Description
Kamatamare Sanuki are a professional soccer club in the J. League, currently playing in J2. Their home town is the entire Kagawa prefecture, centering around Takamatsu city and Marugame city. Team’s home stadium is the Pikara Stadium in Marugame city.
The club was founded in 1956 by the graduates of Takamatsu Commercial High School under the name Takasho OB Soccer Club. They joined the Shikoku Soccer League in the same year it was established in 1977.
As a result of the 1991 National Sports Festival of Japan, that was held in Kagawa prefecture, Takasho OB Soccer Club became the main football club of the area and thus changed their club name to Kagawa Shiun Football Club.
In 1994, they won their first Shikoku League championship and in 2000 they changed their name to Sun Life Football Club after signing a 5 year sponsor contract with Sun Life. Their sponsor contract with Sun Life ended in 2005. Aiming to enter the J. League as Tamatsu people’s team, they changed their name to Tamatsu Football Club. Their current name, Kamatamare Sanuki, has been used since April 2006, when they changed their name to appeal to the general public.
As the Kamatamare Sanuki, they have won the Shikoku League 3 times, in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2010, they became the first team from Kagawa prefecture to promote to the Japan Football League (JFL).
After joining JFL they have finished 11th, 4th, increasing their position every year, and on their 3rd season, in 2013, they ended in 2nd place with average stadium visitor numbers going over 3,000 people. In the J2-JFL relegation matches, they faced J2’s last place holder Gainare Tottori, who they managed to beat with one win and one draw. Kamatamare Sanuki were announced to officially join J2 from the 2014 season.
However, in their first year in J2, in 2015, they tied for the worst record by suffering 7 losses in a row and continuing with sluggish performance. For the second year in a row they fought in the J2-J3 relegation match and with one win and one draw against J3’s 2nd place finishers, AC Nagano Parceiro, they were able to stay in J2. After that, they continue to play in J2 and aim for a promotion to J1 as the second team from Shikoku after Tokushima Vortis.
The team’s home jersey is light blue and their supplier from 2014 has been ATHLETA. Their shirts are covered with logos of their sponsors like Jinnai Farm 21, Marunaka, and others.
