2009.10.04
Tokyo Verdy's Fiscal Pinch
Nippon Television sold Tokyo Verdy to the newly established company
Tokyo Verdy Holdings on 30 September. This means that one of
the Japanese biggest media group Yomiuri leaves from
J.League completely.
Tokyo Verdy has been known as the first succesful club team.
Yomiuri Soccer Club, established in 1969, was the pre-J.League name of
the club. There was a famous discussion that the J.League would allow
put a company name on club name between the league chairman Saburo
Kawabuchi and Yomouri president Tsuneo Watanabe. The discussion has a
basis on a question, a soccer club belongs to a company, or a
community? Yomiuri has rufused the community-based approach and
disregarded the local supporters. From 1999, Yomiuri Newspaper leaves
and its subsidiary Nippon Televison becomes Verdy's owner.
This year, due to the downturn of Nippoin TV, they abandoned the club.
Tokyo Verdy has been the symbol of the successfull J.League. Kaz Miura
and Ruy Ramos are the faces of the league. But the club has lost the
huge fans and financial backups. They are now in the middle of the
second division. Now they are losing the club basis. Verdy has had
one of the best youth organization and the best training field called
Yomiuri Land. Nobody has thought Verdy would face the fiscal
pinch and nobody know the club's next year now.
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