Yeah remember the picture very well. Great addition to the club and the entire J-League I am personally waiting for the following stadiums also: - Gamba Osaka (the most) - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Theres talk of a football only stadium on the Jingugaien (Tokyo, Shinjuku) area between the Olympic stadium and the Meiji Baseball stadium. Capacity 20-30.000.
Less than 3 years after an expensive remodeling, the Mito city council voted to fund further construction for the home stadium to meet J1 requirements in time for the 2016 season.
To say it frank, its realistic that Mito will be a promotion contender within a couple of years so its only logic. Also I think dealing with japanese local governments this is the most easy way to build infrastructure. If you are a JFL club and says in 5 years we have ambition to go to J1 we need a stadium, but right now we only have 1500 people coming to our games alost all governments would say no (If it was baseball they would say yes though).
After end of this season Cerezo will make some changes on the Kincho Stadium: http://web.gekisaka.jp/405316_126945_fl
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/kansai-news/20131021/5432181.html Groundwork for the new Gamaba's stadium will start in December.
This is really wow since as in the article stated until tomorrow they needed 280 million yen more to be there.
Kincho is intimate and all that, but I'm not really a big fan of it still. Except for the main stand, it looks more like something a mediocre JFL-side would have as their home-stadium. And the main stand itself is very old anyway, with rather poor amenities inside, bad seats, practically no roof etc. The best would of course to become so good/popular that they managed to get atleast a 25 000 average at Nagai throughout the season with the occasional sell-out, but I guess that won't happen anytime soon=) Anyway, it still beats Banpaku any day of the week ( or for that that matter Nishikyogoku...)
Thats not even fun. Kyotos Nishikyogoku is with Atsubetsu in Hokkaido and Ehimes stadium the absolut worst ground in J-League. Lets see how the new seats and menities in Kincho will be when starting on works in december. Aparently they will build foodstand also.
Nothing's more loveable than Expo70,with people seated on benches on the running track,the giant inflatable battery,trucks and vans on the Chugoku-Meishin intersection behind the away stand...football can't be truly enjoyed in a better environment.
I haven't been to Ehime's stadium, but surely Atsubetsu is a lot better than Nishikyogoku! Not during the colder months, which of course are tougher in Sapporo than in Kyoto ( luckily they still play most of the games in the winter/fall at Sapporo Dome anyway), but during the summer its pretty nice if u sit opposite to the grandstand. At Nishikyogoku u need to bring binoculars.
well,i had the privilege to see just 3 stadiums during my visits to Japan until now: Banpaku couple of times,Kokuritsu and the worst of all ever - the legendary Ichihara Rinkai Stadium...
For me Banpaku is special since my parents met at Banpaku in 1970, but naaaah Rinkai is not worse than Nishikyogoku. and have to say it but Atsubetsu is a sad sad sad place to watch a game.
Gamba will definately be the master showcase, but besides Gambas new stadium also the one in Nagano will still not be finished before 2015. And the one for Kyoto (notice that I only writes for and not in Kyoto), and Kitakyushu in 2017. The rest Hiroshima, Yamagata, Tokushima, Shimizu, Okinawa, Takamatsu, Sagamihara, Matsuyama are all still pipedreams.
I think that Blue meant that they need it given their status in Japanese football right now and one of the most outdated stadiums in J1 overall.