Japan Football League (1992–98)

Japan Football League

Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Founded	1992
Folded	1998
Divisions	2 (1992–1993) 1 (1994–1998)
Number of teams	16
Level on pyramid	2–3 (1992–1993) 2 (1994–1998)
Feeder to	J. League
Relegation to	Japanese Regional Leagues
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup J. League Cup (associates)
Last champions	Tokyo Gas (1998)
Most championships	7 clubs (1 title each)

For the league after 1999 (Nihon futtobōru Līgu (日本フットボールリーグ), referred to in this page as "the new JFL") see Japan Football League.

Vissel Kobe vs. NTT Kanto F.C. at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in 1995

The former Japan Football League (ジャパンフットボールリーグ Japan Futtobōru Līgu) was an association football league that existed from 1992 to 1998. Also known as the JFL, it was the 2nd tier of the Japanese football hierarchy following J. League.

History

When the Japan Football Association decided to found a professional football league, the Japan Soccer League (JSL), the top-flight league until the 1991/92 season, was reorganised into two newly formed leagues. One was the Japan Professional Football League as known as J. League, the first-ever professional football league in Japan. The other was the former Japan Football League.

Out of twenty eight clubs who were the members of the JSL division 1 and 2, nine along with independent Shimizu S-Pulse formed J. League, one (Yomiuri Junior) was merged with their parent club, and the other eighteen chose not to be professional, at least at that time. They played the inaugural 1992 season of the former JFL together with Osaka Gas and Seino Transportation, the top two places in the Regional League promotion series. The initial configuration was two divisions of 10 clubs each, but from 1994, the format was changed to a single division of 16 clubs.

The former JFL ceased to exist at the end of the 1998 season when J. League Division 2 was formed. Out of 16 teams who played the last season of the former JFL, 9 decided and were accepted to play in J2 and the other 7 teams joined the new JFL.

Participating clubs

Division 1

Club Name	First Season in JFL	Seasons in JFL	Home Town(s)	First Season in D2	Seasons in D2	Last Spell in D2	Last JFL Title	Current League
Albirex Niigata	1998	1	Niigata & Seiro, Niigata	1998	1	1998	—	J1
Omiya Ardija	1994	5	Saitama, Saitama	1987/88	10	1994–1998	—	J1
Shonan Bellmare	1992	2	Hiratsuka, Kanagawa	1990/91	4	1990/91–1993	1993	J2
Fukuoka Blux	1993	3	Fukuoka, Fukuoka	1991/92	4	1993–1995	1995	J2
Brummel Sendai	1995	4	Sendai, Miyagi	1995	4	1995–1998	—	J1
Cerezo Osaka	1992	3	Osaka, Osaka	1991/92	4	1991/92–1994	1994	J1
Consadole Sapporo	1992	6	Sapporo, Hokkaido	1978	17	1992–1997	1997	J2
Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi	1994	3	Yokkaichi, Mie	1980	10	1994–1996	—	Defunct
Denso SC	1996	3	Kariya, Aichi	1996	3	1996–1998	—	Tōkai League D1
Kawasaki Frontale	1992	7	Kawasaki, Kanagawa	1972	20	1979–1998	—	J1
Fukushima FC	1995	3	Fukushima, Fukushima	1995	3	1995–1997	—	Defunct
Tosu Futures	1994	3	Tosu, Saga	1994	3	1994–1996	—	Defunct
Mito HollyHock	1997	2	Mito, Ibaraki	1997	2	1997–1998	—	J2
Honda Motors	1992	6	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka	1975	12	1994–1998	1996	JFL
Jatco SC	1997	2	Numazu, Shizuoka	1997	2	1997–1998	—	Defunct
Kokushikan University	1998	1	Machida, Tokyo	1998	1	1998	—	Kantō University League
Montedio Yamagata	1994	5	All cities/towns in Yamagata	1994	5	1994–1998	—	J2
NKK SC	1992	1	Kawasaki, Kanagawa	1980	5	1991/92–1992	—	Defunct
Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima	1994	5	All cities/towns in Tokushima	1990/91	7	1994–1998	—	J1
Kyoto Purple Sanga	1993	3	Southwestern cities/towns in Kyoto	1972	13	1993–1995	—	J2
Kashiwa Reysol	1992	3	Kashiwa, Chiba	1987/88	6	1992–1994	—	J1
Sagan Tosu	1997	2	Tosu, Saga	1997	2	1997–1998	—	J1
Seino Transportation	1994	4	All cities/towns in Gifu	1985	7	1994–1997	—	Defunct
Sony Sendai	1998	1	Miyagi	1998	1	1998	—	JFL
Tokyo Gas	1992	7	Tokyo	1991/92	8	1991/92–1998	1998	J1
Oita Trinity	1996	3	Ōita, Ōita	1996	3	1996–1998	—	J2
Ventforet Kofu	1994	5	All cities/towns in Yamanashi	1972	25	1994–1998	—	J1
Vissel Kobe	1994	2	Kobe, Hyōgo	1986/87	9	1994–1995	—	J1
Yamaha Motors	1992	2	Iwata, Shizuoka	1979	4	1992–1993	1992	J2

