J.League 100 Year Plan club status, Jei Rīgu hyakunen kōsō kurabu (Jリーグ百年構想クラブ) is a status given to Japanese non-league football clubs. The applicant must have an intention to become a professional club and to join the professional league, J.League, that governs the top three levels of the Japanese football pyramid. Usually clubs from the fourth level, Japan Football League, which is the top tier for amateur clubs, apply for the status; however, it is open for all amateur clubs down to prefectural leagues. The applications are reviewed and inspected by a committee formed by the league. From the 2014 to 2022 seasons, the associate membership was the main criteria for J3 promotion. The system allows the League to identify such clubs, to provide necessary resources/advice, and to ease the transition to professionalism.
Former associate membership systems
edit1993–1998
editOriginally, when the professional league was formed in 1993 with ten clubs, the league's intention was to keep the number of clubs to 10 for at least two to three years, and then gradually increase the roster to 16 by adding a club or two in year-to-year basis. However, the league had underestimated the demands; there were far more clubs seeking top-flight football then the league have anticipated. Thus, the league adopted associate membership system for the clubs in then the second-tier Japan Football League. Just like the current system, associate clubs finishing in the top two were allowed to be promoted to the league, given that they have passed the final inspection by the league. Associate members also had the right to participate in Yamazaki Nabisco Cup games and reserve league games.
This system was abolished in 1998 with the establishment of J.League Division 2 and the dissolution of the old JFL. Three remaining associate members were admitted to the J2 and Honda FC decided to maintain amateur status and joined the newly created JFL.
| Year applied | Club name | Year admitted to J.League |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Bellmare Hiratsuka | 1994 | Promoted to J.League. Former JSL Division 1 champion. |
| Júbilo Iwata | 1994 | Promoted to J.League. Former JSL Division 1 champion. | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1995 | Promoted to J.League. Former JSL Division 1 champion. | |
| 1994 | Cerezo Osaka | 1995 | Promoted to J.League. Former JSL Division 1 champion. |
| Kyoto Purple Sanga | 1996 | Promoted to J.League | |
| Tosu Futures | 1999 (J2) | Taken over by Sagan Tosu. Promoted to J1 in 2012 | |
| 1995 | Avispa Fukuoka | 1996 | Promoted to J.League |
| Vissel Kobe | 1997 | Promoted to J.League | |
| 1996 | Consadole Sapporo | 1998 | Promoted to J.League. Competed in JSL Division 1 between 1989 and 1992. |
| Brummell Sendai | 1999 (J2) | Promoted to Division 1 in 2002 | |
| 1997 | Kawasaki Frontale | 1999 (J2) | Promoted to Division 1 in 2000. Competed in JSL Division 1 between 1977 and 1978. |
| Honda Motors | – | Withdrew membership due to lack of support from company and community. Competed in JSL Division 1 between 1981 and 1992. |
2006–2013
editAfter its establishment in 1999, J.League Division 2 became the frontier of J.League expansion, feeding from the simultaneously established Japan Football League. In their first seven years of co-existence, every club that applied for promotion was individually examined by the league. Five teams were promoted this way, but as the number of applicants increased over time, in October 2005 the JFA initiated the establishment of the new association membership system in order to provide an incentive for amateur clubs to obtain a sound economical and business basis necessary to J.League membership.
The criteria for such membership were developed by joint JFA–J.League committee in early 2006. They covered various aspects of the club development, with the particular stress on organizational stability, adequate infrastructure, and support from the local government, sponsors, and community. Unlike the previous system, this membership has been targeted not only to JFL clubs, but to all amateurs club in the football pyramid, including regional and prefectural leagues.
Below is a list of criteria for associate membership in their last edition of September 1, 2012.[1]
- Club organization
- Must be organized as a public corporation or NPO solely devoted to football.
- Company and university clubs do not qualify
- At least half of the shares of stock must be Japanese ownership
- Must hire at least three administrative employees, one of which must be in a managerial position.
- Must have a proper payroll system in accordance with Japanese law.
- Must complete an annual tax audit.
- Must be financially feasible.
- (Note: The league recommends ¥1.5 million of capital by promotion to J2 and 5 million by the end of the third year in J2.)
- Must secure sponsorship of at least ¥1 million.
- Home town
- Must be approved by respective prefectural football association.
- Must be approved by the home town's government in writing.
