FC Anyang, a soccer team affiliated with the city of Anyang, has clinched the K League 2 (2nd Division) title for the first time in its 11 years of existence and will compete in the K League 1 (1st Division) next year.
FC Anyang earned a total of 63 points (18 wins, 9 draws, and 9 losses) with a 2-2 draw against Gyeongnam FC at the Anyang Sports Complex at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9.
FC Anyang, which was founded in 2013 when the K-League introduced the 1-2 division system, has been in the K-League 2 since then and will enter the K-League 1 for the first time next year.
Founded with the slogan ‘100 years club’ after nine years without a team
FC Anyang’s path to its founding in 2013 was full of twists and turns. In 2004, 카지노사이트 모음 Anyang lost its home team when the Anyang LG Cheetahs moved to Seoul.
In response, Anyang soccer fans spontaneously decided to start a professional soccer team, and after years of hard work and support from the city, the new club was founded with the slogan “100 years with citizens”.
However, despite reaching the playoffs (PO) three times in 2019 (3rd), 2021 (2nd), and 2022 (3rd), they were repeatedly denied promotion.
However, this season, the team has shown good performances, not losing the top spot since June 2, and after drawing 0-0 with Bucheon FC on June 2, the team secured 62 points and became the K League 2 champions regardless of the outcome of the remaining matches.
‘Nearly 100,000’ record attendance…marching through the streets to share the victory with the public
The total number of fans who attended FC Anyang’s home matches (18 in total) this season was 94,455, the highest number since the club was founded. This is more than the attendance of some K League 1 teams this season.
The number of fans increased significantly from 26,115 in 2018 to 71,574 in 2019 after the installation of variable seats close to the stadium. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the matches in 2020 and 2021 were not attended, while 32,835 fans attended in 2022 and 54,484 fans attended in 2023.
FC Anyang’s owner, Anyang Mayor Max Ho, dyed his hair purple, the club’s iconic color, as part of a pledge to FC Anyang’s supporters (A.S.U. RED) to win the championship, and visited the Anyang Sports Complex on the afternoon of the 9th. The team received the trophy and medals from the Korean Professional Football Association at the post-match ceremony. Purple is the color of FC Anyang’s home jersey.
“It has been a hard and difficult journey, but with the dedicated efforts of the manager, coaching staff, and players, as well as the enthusiastic support of supporters and citizens, we have made a new history,” said Mayor Choi. ”We will not be satisfied here, but will play and play again, dreaming of bigger dreams together, and it’s time to start.”
Afterward, more than 3,000 people, including Mayor Choi, FC Anyang coach Yoo Byung-hoon, coaching staff, players, supporters, and citizens, marched from the main gate of Anyang Sports Complex to the intersection of the sports field and the city hall for an hour from 5 p.m. to share the joy of winning the championship with the citizens.
Civic soccer teams build pride and emotional vitality…while promoting sports-related initiatives
As a catalyst for social integration, civic professional soccer teams contribute significantly to the formation of bonds between generations and classes, and positively affect the local economy.
The city plans to take advantage of this victory to actively promote FC Anyang as a citizen-centered prestigious club, and furthermore, to create a ‘sports city’ to realize community welfare through sports and enhance the city’s brand value.
In the eighth term of his administration, Mayor Max Ho pledged to build a dedicated stadium for FC Anyang, construct a Seoksu Gymnasium, and build a stadium for youth baseball and futsal.
The city is comprehensively reviewing a commercialization plan to build a dedicated FC Anyang stadium and a public complex sports facility through the efficient development of Anyang Sports Complex.
In this regard, it is planning to conduct a feasibility study and basic plan for the construction of a public complex sports facility by the end of next year. Anyang Sports Complex, where soccer matches are currently being played, was built in 1986.
In addition, Seoksu Gymnasium, which is being built in Seoksu 2-dong, Manan-gu, began construction in May last year and is scheduled to be completed in July next year.
“We will continue to provide citizens with opportunities to participate in healthy sports to inspire civic pride and emotional vitality, and actively support them to create a city where citizens are happy,” said Mayor Choi.