• "Seasons in D2," "Last spell in D2," and "Last D2 title" include participation in Japan Soccer League D2 and take into account seasons up to 1998, when the league ceased to exist

Division 2

Club Name	First Season in JFL D2	Seasons in JFL D2	Home Town(s)	Last Spell in JFL D2	Current League
Fukuoka Blux	1992	1	Fujieda, Shizuoka	1992	J2
Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi	1992	2	Yokkaichi, Mie	1992–1993	Defunct
Honda Motors	1993	1	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka	1993	JFL
Kawasaki Steel	1992	2	Kurashiki, Okayama	1992–1993	J1
Kofu SC	1992	2	All cities/towns in Yamanashi	1992–1993	J1
Kyoto Shiko	1992	1	Southwestern cities/towns in Kyoto	1992	J2
NKK SC	1993	1	Kawasaki, Kanagawa	1993	Defunct
NTT Kanto	1992	2	Saitama, Saitama	1992–1993	J1
Osaka Gas	1992	1	Osaka, Osaka	1992	Osaka League D2B
PJM Futures	1993	1	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka	1993	Defunct
Seino Transportation	1992	2	All cities/towns in Gifu	1992–1993	Defunct
Tanabe Pharmaceuticals	1992	1	Osaka, Osaka	1992	Osaka League D3G
Toho Titanium	1992	2	Chigasaki, Kanagawa	1992–1993	Kantō League D2
Toyota Higashi-Fuji	1993	1	Shizuoka	1993	Defunct

Championship, promotion and relegation history

Season	Champions	Runners-up	Promoted to J. League after the season	Promoted from Regional Leagues before the season	Relegated to Regional Leagues after the season
1992[1]	Div. 1-Yamaha Div. 2-Chuo Bohan Fujieda	Div. 1-Hitachi S.C. Div. 2-Kyoto Shiko Club	None	Osaka Gas Seino Transportation	Tanabe Pharmaceutical S.C. Osaka Gas S.C.
1993[2]	Div. 1-Bellmare Hiratsuka Div. 2-Honda F.C.	Div. 1-Jubilo Iwata Div. 2-PJM	Hiratsuka Iwata	Toyota Higashifuji PJM	Toho Titanium S.C. NKK F.C. (disbanded) Toyota Higashifuji (disbanded)
1994[3]	Cerezo Osaka	Kashiwa Reysol	Cerezo Kashiwa	NEC Yamagata S.C.	None
1995[4]	Fukuoka Blux	Kyoto Purple Sanga	Fukuoka Kyoto	Brummell Sendai Fukushima F.C.	None
1996[5]	Honda F.C.	Vissel Kobe	Kobe	Nippon Denso F.C. Oita F.C.	Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi (disbanded) Tosu Futures (disbanded)
1997[6]	Consadole Sapporo	Tokyo Gas F.C.	Sapporo	Prima Ham F.C. Tsuchiura Jatco F.C. Sagan Tosu (new club, replaces Tosu Futures)	Fukushima F.C. (disbanded) Seino Transportation F.C. (disbanded)
1998[7]	Tokyo Gas F.C.	Kawasaki Frontale	None	Albirex Niigata Sony Sendai F.C., Kokushikan Univ. S.C. (recommended by Univ. Assoc.)	None
			*The following clubs were admitted to the new J. League Division 2: Brummell Sendai (Vegalta Sendai), Montedio Yamagata, Omiya Ardija, Tokyo Gas F.C. (F.C. Tokyo), Kawasaki Frontale, Ventforet Kofu, Albirex Niigata, Sagan Tosu, Oita F.C. (Oita Trinita)

Most successful clubs

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning seasons	Runners-up seasons
Júbilo Iwata	1	1	1992	1993
Tokyo Gas	1	1	1998	1997
Bellmare Hiratsuka	1	0	1993
Cerezo Osaka	1	0	1994
Fukuoka Blux	1	0	1995
Honda FC	1	0	1996
Consadole Sapporo	1	0	1997
Kashiwa Reysol	0	2		1992, 1994
Kyoto Purple Sanga	0	1		1995
Vissel Kobe	0	1		1996
Kawasaki Frontale	0	1		1998

References

1. "Japan 1991/92". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
2. "Japan 1993". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
3. "Japan 1994". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
4. "Japan 1995". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
5. "Japan 1996". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
6. "Japan 1997". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
7. "Japan 1998". Rec.Sport.Soccer. Retrieved 15 December 2014.

See also