Nickname(s) Kokan League Former JFL Division 2 Parent organization JFE Holdings | Dissolved 1994 Founded 1912 | |
Full name NKK Soccer Club
(formerly Nippon Kokan S.C.) Ground Todoroki Athletics Stadium Subsidiaries Standardkessel Baumgarte Holding GmbH | ||
NKK Soccer Club (NKKサッカー部, Enu Kei Kei Sakka Bu, formerly Nippon Kokan Soccer Club (日本鋼管サッカー部, Nippon Kokan Sakka Bu)) was a Japanese football club which operated from 1912 to 1994. It played in the old Japan Soccer League since 1967 until its closing. It was affiliated with NKK, a steel company that today is part of the JFE Holdings conglomerate.
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History
The club was formed in 1912 although it didn't start playing football until the 1920s. It played its matches at Todoroki Athletics Stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa and at Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama. From 1985 to 1988 it was a regular contender for the JSL title, and was runner-up three times in a row.
NKK was the first club to win both the Emperor's Cup and promotion as second tier champions, in 1981. (Yamaha Motors, now known as Júbilo Iwata !Júbilo Iwata, would follow the next year, and FC Tokyo !FC Tokyo would accomplish the feat in 2011.)
When the J. League was formed in 1992, NKK decided not to turn professional and join the former Japan Football League. They were entered into the JFL's first division but were relegated at the end of the season.
With the presence of Verdy Kawasaki !Verdy Kawasaki and the move of Toshiba's club north to become Consadole Sapporo !Consadole Sapporo, plus the rise of Fujitsu (which would later become Kawasaki Frontale !Kawasaki Frontale), NKK decided to call it a day.