FC Imabari

The club was founded in 1976 and were promoted to the Shikoku Football League in 2001. From 2009 to 2011, they were owned by Ehime FC as their reserve team, Ehime FC Shimanami. In 2014, the majority of FC Imabari was bought by former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada. In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards the J. League, as JFA recognised J.League Hundred Year Vision clubs. In November, they won the Regional Promotion Series and were promoted to the Japan Football League. During their debut season on the JFL, they opened their new stadium and acquired a J3 League license from the 2018 season. In 2019, after finishing on third place at the JFL, FC Imabari were promoted to Japan's professional league system, becoming a professional club, as they were promoted to the J3 for the first time in their history. FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that the club can be promoted to the J2 League once they are able to finish the season in the promotion zone. On 10 November 2024, FC Imabari secured promotion to the J2 League for the first time in their history, ending a five year stint in the third tier. On 25 September 2025, FC Imabari announced that it had been granted a J1 League license, making the club eligible for promotion to the J1 League should they finish the season in a promotion position.