Works team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A works team (sometimes factory team) is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business. Sometimes, works teams contain or are entirely made up of employees of the supporting company.

Association football

Africa

A number of works teams were founded in the former Portuguese territory of Mozambique that still are currently major teams in that Portuguese-speaking African country (independent since 1975). Grupo Desportivo da Companhia Têxtil do Punguè and Textáfrica do Chimoio are examples of two works teams which were the teams of two textile companies. In addition, two major teams of the railway network achieved also notoriety - the Clube Ferroviário de Maputo and the Clube Ferroviário da Beira.

Other former and current works teams in Africa include Arab Contractors SC of Egypt (also a sporting club) and AS Police (Benin).

Asia

Works teams are common in Japan, with several J-League clubs starting life as such (e.g., Yokohama F. Marinos, who were originally Nissan F.C.). Modern examples include Honda F.C., Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima, F.C. Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Gas), and Sagawa Printing. The maximum league Japanese works teams can compete in is the Japan Football League, the de facto national third division; the J. League specifically bars works teams from its ranks unless they professionalize and adopt the community they play in as a source of fan support.

Current and former works teams in South Korea include Busan Transportation Corporation FC, Gyeongju Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power FC, Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC, and Hanil Bank FC.

Other current and former Asian works teams include Nepal Police Club, Thai Farmers Bank F.C., Krung Thai Bank F.C., and Viettel F.C. (formerly The Cong, or the football team of the Vietnam People's Army).

Europe

European former works teams include those of PSV Eindhoven (Philips), FC Sochaux-Montbéliard (Peugeot), Bayer Leverkusen (Bayer), VFL Wolfsburg (Volkswagen), Evian Thonon Gaillard F.C., and FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Zeiss).

The Portuguese conglomerate Companhia União Fabril (CUF) had also its own sports club, founded as a truly works team in 1937. It was located in the Lisbon's industrial suburb of Barreiro, and was called Grupo Desportivo da CUF. The club, which was a major contender in the main Portuguese Football Championship, was disbanded and replaced by G.D. Fabril due to a military coup in 1974.

Several professional football clubs in the United Kingdom were also formed as works teams, including Manchester United (the team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath), Arsenal (formed as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich) and Livingston (formerly Ferranti Thistle). A few (semi-professional) retain their companies' names, including Airbus UK, Cammell Laird and Vauxhall Motors. Other former and current United Kingdom works teams include West Ham United (formerly Thames Ironworks), Crawley Down Gatwick F.C., Civil Service F.C., Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C., United Services Portsmouth F.C., Metropolitan Police F.C., Stewarts & Lloyds Corby A.F.C., Royal Engineers A.F.C., Jarrow Roofing Boldon Community Association F.C., Atherton Collieries A.F.C., Prescot Cables F.C., Lisburn Distillery F.C., and Cardiff Civil Service.

Fordsons F.C. served as the work team for Ford Motor Company in Cork City from 1924 to 1930.

South America

Several Argentinan clubs began life as the works teams of British-owned railway companies, including Rosario Central, Talleres de Córdoba, Ferro Carril Oeste, Club Ferrocarril Midland and Club Atlético Central Córdoba.

In Brazil, clubs that were born as works teams include São Paulo Railway (now Nacional), Cotonifício Rodolfo Crespi (now Juventus), Sport Club Corinthians Paulista (also a sporting club, formed by railway workers), and Bangu.

Uruguay has one of the most known clubs that began as works team: Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club, or just CURCC, which was the basis for the later foundation of Peñarol, one of the top two clubs in that country.

Arguably, Club Universidad de Chile is a works team, having been formed by university students before becoming part of the university's brand until 1980.

Motorsports

In motorsports, works teams are factory-backed, and drivers are called works drivers.

Rugby union

In rugby union, works teams are usually found in Asia. The Top League in Japan features teams such as Suntory Sungoliath, Toyota Verblitz and IBM Big Blue. Samsung has a team in the Korean league.