Japanese Non-league Football News

... it's been announced that the merged YKK AP and Alo's Hokuriku club that will participate from next year in the JFL is to be known as Kataller Toyama... meanwhile there are suggestions in the media that Rosso Kumamoto may be forced to change their name if they succeed in their ambition of winning promotion to J2. Roasso Kumamoto is reported to be the most likely alternative...

... the format of the promotion and relegation mechanism between the Regional Leagues and the JFL has been confirmed, ahead of next weekend's Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off tournament. It's all complicated stuff, so pay attention to the three possibilities as follows:

1. If no-one is promoted to the J-League, Arte Takasaki will be relegated, the top two Play-off teams will be promoted and the third placed Play-off team will face an additional play-off against the next-to-bottom JFL side - currently likely to be FC Ryukyu.

2. If one team are promoted to the J-League, the top two Play-off teams will be promoted and the third placed Play-off team will gace an additional play-off against Arte.

3. If two teams are promoted to the J-League, the top two Play-off teams will be promoted and there won't be any relegation from the JFL.

There was one late fixture to conclude Division 1 of the Tokai League, with the civil servants of Fujieda City Hall claiming an easy win over the deliverymen of Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo. This didn't impact upon either the top or bottom of the table, however, with Shizuoka FC and Yazaki Valente still looking forward to participating in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off tournament next weekend, while Kasugai Club and Honda Suzuka are both relegated straight back to Division 2.

Sat 27 Oct: Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo 1-4 Fujieda City Hall

1. Shizuoka FC 39 (+39)
2. Yazaki Valente 34 (+27)
3. Fujieda City Hall 20 (-)
4. Sagawa Kyubin Chukyo 16 (-16)
5. Chukyo University 15 (-1)
6. Maruyasu Industries 14 (-17)
7. Kasugai Club 13 (-10)
8. Honda Suzuka 12 (-22)

Division 2 (North) champions FC Akita Cambiare gained a shock 2-0 win in their play-off with southern counterparts Viancone Fukushima to move up to the Tohoku League Division 1 for 2008. Cambiare, who have dominated their level in recent years without ever being able to make the step up, will replace relegated side Nippon Steel Kamaishi, while Viancone have an additional opportunity to gain promotion when they play off against Morioka Zebra.

Sun 28 Oct: FC Akita Cambiare 2-0 Viancone Fukushima

There was one late result from Division 2 (North) of the Tohoku League, with relegated side Hokuto Bank losing 4-1 to the students of Fuji Club 2003.

Sun 28 Oct: Fuji Club 2003 4-1 Hokuto Bank

1. FC Akita Cambiare 32 (+33)
2. Mizusawa Club 29 (+17)
3. Tono Club 27 (+9)
4. Fuji Club 2003 21 (+4)
5. Saruta Industry 19 (-)
6. Vanraure Hachinohe 17 (-3)
7. Omiya Club 9 (-19)
8. Hokuto Bank 4 (-41)

Late confirmation here of the final batch of results in Division 1 of the Tohoku League. It has long been clear that Grulla Morioka would take the title, after TDK Akita gained a sensational promotion to the JFL last season, but Grulla rather blotted their copybook by losing the last match of the year at home to their nearest challengers, NEC Tokin. It is NEC that will therefore join Grulla in the Regional League Championship Winners' Play-off tournament next week, aiming to follow in the footsteps of TDK.

At the other end of the table - although things could yet change if Grulla or TDK are able to seal what would be a remarkable move upwards - after several seasons of struggle Nippon Steel Kamaishi were finally relegated to Division 2,(North) while Morioka Zebra face a play-off against ambitious Viancone Fukushima after they are to retain their place in the higher division.

