Yokohama city has played a very important role in Japan’s recent football history. The International Stadium Yokohama has played host to FIFA’s World Club Cup since 2003, as the Intercontinental Cup, and then from 2005 the World Club Cup. FIFA has also said that it is likely to return to Yokohama for the 2010 and 2011 editions of the World Club Cup.

The Stadium itself has hosted the majority of Japan’s international games, and played an important role during the World Cup of 2002. Hosting 3 group games, and then the final.

The Stadium also plays home to Yokohama F. Marinos. The current team was formed through a merger of Yokohama Marinos, and Yokohama Flugels. The Flugels used an Anglicised version of the German for “Wings.” In 1998, the clubs main backer, ASA Labs, announced it was pulling out of supporting the club.

Rather than just dissolving the club, its other main backer, ANA, went to the backer of its cross-town rivals, Nissan, and concluded a deal to merge the two clubs. In 1999, the Flugels players became part of the merged club, Yokohama F. Marinos. Unfortunately, many of the Flugels fans rejected the merger and copied Barcelona to form their own club, Yokohama FC. Owned by the fans.

The Marinos took the name from the Spanish for “Sailors” to link the club with Yokohama’s history as Japan’s primary international trading city.

Yokohama F. Marinos is one of Japans more successful clubs. It is one of only 6 clubs to have featured in the top flight of Japanese football since 1993, and has 3 J-League titles, an Emperors Cup, J-League cup, and Asian Cup Winners Cup to their name.

The clubs primary kit consists of blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks. The shirt bears the logo of the clubs main backer, Nissan, as the primary sponsor on the front of the shirt. The secondary backer, the airline, ANA, has its logo placed on the back of the shirt beneath the collar.

The shirt itself is manufactured by Nike, and is predominantly blue. The collar is white, trimmed with red. On the front, where the collar meets, Nike have inserted a red triangle. Under the arms Nike have inserted perforated white panels for moisture control.

The clubs logo is a shield with a 3 stripes, red, white and blue. They cross the shield diagonally. In the centre of the shield I a golden fouled anchor. As a symbol of the clubs location, Yokohama, and its history as Japans main seaport. The badge also features a football on the left, and on the right, flying high (representing the clubs ambition), are the silhouettes of 3 birds. The shield is surrounded by olive wreathes for victory, and the name is written on a scroll underneath.

There is relatively little adornment on the kit beyond this, apart from on the back, written on the bottom of the shirt is one of the fans favourite chants, “We are tricolore!”

Paul Woodcock