Visit to Omiya Ardija's training ground

On Sunday February 23rd I went for the first time to Omiya Ardija's training ground. The ground is situated a short ten minute walk from Nishi Omiya station on the Saikyo line. It's very easy to find. Just walk out of the station, go past the Saitama Sakae school and follow the pavement which is called Ardy way and you cannot miss it. I'm going to post a few photographs of my morning there for you to enjoy.
The atmosphere at the ground was friendly and relaxed. On this particular day the training session, which started at 11am, was only a light session involving  a period of jogging and stretches for the main squad. This was because the team had played a friendly game the day before against Matsumoto Yamaga. Most of the players finished after the stretches but a small group of the squad including Kota Ueda set up a small pitch with small sized goals and practiced their passing and movement in a kind of 5 a side game. All the players and the new coach were very friendly and welcoming to all the fans who were there to watch the session. They took time to talk to the fans, sign autographs and have their photos taken with the fans. I could not imagine such a scenario happening these days in the major European leagues, at least not in such a relaxed atmosphere. It was a great morning so thank you to the players and staff of Omiya Ardija.

                                            Ardy Road signpost!

the main building

the Orange shop for Ardija merchandise

the players jogging round

some of the players practicing 

the fans lined up waiting to get the players' signatures and photos

the Ardija van

Cho taking a having a long chat with his fans

Ardija vending machine

Takashi Kitano's autograph

One of my students went along to an Omiya Ardija training session recently and kindly got me the autograph of Ardija goalkeeper Takashi Kitano. I hope to go along soon and watch Kitano and the other players train too.

Omiya Ardija training schedule for February 2014

Photograph taken in the Orange shop. Training schedule for the players in February 2014. Let's hope training is going well.

Season 2014 Omiya Ardija Squad numbers

If you are thinking of getting a new shirt for the upcoming season and want to have it printed with your favourite player's name, here is the list of the numbers the squad will be using.

I took this photograph in the Orange Shop in Omiya.

This year no player will wear the number 12 shirt. At least not yet, though it's on the list. Unlucky for some number 13 doesn't even get a mention. The team is getting superstitious perhaps.

Diago Watanabe has moved to take over the number 10 shirt.

Season 2013

Omiya Ardija - season 2013


14 Omiya Ardija  34 14 3 17 45 48 −3 45


What a strange season 2013 was for Omiya Ardija supporters. I'm sure all of us at the beginning of 2013 could not have predicted the ups and downs that we would experience. However, one thing we all definitely predicted is that Ardija would not be relegated and would finish in 14th place. Most fans probably tipped us to finish anywhere between 13th and 15th. We were bang in the middle of that. Just like normal. What was not normal was how we went about ending up in 14th place.

Two managers, two very different streaks, a first ever run at the top of the table, a behind the scenes player revolt, the signing of an ex- Premier League player,  and a dramatic slide down the table to our usual position.

Many would still question the wiseness of the decision to sack Verdenik, the man who brought in the Slovenian attack duo to help surge Ardija to the very heights of J1. At the time of his sacking, Verdenik's team were on a 5 game losing streak. This was surely too soon to pull the trigger. It seems now that it was driven by problems in the team and the club behind the scenes.

The bigger problem for the fans was that his replacement would take the club on a far worse losing streak, and turn out performances that were lifeless and showed a lack of spirit, skill, teamwork and tenacity. Qualities that had pushed the Verdenik team to the top and had made Ardija difficult to play against.

Ogura looked out of his depth at Ardija. This might be unfair. He stepped into a difficult situation at Omiya but certainly he did not bring the best out of the players. He showed no ability to halt the slide, to change the team line ups, or to try new formations. The sad truth is we finished 14th and not in a relegation place, because of the points we had amassed earlier in the season under the management of Verdenik and not because of anything Ogura brought to the club. By the end of the season the only sane decision for the Chairman was to sack him. Thankfully he did so.

