In the first official match of the J.League soccer season this season, the "Super Cup" was held at the National Stadium, where the previous season's J1 champions and the team that won the Emperor's Cup faced off against Ventforet Kofu. 1 and won the championship for the first time.
“For the first time in about 3 years” cheering loudly in all the audience seats
In this match, for the first time in about three years, all the spectators were able to shout out their support.
The stadium was packed with spectators, and about an hour before the match, supporters of both teams sang cheering songs for the players and teams to liven up the atmosphere.
A 19-year-old man from Yamanashi Prefecture, who visited from Yamanashi Prefecture, commented on the fact that all the spectators were able to shout out and cheer, "I feel like I'm gradually returning to before Corona, and I can enjoy the sense of unity where everyone speaks out. I'm very happy as a supporter, and I think it will motivate the players.I want to sing Kofu's song and support the players."
Also, a Yokohama F. Marinos fan who visited with his 1-year-old son said, "I think I'll get goosebumps, so I'm excited. There are players who joined after I couldn't cheer for them, so that player. I'm looking forward to listening to the cheering song of the team. I hope the cheering of the supporters will lead to the players' hard work."
Nonomura Chairman "I've finally come this far"
Since Yoshikazu Nonomura, chairman of the J.League, took office in March last year, one of the initiatives he has put the most effort into is creating an environment where people can speak out and cheer for the team.
Chairman Nonomura explains why, in addition to his expectations for attracting spectators, "I feel that the enthusiasm of the supporters has a considerable impact on winning or losing. A situation where supporters cannot provide a place where they can demonstrate their strengths is not true football." He said that it is essential to create an environment where players can shout out their support from the point of view of the competition.
In June of last year, the J.League set up an area behind the goal where people could cheer aloud, becoming the first of the major professional sports in Japan to resume vocal cheering.
However, at that time, the government's basic coping policy was to limit the capacity of spectators at loud events to 50%, so spectators could only enter 50% of the entire stadium.
After that, the J-League presented scientific data such as the rate of wearing masks and the concentration of carbon dioxide in matches where cheering was permitted, and appealed to the government to review the accommodation rate of spectators.
Among them, in September last year, it became possible to put the audience up to 100% of the capacity only in areas where cheering is not possible.
And last month, in response to the government's policy to allow up to 100% of the capacity to enter if infection control measures are taken at events involving loud shouts, the J. has been abolished, and it is now possible to shout out and cheer at all seats.
However, there are still restrictions on vocal support.
Wearing a mask is required unless the distance between you and others is 2 meters or more, and actions such as whistling without wearing a mask are prohibited as they may spread the splatter.
Chairman Nonomura said, ``We've finally come this far. There are times when we have to move forward.As society returns to its normal state, we have to work so that football can help."