **MF 22-Apr-1989 16869
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 0/4 (J1/J2) 0/0
19 Tetsuya OKUBO **FW 09-Mar-1980 19084
Kanagawa (J1/J2) 2/37 (J1/J2) 0/4
20 Mike HAVENAAR **FW 20-May-1987 19481
Hiroshima (J1/J2) 24/0 (J1/J2) 0/0
21 Kyohei OYAMA **FW 22-May-1989 17871
Fukuoka (J1/J2) 0/0 (J1/J2) 0/0
22 Motohiro YOSHIDA **GK 25-Aug-1974 18677
Osaka (J1/J2) 93/48 (J1/J2) 0/0
23 Yuji ROKUTANGK 10-Apr-1987 18777
Kagoshima (J1/J2) 0/0 (J1/J2) 0/0
24 Yasuomi KUGISAKIFW 03-May-1982 17671
Miyazaki (J1/J2) 1/10 (J1/J2) 0/0
26 Shingo HONDAMF 23-Nov-1987 17476
Kumamoto (J1/J2) 0/4 (J1/J2) 0/0

*Newcomers to the team in 2007


Match Schedule for 2008

DateTime Home.VisitorVenue
16 Mar (Sun)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsMito HollyhockHakata-no-mori Stadium
20 Mar (Thu)13:00 Vegalta SendaivsAvispa Fukuoka Sendai (Yurtec) Stadium
23 Mar (Sun)16:00 Ventforet KofuvsAvispa Fukuoka Kose Stadium
30 Mar (Sun)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsEhime FCHakata-no-mori Stadium
6 Apr (Sun)13:00 Tokushima Vortis vsAvispa Fukuoka Naruto (P-Sweat) Stadium
12 Apr (Sat)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsFC Gifu Hakata-no-mori Stadium
20 Apr (Sun)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsSagan TosuHakata-no-mori Stadium
26 Apr (Sat)13:00 Montedio YamagatavsAvispa Fukuoka Yamagata Stadium
29 Apr (Tue)16:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsThespa Kusatsu Hakata-no-mori Stadium
3 May (Sat)13:00 Shonan BellmarevsAvispa Fukuoka Hiratsuka Stadium
6 May (Tue)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsRoasso KumamotoHakata-no-mori Stadium
11 May (Sun)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsSanfrecce Hiroshima Hakata-no-mori Stadium
18 May (Sun)16:00 Yokohama FC vsAvispa Fukuoka Mitsuzawa Stadium
21 May (Wed)19:00 Cerezo Osaka vsAvispa Fukuoka Nagai Stadium
25 May (Sun)13:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsVegalta SendaiHakata-no-mori Stadium
31 May (Sat)14:00 Sagan TosuvsAvispa Fukuoka Tosu Stadium
8 Jun (Sun)13:00 Roasso KumamotovsAvispa Fukuoka Suizenji Stadium
11 Jun (Wed)19:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsMontedio YamagataHakata-no-mori Stadium
15 Jun (Sun)19:00 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vsAvispa Fukuoka Hiroshima "Big Arch"
21 Jun (Sat)14:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsCerezo Osaka Hakata-no-mori Stadium
25 Jun (Wed)19:00 FC Gifu vsAvispa Fukuoka Nagaragawa Stadium
29 Jun (Sun)19:00 Ehime FCvsAvispa Fukuoka Ehime "Ningineer" Stadium
5 Jul (Sat)19:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsVentforet KofuHakata-no-mori Stadium
9 Jul (Wed)19:00 Thespa Kusatsu vsAvispa Fukuoka Gumma Stadium
13 Jul (Sun)19:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsTokushima Vortis Hakata-no-mori Stadium
20 Jul (Sun)19:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsYokohama FC Hakata-no-mori Stadium
26 Jul (Sat)19:00 Mito HollyhockvsAvispa Fukuoka Kasamatsu Stadium
3 Aug (Sun)19:00 Avispa Fukuoka vsShonan BellmareHakata-no-mori Stadium
16 Aug (Sat)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsRoasso KumamotoHakata-no-mori Stadium
23 Aug (Sat)TBASanfrecce Hiroshima vsAvispa Fukuoka Hiroshima "Big Arch"
30 Aug (Sat)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsSagan TosuHakata-no-mori Stadium
7 Sep (Sun)TBAVegalta SendaivsAvispa Fukuoka Sendai (Yurtec) Stadium
13 Sep (Sat)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsTokushima Vortis Hakata-no-mori Stadium
20 Sep (Sat)TBAThespa Kusatsu vsAvispa Fukuoka Gumma Stadium
23 Sep (Tue)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsCerezo Osaka Hakata-no-mori Stadium
27 Sep (Sat)TBAFC Gifu vsAvispa Fukuoka Nagaragawa Stadium
5 Oct (Sun)TBAMontedio YamagatavsAvispa Fukuoka Yamagata Stadium
19 Oct (Sun)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsYokohama FC Hakata-no-mori Stadium
26 Oct (Sun)TBAMito HollyhockvsAvispa Fukuoka Kasamatsu Stadium
23 Nov (Sun)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsEhime FCHakata-no-mori Stadium
29 Nov (Sat)TBAVentforet KofuvsAvispa FukuokaTBA
6 Dec (Sat)TBAAvispa Fukuoka vsShonan BellmareHakata-no-mori Stadium


Team Home Page

(Japanese only)


Send all questions, comments and queries to:


J1 (Division 1)
Information
Match Results
Standings
Schedule
History
J1 Teams
Venues
Hall of Fame

J2 (Division 2)
Information
Match Results
Standings
Schedule
History
J2 Teams
Venues

National Team
Recent News
History
Schedule
U-20 & U-23 Teams

Overseas Players
Information
Shunsuke Nakamura
Mitsuo Ogasawara
Daisuke Matsui
Naohiro Takahara
Junichi Inamoto
Koji Nakata
Masashi Oguro
Others


Information
Match Results
Standings
Schedule
JFL Teams

Regional Leagues
Information
Hokkaido League
Tohoku League
Hokushinetsu Lg.
Shikoku League
Tokai League
Kansai League
Chugoku League
Shikoku League
Kyushu League








Site
 Meter