The Chairman must take some of the blame. His decision to support the players against Verdenik backfired horrendously. The performances in the latter half of the season were embarrassing. I have better memories of seeing Omiya fight for their life in previous seasons, than the poor play served up by Ogura's team. There may have been other reasons behind the Verdenik sacking, but they have not been made public. The Chairman, like the manager and the captain of a club needs to hold a firm, strong line at times. Otherwise everything can unravel. It did do alarmingly at Ardija last season. The saving grace is that the relegated teams were just too many points worse off to save Ardija's skin. We are still in J1.

I'm not sure if it's been announced yet who is the captain for season 2014 but I wonder if it should be Kosuke Kikuchi. He clearly played a role in whatever went on in the club at the time of Verdenik's departure and he doesn't seem strong enough on the pitch with regard to other players. Zlatan and Novakovic continually displayed dissent to the referees. Something which Kikuchi should have put a stop to. He should also have been firmer with Shohei Takahashi to deal with some of his petulance and on field behaviour. He must have the support of people in the club. If he continues to be captain, I will be looking for a better performance from him in that role.

Fans can discuss in detail the deficiencies of the squad or players in particular. For me the major weak point of the team is the lack of variety. There is no plan B. Once it went wrong for Ardija, there was nothing else for them to try. The set up was always the same. They just went on playing the way they had been all along, and they kept on losing. The magic had gone. Heads dropped. Opponents knew how what to expect and knew how to deal with it and outplay Ardija.

The hope for the future is that we might build a squad that can play a variety of styles of football. Not simply 4-4-2.

To finish: Let's not forget that in season 2013 Omiya Ardija were top of J1 for a while. That was a brilliant feeling. The kind of feeling that football is all about. Yes, it went horribly wrong, but before it did, it was fantastic being on top of the league.

J. League adopts two-stage format

On Tuesday 16th September 2013 the J League made a public announcement that is set to be the footballing news story of the season in Japan and even overshadow the result of this year's Championship. The J League has decided to return the J1 championship to a two stage format from season 2015 for the first time since season 2004.  All the talk across social media since the news broke, has been about this controversial decision.

My opinion is clear. I much prefer to remain with the current single season format. I believe that football is a simple game and is played within a simple league system. I just believe that the champion should be the best team after playing everyone in the league home and away. As I said, simple.

The J League would like to introduce a two stage system which would climax in a play off series, the details of which are as yet unclear. The J league believe that this will increase viewer excitement and thereby attract more fans into the stadiums and more money into J league coffers. That may be true.

However I would argue that firstly this system will not find the best team of the season. Such a system is common to fans of North American sports such as baseball and basketball, but anathema to most European fans of football. It works in those sports, but I don't want to see it in football.

We just do not believe that it's a fair way to find the team deserving of the title champion. In many ways the excitement the J League hopes to create by installing the 2 stage format, is very contrived.

 I wonder why the J League feels the need to do this, when it already has an exciting league in operation. Compared to the major leagues in Europe, the J league has provided a wider variety of champions. In fact the current champions, Sanfrecce Hiroshima are first time holders of the title. They now sit third with 9 games to go. So it's quite possible that the title will change hands again. Boring? In need of a drastic overhaul? I cannot say so.

Secondly I feel that it's far from certain that the new fans enticed along for the play offs will stay for the week in week out season's fixtures. They are most likely to turn up for the dramatic finale but won't be seen at the less glamorous matches. We'll see just how many more make it through the turnstiles across the land in 2015 if the J League do indeed go along with this proposal. Perhaps it is the case that any increase in numbers, however short-term, makes the changes worthwhile.

The ironic part of this is that if the 2 stage format was being used for this season, Omiya Ardija would be in with a shout of the title, having qualified for the play offs by finishing 2nd in the first stage. Well, actually we are in with a shout right now as we stand in 7th place, 9 points behind the leaders and 9 games left. An outside chance you might exclaim, but still a chance. 3 wins and other results go our way and we could be right up there. 3 losses and we could be hurtling to our usual 13th place finish. Not enough excitement for you?

