Mito HollyHock

Mito HollyHock (水戸ホーリーホック, Mito Hōrīhokku) is a Japanese professional football (soccer) club, currently playing in the J2 League. The team's hometown is located in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Mito Hollyhock
水戸ホーリーホック
Full nameFootball Club Mito HollyHock Ibaraki
Nickname(s)HollyHock, FC Mito
Founded1990, 1994
GroundK's denki Stadium Mito
Mito, Ibaraki
Capacity12,000
ChairmanKunio Numata
ManagerShigetoshi Hasebe
LeagueJ2 League
2019J2 League, 7th
WebsiteClub website

Its nickname "HollyHock" derives from the family crest of the Tokugawa clan who governed from Mito in the Edo period.

History

The club was founded in 1990 as Prima Aseno FC by the factory workers of Prima Ham (a food company) in Tsuchiura. It changed its name to Prima Ham FC Tsuchiura and gained promotion to the Japan Football League after finishing as runner-up in the 1996 Regional League play-off. It merged with FC Mito (founded in 1994) and re-branded itself as Mito HollyHock before the start of the 1997 season when Prima Ham decided to discontinue its financial support to the club.

Mito's application to play in the inaugural 1999 season of J. League Division 2 was initially turned down due to an unstable financial and fan base. However, after finishing 3rd in the Japan Football League in 1999 and gaining support, the club was invited into the J. League in 2000.

As of 2016, Mito HollyHock fields teams in women's football[1] in Kanto league division 2, and ice hockey[2] in the Ibaraki prefecture league.

Strategy

Being a traditionally weak club in the league, Mito has tended to play a defensive game and has proven successful at it. This stinginess at the back is often referred to as "Mito-nachio" after the Catenaccio playing style, which is also a pun on the hometown's local specialty, Mito natto.

Recently, though, the team has been attempting implementation of stronger offensive tactics in an attempt to gain momentum for a promotion bid.

Current squad

As of 28 June 2020.[3]

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

No. Position Player
1 GK Koji Homma
2 DF Jelani Reshaun Sumiyoshi
3 DF Yota Maejima
4 DF Nduka Boniface
5 MF Yuji Kimura
6 MF Yuichi Hirano
7 MF Kota Yamada
8 MF Akira Ando
9 FW Masato Nakayama
10 FW Kazuma Yamaguchi
11 FW Koichi Murata
13 DF Shohei Kishida
15 MF Koya Okuda
16 MF Yushi Yamaya
17 DF Ryosuke Kawano
No. Position Player
18 FW Shumpei Fukahori
20 MF Yuto Mori
21 GK Ayumi Niekawa
22 DF Shuhei Takizawa
23 MF Ryo Toyama
24 DF Junya Hosokawa
25 MF Yuto Hiratsuka
26 MF Kaito Hirata
27 MF Kai Matsuzaki
28 DF Takaya Inui
35 DF Shoki Ohara
41 GK Kaiho Nakayama
48 FW Halef Pitbull
50 GK Kenya Matsui

Record as J. League member
Season Div. Tms. Pos. Attendance/G J. League Cup Emperor's Cup
2000 J2 10 9 2,021 1st Round 3rd Round
2001 J2 12 11 1,559 1st Round 3rd Round
2002 J2 12 10 2,739 – 3rd Round
2003 J2 12 7 3,085 – 3rd Round
2004 J2 12 9 3,773 – 4th Round
2005 J2 12 10 3,334 – 4th Round
2006 J2 13 10 3,017 – 3rd Round
2007 J2 13 12 2,415 – 4th Round
2008 J2 15 11 3,044 – 4th Round
2009 J2 18 8 2,673 – 2nd Round
2010 J2 19 16 3,608 – 3rd Round
2011 J2 20 17 3,349 – 4th Round
2012 J2 22 13 3,973 – 3rd Round
2013 J2 22 15 4,630 – 3rd Round
2014 J2 22 15 4,734 – 3rd Round
2015 J2 22 19 4,816 – 4th Round
2016 J2 22 13 5,365 – 2nd Round
2017 J2 22 14 4,931 – 2nd Round
2018 J2 22 10 4,938 – 3rd Round
2019 J2 22 7 6,087 – 3rd Round
Key
  • Tms. = Number of teams
  • Pos. = Position in league
  • Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Images (from the former home stadium)
  • Home side goal seat section
  • Home side A seat section, with supporters
  • Mito vs. Sapporo, 18 November 2006

References
  1. http://www.eiko-fc.jp/
  2. http://ameblo.jp/hollyhockice/
  3. "TEAM チーム". Mito HollyHock. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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