Kick-off Festa

I’m kicking off this blog with a trip to the ‘Kick-off Festa’ event to mark the beginning of the new season.

A type of event perhaps unique to Japanese football and rarely seen back home, an event dedicated to having the fans come together with the club, to mark the beginning of a new battle, a new opportunity to rise back up to J1. A sample of Nishikyogoku stadium’s food (home stadium), selection of Sanga goods for purchase and a stage for the grand unveiling of the new players as well as the much anticipated 2013/2014 new kit.

Unfortunately the interview with the new players was marred somewhat by the female TV anchorwoman, whose strength as a journalist only ran to asking each of them about their favourite food….(????)

Next came the new kit. In contrast to the average press conference back home where the star player models the new kit, the room was darkened and then filled with disco lights and hardcore house music, as 6 players draped in silk cloaks one-by-one entered the stage and revealed the new kit – goalie, away and home. The audience was mesmerised and signalled a good reaction. Perhaps due to the loss of the red panel of the previous design, and in favour of a pure purple shirt with collar, for the new home kit. The previous kit had received quite a poor reaction I heard due to the red panel, however having started supporting them whilst they wore the purple and red combination, I felt a little saddened by the loss of it. Not a bad design, just a little bland and something I would see more often worn by my junior-high school kids during P.E, rather than by professional footballers.

(3.2.2013 @Kyoto Pulse plaza)

Anyway, here’s to a new season. 9 months of more beautiful passing, more shots on target and more sampling of wonderful Japanese stadium snacks.