It was the embodiment of fair play and respect in full bloom.

On Sunday, 24 September, the Japan National Stadium hosted a J1 League Matchweek 28 fixture between Shonan Bellmare and Kawasaki Frontale as part of the matches celebrating the 30th anniversary of the J. League.

Bellmare normally play their home games at the 15,360-seat Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka, but this match was played at the 67,750-seat stadium for the occasion, attracting a club-record crowd of 54,243 fans and supporters, not only from Hiratsuka but also from the visitors' hometown of Kawasaki.

The massive stands of the Japan National Stadium, painted in the green and light blue colours of the two clubs, were suddenly united by a live performance by a popular reggae band “Shonan no Kaze” before kick-off.

The band is known as Bellmare fans, and their song “SHOWTIME,” which begins with the lyrics “Let the battle begin!,” is used as the club’s walkout music at their home games.

The band’s appearance was greeted with cheers not only from Bellmare supporters but also from Frontale supporters. As they began to sing their contemporary hits, many people stood up and began to move their bodies to the rhythm, holding their scarves high, and the entire crowd began to enjoy the moment as one.

Of course, the supporters of opposing clubs are arch-rivals. Both sides are rooting for their club to win. Sometimes they will even raise their voices to drown out the chants of the opposing supporters, so in that sense they are also using their voices to fight for their club.

Shonan no Kaze are well known Bellmare fans, and all the members were wearing Bellmare jerseys that day. It would not have been surprising if the Frontale supporters booed them, but instead they waved their scarves and started to enjoy the live music themselves.

It was a truly spectacular moment, and a beautiful scene. The Frontale supporters genuinely enjoyed the music, knowing that it was being played by a band that supported the opponents they were about to face that day. It was an expression of respect not only for Shonan no Kaze, but also for Bellmare and their supporters.

This week’s J.League fixtures were held in conjunction with the “JFA Respect Fair Play Days,” with both teams’ captains taking a pledge of respect and fair play before kick-off at each stadium.

At the Japan National Stadium, Frontale’s TACHIBANADA Kento declared: “We condemn any form of discrimination,” while Bellmare’s SUGIOKA Daiki declared: “There is no place for violence and verbal abuse in football or any other sport.”

With both teams desperate to win, the game itself was understandably heated, but as said before kick-off, it was a clean game played with great respect for each other.

What left a deep impression on me, however, was the attitude of the supporters of both teams, especially Frontale, before the two captains made their statements. By enjoying the music of Shonan no Kaze, the Frontale supporters showed that even rivals can sometimes open up and become friends who enjoy each other’s company.

The story does not end there. Just before the players took to the pitch, Shonan no Kaze began to sing their final song, “SHOW TIME” and the Frontale supporters began to bombard the song with loud boos and whistles. It was a song in support of the opponents they were about to face, saying “beat, beat, beat!”. But I was really impressed by the way the visiting supporters waited with respect until that moment to raise their voices.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” October 2023 edition.

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