“The mayor says he’s going to dye his hair purple, but I’m afraid he’ll really dye it.”
A smile broke out at the press conference held at the soccer center in Shinmun-ro, Seoul on Tuesday for promotion of the FC Anyang K-League 1. Mayor Choi Dae-ho’s unexpected pledge to dye his hair purple, the club’s iconic color, illustrates the festive mood of Anyang, which achieved promotion for the first time in 11 years.
After confirming the K-League 2 victory with an away match against Bucheon on the 2nd, the stadium was filled with shouts of supporters shouting “Sukabati.” This cheering slogan, which means paradise in Sanskrit, is in line with the meaning of Anyang 養, the hometown of “a place to rest at ease.” It was a cry of earnestness from supporters who have been fighting to regain the team since Anyang LG Chitas (currently FC Seoul) moved to Seoul in 2004.
Since then, Anyang citizens have voluntarily launched a campaign to establish a professional team. The establishment of a civil professional soccer team was decided by the Anyang City Council in October 2012, and FC Anyang was founded in February 2013. Leaving behind the pain of being eliminated from the previous three promotion playoffs, the team achieved direct promotion by winning the K League 2 title this season.
There was a special fan culture behind Anyang’s success. “Unlike other teams, Anyang fans don’t criticize the players even if the game doesn’t go well,” vice president Kim Dong-jin said. “It’s a civic team and a team that citizens have rebuilt.”
Captain Lee Chang-yong also did not hide his affection for his fans. “When I first came to Anyang, I heard the history of the club and the stories of the fans, and my heart became strange,” he recalled. “The number of fans has increased as children bring their parents and parents bring their children. Now they recognize me like celebrities even when I walk on the streets. Seeing such changes, I really wanted to achieve something in Anyang,” he added.
Coach Yoo Byung-hoon, who won the K League 2 title and was promoted in the first year since his debut as a coach, is drawing attention. He was the sixth leader to lead the team to the championship in the first year as a coach in the K League 2, and his meticulous preparation shone like his nickname “Yubi.”
Starting with 안전놀이터 KB Kookmin Bank in the third division in Goyang in 2011, he spent more than 10 years coaching Anyang. “I always took notes on strengths and weaknesses while serving multiple coaches. That notebook really helped me a lot now,” he said.
Anyang’s promotion added another exciting story to the K-League. The resentment that was created when Anyang LG Cheetas moved to Seoul in the past will take place again on the ground. “Playing against Seoul is a long-cherished desire of fans and a challenge that we must achieve. I really want to win at least one game,” coach Yoo stressed.
He also has assignments ahead of the K League 1 stage. He believes center backs and central strikers need to be strengthened. Improving facilities for managing players is also urgent. Currently, players have to spend time at cafes because they do not have proper rest areas after morning training.
There are a lot of tasks, but coach Yoo’s goal is clear. He said, “I will make a persistent team that does not fall easily.” More than a decade ago, he founded a team on the ground and won a championship and was promoted directly. There is nothing impossible, and Sukabati is close.