Opinion is definitely divided, although the 'No' camp have so far been more vociferous than the 'Yes' camp. Japanese fans have been displaying banners around the stadiums on matchdays. Some fans went to J League HQ to demonstrate. Social networking sites are full of angry comments. But it seems that the J league have guaranteed themselves a big pay day from sponsors as long as they introduce this controversial format. A big fat pay day that they cannot refuse, even in the face of disgruntled fans.

I would love to see new fans come into the stadiums. It would be great to see the J League bringing in new plans to attract more supporters. But not this way. Not for me.

Here are my ideas to boost the domestic game. I'm sure you will have others. It's not rocket science.

I think it would be more constructive to look at ways of making the current cup competitions more exciting and dramatic. They seem tired and only burst into life from the semifinal stage. The group stage of the Yamazaki Nabisco cup is awful. A lot of work could be done to revamp these competitions.

A return to J1 fixtures taking place from Friday night through Saturday until Sunday evening would allow a greater number of people to get to games. I have been unable to attend a number of Saturday games due to work commitments. I'm sure many other workers find it hard to go along to games now they are all on Saturday.

The marketing of the J League could be so much better. I have only seen one poor piece of advertising with Gonchan. Why doesn't the J league utilise all the young, exciting players like Kakitani, Kudo, Yuya Osako to get the kids wanting to go and watch. Why not get some of the National team exports to Europe to do a bit of work on behalf of the league that helped them on their way to success in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and other leagues across Europe? If Winning Eleven can get cool advertising, why can't the J league?

Other things to consider would be ticket pricing, merchandising pricing, the choice of games on TV and the presentation of them, both in-studio discussions and match commentators.

So, I'm still hoping the J league reconsider their decision and I'm left wondering whether the fans feel so passionately against this proposal that they would go as far as a mass boycott and deny themselves their pleasure. To follow their team and enjoy the game of football. The people's game.

If they do, I'll join them for as long as it takes. But it won't mean I've forgotten the team or the club. That never fades.

And I will say this. In 2015 if the 2 stage format comes in. I will still be an Omiya Ardija fan, and I'll still follow them in the stadium and on the television. I can't give my football up. But it will be different. And I'm not sure if it will be the same.

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See below various links to recent articles on this issue which are worth reading.

Andrew McKirdy of the Japan Times wrote this piece that sets out his concerns. You can find it on the Japan Times website at www.japantimes.co.jp/sports It's headline is "J League courting disaster with return to two-stage season."

Ben Maxwell and Alan Gibson discuss the topic on this latest J Talk podcast. You can find it at jtalkpodcast.blogspot.com.

Angus MacLeod has posted this balanced article looking at some of the reasons why the J League feels the need to change and possible future impacts. Find the article on Angus' website at Japanfooty.com.

Barry Valder, Shimizu S Pulse fan and blogger has his say on this divisive issue at his blog s-pulseukultras.blogspot.jp.

Most of the above articles share my opinion. I would like to post some articles here, which are in favour of the changes. But as yet I haven't found any. If I do, I'll be sure to reference them in the name of balance.

The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday (23 &) 24

Please find a link below to the J Talk podcast for matchday 23 and 24. I've linked it here as it contains another interview with Lucas Neill by Scott McIntyre, of SBS The World Game. The interview took place after our great home win over league leaders Yokohama F Marinos by one goal to nil. Lucas also talks about his thoughts ahead of Australia's match with Brazil which the Socceroos would go on to lose 6-0.

It's an interesting listen to hear his views, on the Ardija game, our team and how his early days at Ardija have gone for him. If you are an Squirrels fan, it's worth a listen.


The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday (23 &) 24: A 20 minute solo podcast that also includes Scott McIntyre's chat with Omiya defender Lucas Neill following Ardija's win over leader...