Japan Soccer League

Japan Soccer League
Country  Japan
Confederation AFC
Founded 1965
Folded 1992
Divisions 1 (1965–1971)
2 (1972–1992)
Number of teams 12
Level on pyramid 1 (1965–1971)
1–2 (1972–1992)
Relegation to Regional Leagues
Domestic cup(s) JSL Cup
Emperor's Cup
International cup(s) Asian Club Championship
Asian Cup Winners' Cup
Last champions Yomiuri SC
(1991–92)
Most championships Yomiuri SC and Mazda SC
(5 titles each)

Japan Soccer League (日本サッカーリーグ Nihon Sakkā Rīgu), or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936. JSL was the first-ever national league of an amateur team sport in Japan.

History

Each JSL team represented a corporation, and like Japanese baseball teams, went by the name of the company that owned the team. Unlike in baseball, however, promotion and relegation was followed, as J. League follows today. The players were officially amateur and were employees of the parent corporations, but especially in later years, top players were generally paid strictly to play soccer.

Originally the JSL consisted of a single division only, but in 1972 a Second Division was added. Clubs could join in by winning the All Japan Senior Football Championship cup competition and then winning a promotion/relegation series against the bottom teams in the JSL. From 1973 to 1980, both the champions and runners-up of the Second Division had to play the promotion/relegation series against the First Division's bottom clubs; afterwards and until 1984, only the runners-up had to play the series.

Top JSL teams included Hitachi Ltd., Furukawa Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nissan Motors, Toyo Industries (Mazda) and Yomiuri Shimbun, which are now, respectively, Kashiwa Reysol, JEF United Ichihara Chiba, Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F. Marinos, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Tokyo Verdy. Furukawa/JEF United was the only one never to be relegated to the Second Division and kept this distinction until 2009.

. JSL played its final season in 1991/92 and the J. League began play in 1993. Top nine JSL clubs, (along with the independent Shimizu S-Pulse) became the original J. League members. The others except Yomiuri Junior who merged with their parent club Yomiuri Club joined the newly formed Japan Football League.

Champions

First Division

All clubs are listed under the names they were using in 1992, when the league ceased to exist. Clubs in italic no longer exist.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Seasons Runners-up Seasons
Yomiuri SC 5 3 1983, 1984, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1991–92 1979, 1981, 1989–90
Mazda SC 5 1 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 1969
Mitsubishi Motors 4 6 1969, 1973, 1978, 1982 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
Yanmar Diesel 4 4 1971, 1974, 1975, 1980 1968, 1972, 1978, 1982
Fujita SC 3 1 1977, 1979, 1981 1980
Nissan Motors 2 4 1988–89, 1989–90 1983, 1984, 1990–91, 1991–92
JR East Furukawa 2 1 1976, 1985 1967
Hitachi SC 1 1 1972 1973
Yamaha Motors 1 0 1987–88
NKK SC 0 3 1985, 1986–87, 1987–88
Nippon Steel Yawata 0 2 1965, 1966
ANA SC 0 1 1988–89

Second Division

All clubs are listed under the names they were using in 1992, when the league ceased to exist. Clubs in italic no longer exist.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons
Yomiuri SC
2
2
 1974, 1977 1975, 1976
Sumitomo Metal Industries
2
2
 1984, 1986–87 1983, 1991–92
Toshiba SC
2
1
 1979, 1988–89 1982
Honda Motors
2
0
 1978, 1980
NKK SC
2
0
 1981, 1983
Toyota Motors
1
2
 1972 1986–87, 1989–90
Fujitsu SC
1
2
 1976 1974, 1980
Tanabe Pharmaceuticals
1
1
 1975 1972
Yamaha Motors
1
1
 1982 1979
Matsushita Electric
1
1
 1985 1987–88
ANA SC
1
1
 1987–88 1984
Hitachi SC
1
1
 1990–91 1988–89
Eidai Industries
1
0
 1973
Mitsubishi Motors
1
0
 1989–90
Fujita SC
1
0
 1991–92
Nissan Motors 0 3 1977, 1978, 1981
Mazda SC
0
2
 1985, 1990–91
Kofu SC
0
1
 1973

League Cup

See Japan Soccer League Cup.

Konica Cup

See Konica Cup (football).

All-time JSL member clubs

Current J. League identity and/or standing in the Japanese football league system follows each name.

Original 8 Clubs

Other First Division Clubs

In order of their promotion to First Division.

Famous Second Division Clubs

Many of these clubs would only be promoted to the top flight after the J. League was created.

See also

External links

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