Sun 14 Oct: FC Primeiro 3-10 Grulla Morioka
Sun 14 Oct: Furukawa Battery 0-2 Wiese Shiogama
Sun 14 Oct: Morioka Zebra 2-2 Nippon Steel Kamaishi

Sat 20 Oct: Grulla Morioka 1-2 NEC Tokin

Sun 21 Oct: Furukawa Battery 3-1 FC Primeiro
Sun 21 Oct: Sendai Nakata Club 4-1 Nippon Steel Kamaishi
Sun 21 Oct: Wiese Shiogama 1-1 Morioka Zebra

1. Grulla Morioka 39 (+51)
2. NEC Tokin 34 (+41)
3. FC Primeiro 22 (-4)
4. Wiese Shiogama 18 (-3)
5. Sendai Nakata Club 16 (-10)
6. Furukawa Battery 14 (-27)
7. Morioka Zebra 12 (-18)
8. Nippon Steel Kamaishi 6 (-30)

Just twelve months after having been relegated from the Hokushinetsu League Division 1, Teihens FC have been demoted from Regional League football altogether, after they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Niigata University of Health & Welfare in the Division 2 / Prefectural Leagues Play-off. They will therefore compete in the Ishikawa Prefectural League next season, bringing to an end a tenure in the Hokushinetsu League of fully thirty years.

The students, meanwhile, had earned the right to take on Teihens after having finished runner-up in the recent Prefectural Leagues Play-off tournament. They will in turn play Regional League football in 2008 for the first time and are promoted alongside Nagano's Nissei Resin.

Sun 04 Nov: Niigata University of Health & Welfare 1-1 Teihens FC

Sun 11 Nov: Teihens FC 1-2 Niigata University of Health & Welfare

In the second leg of their Play-off last weekend, ambitious Saurcos Fukui netted a crucial extra time to goal to defeat Niigata University of Management and replace them in next season's Division 1 of the Hokushinetsu League. Saurcos, who were previously known as FC Kanazu and who are aiming ultimately to become their home prefecture's J-League franchise, thereby gained a 4-3 aggregate win and will join one of the most competitive Regional League divisions in Japan.

Sun 04 Nov: Saurcos Fukui 2-1 Niigata University of Management

Sun 11 Nov: Niigata University of Management 2-2 Saurcos Fukui (AET)

FC Ube Yahhh-man from Yamaguchi and Okayama's NTN Okayama have gained promotion to the Chugoku League for the 2008 season. The two clubs made their way to the final of the Prefectural Leagues Play-off tournament that was staged in Okayama over last weekend. Both sides have been amongst the strongest teams in their local prefectures for a number of seasons, but had previously failed to negotiate the play-offs; they will now hope that they can make the step up to playing Regional League football. Below is a full list of participants and results from the play-off competition.

Participants

FC Ube Yahhh-man ＦＣ宇部ヤーマン (Yamaguchi)
Fuji Xerox Hiroshima 富士ゼロックス広島 (Hiroshima)
Genki SC 元気ＳＣ (Tottori)
Hamada FC Cosmos 浜田ＦＣコスモス (Shimane)
Hiroshima Teachers 広島教員 (Hiroshima)
Iwakuni SC 岩国ＳＣ (Yamaguchi)
Iwami FC 石見ＦＣ (Shimane)
Kibi International Industry 吉備国際工華 (Okayama)
NTN Okayama ＮＴＮ岡山 (Okayama)
Tottori KFC 鳥取ＫＦＣ (Tottori)

Preliminary Round

Sat 10 Nov: Hamada FC Cosmos 1-1 Hiroshima Teachers (PK 5-6)
Sat 10 Nov: Kibi International Industry 2-0 Iwami FC

First Round

Sun 11 Nov: FC Ube Yahhh-man 4-1 Genki SC
Sun 11 Nov: Fuji Xerox Hiroshima 0-1 Kibi International Industry
Sun 11 Nov: Hamada FC Cosmos 0-0 Tottori KFC (PK 2-4)
Sun 11 Nov: NTN Okayama 7-1 Iwakuni SC

Semi-Finals

Mon 12 Nov: FC Ube Yahhh-man 1-0 Kibi International Industry
Mon 12 Nov: Tottori KFC 1-3 NTN Okayama

Final

Mon 12 Nov: NTN Okayama 2-0 FC Ube Yahhh-man