Kamis, 01 Januari 2009
Kamis, 18 Desember 2008
Classic Football
The contemporary history of the world's favourite game spans more than 100 years. It all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their different courses and the Football Association in England was formed - becoming the sport's first governing body.
Both codes stemmed from a common root and both have a long and intricately branched ancestral tree. A search down the centuries reveals at least half a dozen different games, varying to different degrees, and to which the historical development of football has been traced back. Whether this can be justified in some instances is disputable. Nevertheless, the fact remains that people have enjoyed kicking a ball about for thousands of years and there is absolutely no reason to consider it an aberration of the more 'natural' form of playing a ball with the hands.
On the contrary, apart from the need to employ the legs and feet in tough tussles for the ball, often without any laws for protection, it was recognised right at the outset that the art of controlling the ball with the feet was not easy and, as such, required no small measure of skill. The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China.
This Han Dynasty forebear of football was called Tsu' Chu and it consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30-40cm in width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes. According to one variation of this exercise, the player was not permitted to aim at his target unimpeded, but had to use his feet, chest, back and shoulders while trying to withstand the attacks of his opponents. Use of the hands was not permitted.
The Greek 'Episkyros' - of which few concrete details survive - was much livelier, as was the Roman 'Harpastum'. The latter was played out with a smaller ball by two teams on a rectangular field marked by boundary lines and a centre line. The objective was to get the ball over the opposition's boundary lines and as players passed it between themselves, trickery was the order of the day. The game remained popular for 700-800 years, but, although the Romans took it to Britain with them, the use of feet was so small as to scarcely be of consequence.
About Urawa
Year of Formation: 1950
Home Ground: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Address: 500 Nakanoda, Midori-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 336-8505 Japan
Corporate Name: Mitsubishi Motors Football Club Co., Ltd.
President: Mitsunori Fujiguchi
Home Stadium: Saitama Stadium 2002 (Capacity 63,700)
Urawa Komaba Stadium, Saitama City (Capacity 21,500)
・"Red Diamonds"
This nickname signifies the glitter of diamonds, strength and strong solidarity.
Diamond glitters in various ways depending on how the light shines. "Red Diamond" will send out lights like the red fire when the eleven is under the light of supporters in the stand. Club color is "Red". An animation "Akakichi no Eleven", or "The Red-Blooded Eleven" which had its setting in Urawa City used red. The previous body, Mitsubishi Football Club also used red as the color for their jersey. ・The club was called "Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club" from April 1992 to January 1996 and the nickname was "Red Diamonds".
・The club was called "Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club" from April 1992 to January 1996 and the nickname was "Red Diamonds".
Club emblem
・"The core motif of the new emblem is to represent the club philosophy"
"The ball represents a call for everyone to come together around the ball, the excitement and joy that the ball brings to all, and extending circles of goodwill and friendship that reaches out to the whole world."
The motif is to point out the meaning of our existence and emphasize our philosophy. We have been making differences in the lives of the people of our hometown, something that we could not do when the club was formed in 1992. By emphasizing this emblem, we can show our direction such as what the people in the club should do to improve our team for the future. To have this as the core, we emphasize expansion and express what this motif means to show what Urawa Reds should be for the future. We also would like to develop it as a symbol of the area.
・"The other motifs that make up the new emblem"
(1) The Sakuraso primrose is a symbol of this area. It is the emblematic flower of both Saitama Prefecture and the city of Urawa.
Saitama City is also the only place where native primrose grows in Japan and it is designated a national treasure of Japan.
(2) Hoshokaku is the Saitama Elite Teacher Training College, the birthplace of Saitama football. It is a historical symbol for this city where football has been popular for a long time.
(Refer below)
(3) The diamond is a symbol for Urawa Reds to signify a team with strong solidarity.
These three symbols are connected and put together with the "Reds' philosophy".
The outer frame was changed to European styled shield to show the fighting spirit of the team based on reflection of the existing emblem.
