Despite an inadequate knowledge of the beautiful game in Japan, a certain Tokyo Fox has managed to once again contribute a couple of pieces to the latest copy of J-Soccer magazine (issue #15) which went on sale last week.

When I knew I was going to be in Qatar, thoughts turned to this crumbling old stadium and I thought it could make an interesting article for J-Soccer magazine. Thankfully issue #14 arrived in my mailbox the day before I left Japan last Christmas which was a relief as I wanted to be photographed at the Al-Ahli Stadium (formerly known as Hamad Bin Khlifa Stadium) with a copy of the latest issue in my possession. Also, in my bag ready for some quick photo-shooting was my Samurai Blue shirt which I put on for a couple of pictures (below) of me clutching the magazine.

On my return from Qatar I informed the editor of my intention to write about the “Agony of Doha” (ドーハの悲劇 Dōha no higeki) which some newer fans of football in Japan may still be unaware of. He said he’d put something together to accompany it regarding the whereabout of the 11 starters and two substitutes who played on that fateful day in 1993. Anyway, that all appears with my part titled “Doha Revisited” and this time it’s made it onto the cover in the preview of the content at the foot of the page.

This follows hot on the heels of the last time I wrote something for the magazine back in September. That was about the Japan World Cup Museum and a review of Japan’s World Cup showing in Brazil last Summer. As I mentioned on here in September I am keen to contribute to this publication but lack of knowledge about the J-League could be a hinderance so I will have to stick to things like museums and stadiums. What will come next I don’t know! Maybe another trip to the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama for a tour of the stadium and its World Cup connections could be in order but other than that I am fairly limited!!

The other contribution is a minor one and involves a 10 year old girl I teach every weekend. She often talks to me about football, particularly the national team, and she likes to predict the line-up and formation for each upcoming game. Around the time that the Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki was being linked with a move to Leicester City she said she had the Japan shirt with his name and number on the back so I said I’d like to see it. The following week she wore it and I just happened to have the latest J-Soccer magazine with me which she had a quick look through. She saw the ‘Look At Me’ page which is your typical photo page of readers being photographed with the magazine in all kinds of places. I said that if she wanted I could use all my might and persuasive power to get her in a future issue by taking a photo of her reading the magazine. She agreed and the rest is history!

JSoccer magazine is available in print or as a Pay-What-You-Want PDF from jsoccer.com

You can read ‘Doha Revisited’ in full here