Nagoya Grampus Eight - last updated on 27 November 2007
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Nagoya Grampus Eight (名古屋グランパスエイト)
Foundation: 1939
City: Nagoya
Colours: Red and black
Website: www.so-net.ne.jp/grampus
Honours:
Emperor's Cup - 2 (1995, 1999)
Xerox Super Cup - 1 (1996)
A bit of history:
Nagoya Grampus Eight is a Japanese football (soccer) club which plays in the first division of the J. League. The team is based in Nagoya and was founded as the company team of Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939.
Toyota Motor F.C. was initially overshadowed by its colleague Toyota Automated Loom Works F.C. (founded in 1946 and which was one of the founding members of the the Japan Soccer League in 1965) but when Toyota ALW were relegated to regional leagues in 1968, Toyota Motor saw an opportunity to rise at their expense. In 1972 Toyota Motors were promoted to the JSL's top flight, and remained in the JSL until the J. League's founding in 1993.
The team had excellent seasons in the mid 1990s when it was managed by current Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, winning the prestigious Emperor's Cup and finishing runners up, and featured, among others, Dragan Stojković and Gary Lineker on the team. Dutchman Sef Vergoossen currently manages the club.
Nagoya shares its home games between Mizuho Stadium (capacity 27,000 and the J-league's oldest stadium) and the much larger and truly spectacular Toyota Stadium (capacity 45,000).
The team's name is derived from the two most prominent symbols of Nagoya: the two golden grampus dolphins on the top of Nagoya Castle, and the Maru-Hachi (Circle eight), the city's official symbol.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
Nagoya Grampus Eight
