Thunderbird Soccer Club
Encyclopedia
Thunderbird SC is a Taiwan
ese football (soccer)
club based in Kaohsiung
. They play at the Kaohsiung Football Stadium with a capacity of 5,000.
in Taipei
and eventually won the championship. They obtained the second National Youth Cup title in the next year, followed by another National Youth Cup in 1973 and CTFA Cup in 1976. Several Thunderbird players were called up to the Chinese Taipei national football team
.
In the end of 1982, Chinese Taipei Football Association
founded the National Football League
, and Thunderbird was one of the 7 founding members along with Flying Camel
, Taipower
, Taipei City Bank
, Lukuang, Taipei Physical Education College
, and Taiwan Provincial College of Physical Education
. Unlike other teams with school, military, or state-owned enterprise backgrounds, Thunderbird was the only team run by private organization. Their players came from various professions: trade business, teacher, butcher, accountant, etc. Lack of financial support made them hard to keep good players and even to afford the increasing traveling expenses. Some players chose to transfer to teams such as Taipower for making livings. The remaining people were sometimes unable to attend the league games due to working overtime in the weekends. A shocking 0-19 defeat to Flying Camel on January 26, 1986 revealed their difficult position - in that game they had only 8 applicable players. In 1988, Thunderbird was relegated to the second division for the first time. Although they fought back to the first division two years later, they were relegated again in 1991 and had struggled between the first and the second divisions afterward.
In the 1990s, Thunderbird changed its focus to bringing up Taiwanese youth footballers. In 1997, Thunderbird was renamed to Thunderbird Soccer Club and founded the Kaohsiung Thunderbird Soccer Association on January 21, 2006.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
. They play at the Kaohsiung Football Stadium with a capacity of 5,000.
History
Thunderbird Soccer Team was founded in 1968 by a group of high school students favoring the sport. Initially they took part in regional competitions in southern Taiwan. In 1970, they first participated in the National Youth CupNational Youth Cup (Taiwan)
The National Youth Cup is a Taiwanese football competition run by the Chinese Taipei Football Association. Starting from 1996, it is one of three major youth football tournaments in Taiwan together with Highschool Football League and National High School Games...
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and eventually won the championship. They obtained the second National Youth Cup title in the next year, followed by another National Youth Cup in 1973 and CTFA Cup in 1976. Several Thunderbird players were called up to the Chinese Taipei national football team
Chinese Taipei national football team
The Chinese Taipei national football team is the official name given by FIFA to the national association football team of the Republic of China ....
.
In the end of 1982, Chinese Taipei Football Association
Chinese Taipei Football Association
Chinese Taipei Football Association is the governing body of football in the Republic of China. Its official name in Chinese is the Football Association of the Republic of China, but it is billed as the Chinese Taipei FA abroad and uses the English initials on its badge .- History :* 1936:...
founded the National Football League
Enterprise Football League
The Enterprise Football League , formerly known as National Football League or National First Division Football League , was the highest-ranked football league in Republic of China . It was governed by the Chinese Taipei Football Association and considered semi-professional...
, and Thunderbird was one of the 7 founding members along with Flying Camel
Flying Camel
Flying Camel Football Team was a Taiwanese football team. The team were established on July 21, 1973 and belonged to the Combined Logistics Command of the Republic of China...
, Taipower
Taiwan Power Company F.C.
Taiwan Power Company Football Club , often shortened to Taipower , is a Taiwanese semi-professional football club based in Fongshan District, Kaohsiung City. The club was founded in 1979 and is affiliated with Taiwan Power Company, the country's national utility...
, Taipei City Bank
Taipei City Bank F.C.
Taipei City Bank Football Club was a Taiwanese football club playing in Chinese Taipei National Football League. It was dissolved in 2000 as Taipei City Bank turned into a private entity.-Achievements:...
, Lukuang, Taipei Physical Education College
Taipei Physical Education College
Taipei Physical Education College is a municipal college on Dunhua North Road, in Songshan District, Taipei, Republic of China . It was founded in 1968.- Current squad :- External links :* *...
, and Taiwan Provincial College of Physical Education
National Taiwan College of Physical Education
National Taiwan College of Physical Education is a college specialized in sports in Taiwan, Republic of China. It was established on June 12, 1961...
. Unlike other teams with school, military, or state-owned enterprise backgrounds, Thunderbird was the only team run by private organization. Their players came from various professions: trade business, teacher, butcher, accountant, etc. Lack of financial support made them hard to keep good players and even to afford the increasing traveling expenses. Some players chose to transfer to teams such as Taipower for making livings. The remaining people were sometimes unable to attend the league games due to working overtime in the weekends. A shocking 0-19 defeat to Flying Camel on January 26, 1986 revealed their difficult position - in that game they had only 8 applicable players. In 1988, Thunderbird was relegated to the second division for the first time. Although they fought back to the first division two years later, they were relegated again in 1991 and had struggled between the first and the second divisions afterward.
In the 1990s, Thunderbird changed its focus to bringing up Taiwanese youth footballers. In 1997, Thunderbird was renamed to Thunderbird Soccer Club and founded the Kaohsiung Thunderbird Soccer Association on January 21, 2006.