Shimizu S-Pulse - Rivalries

Rivalries

S-Pulse share Shizuoka Prefecture with fierce local rivals Júbilo Iwata. The rivalry dates back to the formation of the J. League when the newly formed S-Pulse were chosen ahead of Júbilo to take part in the first J. League season. Jubilo, who had existed as Yamaha FC in the Japan Soccer League since 1980, had to earn promotion via the 1992 season of the new Japan Football League. This has remained a bone of contention between long standing fans.

With Shizuoka long recognised as the homeland of football in Japan, the two teams have a history of fighting over the best players produced by the region's high schools and universities. Good examples being Naohiro Takahara and Takahiro Yamanishi, who, after graduating from Shimizu Higashi High School, went on to sign for the Júbilo team which won three J. League championships between 1997 and 2002.

Alongside off-field factors, S-Pulse and Júbilo are locked in a perpetual struggle for supremacy on the field. During the J. League's infancy, it was S-Pulse who experienced the greater success and support, but they found themselves in Iwata's shadow for long periods either side of the turn of the century. Recently, S-Pulse have once again emerged as the area's premier club, finishing above Júbilo in the league every season since 2006, and often enjoying further cup runs. 2008 was also the first year since 1995 that S-Pulse succeeded in drawing more supporters through the gates than their rivals.

Also based in Shizuoka are Honda F.C. and Shizuoka FC, although neither currently play at the same level as S-Pulse, limiting any potential rivalry development to one-off cup pairings. Shizuoka FC play in Shizuoka Prefectural League of the Japanese Pyramid system, while Honda F.C. play just below the J. league in the Japan Football League. Despite always performing well, Honda FC have resisted professionalisation and so are unable to join the J. League. The forerunners to Avispa Fukuoka and Sagan Tosu were originally also based in Shizuoka Prefecture, but had to move to Kyushu because of the dominance and fan saturation of S-Pulse and Iwata.