・"making story"
Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture is the only place in Japan where native primrose grows. Football became widespread in the Taish_ period and attracted popularity in Saitama Elite Teacher Training College in 1908, during the Meiji period. (The Renaissance building, which was the birthplace of Saitama football, was reconstructed. And now it remains as a municipal museum.)
Our city expands and links to the world, and that become our city's "culture".
Urawa Reds are on the front of Saitama City and will strive to make people know our name in the world through sports. Urawa Reds which have the glitters of diamonds, the strength and a tight bonded team have been working very hard based on the philosophy.
・Hoshokaku
A fine European styled architecture built in Urawa-shuku in 1878, during the Meiji period. This building was built for the old Saitama Elite Teacher Training College, the birthplace of Saitama football. Now, there is the Saitama assembly hall around this area.
The designer is unknown. The building is a two-storied wooden classic building using the style from the Renaissance period till the end of 19th century. Sanj_ Sanetomi named it "Hoshokaku". Before completion, it became the Meiji Imperial Household in August 1878. In 1933, the Education Minister registered this building as the Meiji Imperial Household. However, it was removed from its registration in 1948. Over year after its completion, in 1879, the first prefectural assembly was held there. The building has also been used as Saitama Girls Teacher Training College and Girls High School in 1900. As the old Saitama assembly hall was to be reconstructed to commemorate Showa Emperor's marriage in 1925, the building was moved to north and used as a prefectural library.
The building was demolished in 1969. The city of Urawa took over some demolition materials and used them for Urawa city museum (Saitama city museum of today) in 1972. The museum has the same design as Hoshokaku.
The emblem from 1992 to January 2001 was "diamond shape" and has changed to the emblem of today since February 2001.
Mascots
Redia
Redia was made in 1992 and is a created animal by lining initials of "Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club", "MUFC" vertically. Redia is knowledgeable, brave and energetic with his image of being strong.
Friendia
Friendia married Redia in "REDS FESTA '97" which was held in _miya Park Soccer Stadium on January 26, 1997. Her name, "Friendia" was chosen from public ideas in 1339 letters with 620 names.
Schale・Diarra
On the day that Urawa Reds became the champions of J.League for the first time in front of 62,241 supporters, longed-for twins were born.
Club Philosophy
1. Urawa Red Diamonds aim to contribute to the healthy growth of youth as a member of society.
Urawa Reds feel our biggest social responsibility is to support the healthy growth of youth.
Firstly, we will strive not only to show our skills and physical strength on football field which serve as model for youth but also our outstanding teamwork, fighting spirit and sense of fair play.
Secondly, we give supports to the healthy growth of youth as a member of society both in and out of fields.
2. Urawa Red Diamonds aim to provide a place for healthy recreation for the local community.
Home games can provide a source of entertainment to the local community. Therefore, Urawa Reds promise that all the players do their very best in all of our games.
3. Urawa Red Diamonds aim to be Saitama's window to the world.
People all around the world love football. Almost every city in the world has its own team and people living in that city are proud of supporting their team. Urawa Reds aim to be Saitama's window.
MU to Final
United had already established superiority thanks to first-half headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Japanese briefly brought themselves back into the match, when Masato Yamazaki made it 2-1, only for Rooney to finish low into the far corner seconds later.
They were trailing 5-1, before a Yasuhito Endo penalty and Hideo Hashimoto made the scoreline more respectable.
United's final opponents LDU Quito defeated Mexico's Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday in the other semi-final.
MU to Final
United had already established superiority thanks to first-half headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Japanese briefly brought themselves back into the match, when Masato Yamazaki made it 2-1, only for Rooney to finish low into the far corner seconds later.
They were trailing 5-1, before a Yasuhito Endo penalty and Hideo Hashimoto made the scoreline more respectable.
United's final opponents LDU Quito defeated Mexico's Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday in the other semi-final.