Sony Sendai FC (original) (raw)

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Japanese football club

Football club

Sony Sendai FC ソニー仙台FC

Full name	Sony Sendai Football Club
Founded	1968; 56 years ago (1968)
Dissolved	31 December 2024; 2 days' time (31 December 2024)
Stadium	Yurtec Stadium Sendai Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Capacity	19,694
Owner	Sony
Manager	Jun Suzuki
League	Disbanded
2024	JFL, 12th of 16
Website	www.sonysendaifc.jp/sp/
Home colours Away colours

Sony Sendai FC (ソニー仙台FC, Sonī Sendai Efu Shī) was a former Japanese football club based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. They last played in the Japan Football League, Japanese fourth tier of football league until 2024. They were withdrawn by their company.

The club was founded by the workers of Sony's Sendai factory in 1968. They kept a low profile playing mainly in the Miyagi Prefecture League for a long time. However, it changed suddenly in 1993 when they embarked on a challenging task to reach the former Japan Football League within 5 years. They became league champions for 4 consecutive seasons starting from 1994, first in the Prefecture League and the others in the Tōhoku Regional League. They achieved their goal and were promoted to the JFL by winning the 1997 Regional League play-off.

When the J. League Division 2 was formed in 1999, the club decided not to turn professional. They joined the newly organised Japan Football League instead and have been an established JFL side since then.

As a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Sony Sendai, with permission from the JFL, did not contest the first half of the 2011 season. They expectedly earned last place on points, but due to Machida Zelvia and Matsumoto Yamaga being promoted to Division 2 and JEF Reserves withdrawing from the competition, they were spared relegation.

In 2015, Sony Sendai won the second stage and earned its first JFL title by defeating first stage champions Vanraure Hachinohe on penalties after a tied two-leg final on aggregate.

On 27 September 2024, Sony announced the dissolution of the team, effective at the end of the 2024 JFL season, after fifty-six years of existence. [1]

The Sony Group cited restructuring (downsizing) of its recording media business, which was based at the Tagajyo site of Sony Storage Media Manufacturing, its direct operating entity, as the reason for the cease of operations.[2]

On 3 October 2024, the JFL Board of Directors unanimously approved Sony Sendai's withdrawal from the JFL, officially deciding that the club will leave the JFL at the end of this year.[3]

League and cup record

[edit]

Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Promoted	Relegated

League	Emperor's Cup	Shakaijin Cup
Season	Division	Tier	Teams	Pos.	P	W (OTW)	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1998	Former JFL	2	16	13th	30	7 (1)	1	22	42	71	-29	23	2nd round	-
1999	JFL	3	9	5th	24	7 (2)	1	14	29	42	-13	26	3rd round	Runner-up
2000	12	5th	22	11 (2)	0	9	51	37	14	37	1st round	Not eligible
2001	16	14th	30	9	5	16	28	46	-18	32	1st round
2002	18	4th	17	8	6	3	25	16	9	30	1st round
2003	16	9th	30	13	6	11	46	44	2	45	1st round
2004	16	6th	30	13	8	9	50	42	8	47	3rd round
2005	16	7th	30	15	5	10	48	37	11	50	-
2006	18	9th	34	10	7	17	48	65	-17	37	1st round
2007	18	11th	34	13	5	16	46	59	-13	44	2nd round
2008	18	9th	34	15	4	15	53	42	11	49	3rd round
2009	18	3rd	34	17	8	9	49	30	19	59	2nd round
2010	18	14th	34	11	9	14	34	42	-8	42	3rd round
2011	18	18th	17	3	7	7	14	24	-10	16	2nd round
2012	17	12th	32	9	12	11	27	29	-2	39	2nd round
2013	18	9th	34	12	14	8	33	34	-1	50	2nd round
2014	4	14	5th	26	13	7	6	45	29	16	46	3rd round
2015	16	1st	30	21	8	1	48	21	27	71	-
2016	16	6th	30	17	6	7	56	27	29	57	1st round
2017	16	3rd	30	18	5	7	64	36	28	59	1st round
2018	16	4th	30	16	4	10	67	43	24	52	2nd round
2019	16	2nd	30	16	7	7	60	34	26	55	-
2020	16	3rd	15	8	2	5	25	22	3	26	2nd round
2021	16	6th	32	14	6	12	52	39	13	48	2nd round
2022	16	14th	30	5	13	12	23	39	-16	28	-
2023	15	4th	28	11	10	7	46	40	4	43	2nd round
2024	16	12th	30	10	7	13	34	40	-6	37	2nd round

Key

P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained

As of 1 April 2024.[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Position	Name
Head coach	Jun Suzuki
Assistant head coach	Shinji Honda Kenta Ogihara
Goalkeeper coach	Susumu Kaneko
Trainer	Taku Shikama Naoya Hiraizumi

Manager	Nationality	Tenure
Start	Finish
Kazuaki Nagasawa	Japan	1 February 1999	31 January 2001
Noboru Yoshida	Japan	1 February 2001	31 January 2004
Eiji Satō	Japan	1 February 2004	31 January 2008
Hidenori Tabata	Japan	1 February 2008	31 January 2012
Masato Ishikawa	Japan	1 February 2012	31 January 2018
Shinji Honda	Japan	1 February 2018	31 July 2019
Gen Nakamura	Japan	1 August 2019	31 January 2022
Jun Suzuki	Japan	1 February 2022	31 December 2024