Football 1 Tsunami 0

[Doraemon]

Football 1 Tsunami 0

Furtho. Are there any plans for selling merchandise like T-shirts, shirts etc? I saw a show on BBC3 about branding, which included a bit about the Superdry brand, and how it is run out of an office in Cheltenham but uses a lot of kanji and katakana on its merchandise, because it ‘looks cool’. It struck me that simple T-shirts with Onagawa Supporters or Onagawa Soccer club would work well too.

As WSC sell T-shirts, maybe it is something that could be done in partnership with the magazine as Onagawa Supporters may not have the time or resources to start selling things.

Just a thought. Keep up the good work.

[Furtho]

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Doraemon, thanks for asking. We are planning to sell t-shirts around the Grassroots International: Northern Leagues United event on 9th July. One design idea is certainly along the lines of what you mention, as Cobaltore's name in Japanese includes both katakana and kanji. Fingers crossed we have found someone to sell them for us online, too. I'll post here when things are finalised.

[Furtho]

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Fantastic news. Wearing a kit paid for by Onagawa Supporters - if you've donated to us, this is one of the things your money has been spent on - Cobaltore's U18 team played its first competitive match of the year on Sunday. Full story plus photo at OnagawaSupporters.com, here. Oh yes - they won!

[Furtho]

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Some fantastic news.

Cobaltore Onagawa have confirmed that they plan for the club's first team to participate in regular league competition - the Tohoku League Division 2, that is - in 2012. They have announced a series of trials over the next few weeks in order to identify potential new players. A first friendly match is scheduled to take place this coming Sunday; it will be staged at Cobaltore's regular home stadium, the municipal sports ground overlooking Onagawa.

Thank you once again to all OTFers who supported so generously our campaign to help the football club and thereby made a contribution to the longer term future of the town.

[Furtho]

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To report that Cobaltore Onagawa won their first league match of the new season 5-0 against FC Parafrente Yonezawa. Perhaps even better news is that they did so in front of a club record crowd of 520. Thanks again to all OTFers who contributed to the campaign to support Cobaltore and the town of Onagawa in the aftermath of the tsunami.

[anton pulisov]

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Sounds like it was an epic match. Ganbatte!

[Kettle]

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Unbelievable story, amazing.

Furtho - I have a couple of contacts at academies in professional clubs, built up during my coaching education. Do you want me to have a word about a visit for players/coaches (either way) or some such? It would sound like a great way to link up, particularly for community minded clubs.

[Furtho]

Cobaltore Onagawa not only still exist, but today achieved promotion out of the regional Tohoku League and into the top level of Japanese amateur football, the Japan Football League.