Japanese Non-league Football News

Rather belatedly, here are the available results from the Tohoku League Promotion Play-offs, followed by a list of the teams that will be competing in next year's divisions, all three of which will have eight clubs participating. In Division 2 (North), Saruta Industry from Akita prefecture make their first ever appearance at regional level, while Iwate's Omiya Club return after a four-year absence. The Southern section will include for the first time Soma SC and Nakaniida SC from Fukushima and Miyagi respectively.


Tohoku League Division 2 (North) Three-Prefecture Challenge League
Participants:

Akita: Saruta Industry - 猿田興業
Aomori: Libero Tsugaru - リベロ津軽
Iwate: Omiya Club - 大宮クラブ

Sun 05 Nov: Omiya Club 7-1 Libero Tsugaru
Sun 12 Nov: Saruta Industry 3-2 Omiya Club
Sun 19 Nov: Saruta Industry 2-1 Libero Tsugaru

1. Saruta Industry 6 (+2)
2. Omiya Club 3 (+5)
3. Libero Tsugaru 0 (-7)

Saruta Industry were therefore automatically promoted. Omiya Club as runners-up played an additional Play-off against TDK Shinwakai, who finished bottom in the Tohoku League Division 2 (North) 2006.

Sun 10 Dec: TDK Shinwakai 2-3 Omiya Club


Tohoku League Division 2 (South) Three-Prefecture Challenge League

Participants:

Fukushima: Soma SC - 相馬ＳＣ
Miyagi: Nakaniida SC - 中新田ＳＣ
Yamagata: Sakata Mikakutomo Club - 酒田琢友クラブ

Sun 05 Nov: Soma SC 2-0 Sakata Mikakutomo Club
Sun 12 Nov: Sakata Mikakutomo Club 0-2 Nakaniida SC
Sun 19 Nov: Nakaniida SC 2-1 Soma SC

1. Nakaniida SC 6 (+3)
2. Soma SC 3 (+1)
3. Sakata Mikakutomo Club 0 (-4)


English name - Japanese name - 2006 position

Tohoku League Division 1 - Teams 2007

FC Primeiro - ＦＣプリメーロ - 4th
Furukawa Battery - 古河電池 - Winners, Division 2 (South)
Grulla Morioka - グルージャ盛岡 - 2nd
Morioka Zebra - 盛岡ゼブラ - 7th
NEC Tokin - ＮＥＣトーキン - 3rd
Nippon Steel Kamaishi - 新日鐵釜石 - 8th
Sendai Nakata Club - 仙台中田クラブ - 5th
Wiese Shiogama - ヴィーゼ塩竃 - 6th


Tohoku League Division 2 (North) - Teams 2007

FC Akita Cambiare - ＦＣ秋田カンビアーレ - Winners
Fuji Club 2003 - 富士クラブ2003 - 4th
Hokuto Bank - 北都銀行 - 6th
Mizusawa Club - 水沢クラブ - 2nd
Omiya Club -　大宮クラブ - Three-Prefecture Challenge League Runners-up
Saruta Industry - 猿田興業 - Three-Prefecture Challenge League Winners
Tono Club - 遠野クラブ - 3rd
Vanraure Hachinohe - ヴァンラーレ八戸 - 5th


Tohoku League Division 2 (South) - Teams 2007

FC Perada Fukushima - FCベラーダ福島 - 6th
Kanai Club - 金井クラブ - 4th
Kureha Chemicals - 呉羽化学 - 7th
Marysol Matsushima - マリソル松島 - 2nd
Nakaniida SC - 中新田ＳＣ - Three-Prefecture Challenge League Winners
Shichigahama SC - 七ヶ浜ＳＣ - 5th
Soma SC - 相馬SC - Three-Prefecture Challenge League Runners-up
Viancone Fukushima - ビアンコーネ福島 - 3rd, as Northern Peaks Koriyama

Ambitious Tohoku League Division 2 (North) outfit FC Akita Cambiare failed to achieve their target of promotion to Division 1 in the two-legged play-off with Nippon Steel Kamaishi in Miyagi prefecture over the weekend. A 2-2 aggregate draw leaves both sides staying where they are for the 2007 campaign, meaning a seventh consecutive year in the top flight for Nippon Steel.

Sat 09 Dec: Nippon Steel Kamaishi 2-2 FC Akita Cambiare
Sun 10 Dec: FC Akita Cambiare 0-0 Nippon Steel Kamaishi

(First leg played at Rifu, Miyagi; second leg played at Natori, Miyagi)

Some details now of the Prefectural Promotion Play-off to get into the 2007 Shikoku League. The format of the competition is that one team representing each of the four prefectures on Shikoku island meet in a round-robin group played over Sat 09 and Sun 10 Dec, which this year is staged in Tokushima.

Whichever clubs finish first and second go through to the final stage, a two-legged affair scheduled for weekends at the end of January and beginning of February. The top side will be matched up 2006 Shikoku League wooden spooners Sanwa Club, while the team ending up in second place take on Alex SC, who finished next to bottom in the Regional competition.

The participants are as follows:

Ehime: Hisaeda FC (久枝ＦＣ)
Kagawa: Minami Club (南クラブ)
Kochi: Kochi Toyopet Sanwa Club (高知トヨペット・昭和クラブ)
Tokushima: Shuyukai (蹴友会)