- Home stadium/training facility
- It must have a capacity of at least 10,000 and a natural grass pitch (in lieu of this, the club must have plans to build a stadium with these minimum requirements).
- It must be located in the proposed hometown.
- It must have a press box and a conference room for pre- and post-match news conferences.
- The club must secure training facilities within the proposed hometown.
- Others
- The club must currently play in JFL, a regional league, or a prefectural league.
- The club must aim for admission to J.League.
- The club must have plans for a youth system.
The new associate membership system lasted for eight years and came to its logical finish after the number of J2 clubs reached 22 (the original target) in 2012 season. The next year saw the establishment of J3 League which incorporated most of the remaining associate members.
Since 2006, 29 clubs have applied for the J.League associate member status and 25 have received it, though for many clubs more than one application was necessary. Of those 25 that received the status, 11 were promoted to J2; 9 more were admitted to J3 League in 2013; and 5 remaining members (along with three pending applications) transitioned to the new 100 Year Plan status in 2014. The table below summarizes the history of associate membership applications and J.League promotions/admissions. Promotions listed were to J2, unless indicated otherwise.
- Grey – membership declined
- Light green – remaining members, transformed into a 100 Year Plan status in 2014
| Applied | Club name | League† | Home town | Application results |
Year admitted to J.League |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2006 | Rosso Kumamoto | JFL | Kumamoto, Kumamoto | Approved | 2007 | Promoted to J2 as Roasso Kumamoto. |
| Tochigi SC | JFL | Utsunomiya, Tochigi | Declined | Reapplied in January 2007 | ||
| January 2007 | FC Gifu | JFL | Gifu, Gifu | Approved | 2007 | Promoted to J2, approved conditionally at first (financial improvement required before promotion). |
| Gainare Tottori | JFL | All cities/towns in Tottori | Approved | 2010 | Promoted to J2. | |
| Tochigi SC | JFL | Utsunomiya, Tochigi | Approved | 2008 | Promoted to J2. | |
| Perada Fukushima | Tohoku League D2 | Fukushima, Fukushima | Declined | Renamed as Fukushima United FC. Reapplied in June 2013 | ||
| July 2007 | Fagiano Okayama | Chugoku League | All cities/towns in Okayama | Approved | 2008 | Promoted to J2. First club to be approved while in regional league. Promoted to J1 in 2024. |
| January 2008 | New Wave Kitakyushu | JFL | Kitakyushu, Fukuoka | Approved | 2009 | Promoted to J2 as Giravanz Kitakyushu. |
| Kataller Toyama | JFL | Toyama, Toyama | Approved | 2008 | Promoted to J2. | |
| FC Ryukyu | JFL | All cities/towns in Okinawa | Declined | Reapplied in January 2011 | ||
| January 2009 | Machida Zelvia | JFL | Machida, Tokyo | Approved | 2011 | Promoted to J2. Relegated to JFL in 2012 and re-admitted to J3 in 2013. Promoted to J1 in 2023. |
| V-Varen Nagasaki | JFL | All cities/towns in Nagasaki | Approved | 2012 | Promoted to J2. Promoted to J1 in 2017. | |
| January 2010 | Matsumoto Yamaga | JFL | Matsumoto, Nagano | Approved | 2011 | Promoted to J2. Promoted to J1 in 2014, first club to reach J1 from 100 Year Plan system. |
| SC Sagamihara | Kanagawa prefectural league D1 | Sagamihara, Kanagawa | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Promoted to J2 in 2020, first club to be approved while in a prefectural league. | |
| April 2010 | Zweigen Kanazawa | JFL | Kanazawa, Ishikawa | Not accepted | Incomplete documentation. Reapplied in January 2011 | |
| December 2010 | Kamatamare Sanuki | JFL | All cities/towns in Kagawa | Approved | 2013 | Promoted to J2. |
| January 2011 | FC Ryukyu | JFL | All cities/towns in Okinawa | Declined | Further improvement needed. Reapplied in June 2013 | |
| Zweigen Kanazawa | JFL | Kanazawa, Ishikawa | Declined | Further improvement needed. Reapplied in November 2012 | ||
| November 2011 | Nagano Parceiro | JFL | Nagano, Nagano | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. |
| November 2012 | Zweigen Kanazawa | JFL | All cities/towns in Ishikawa | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Promoted to J2 in 2014 |
| Blaublitz Akita | JFL | All cities/towns in Akita | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Promoted to J2 in 2020 | |
| June 2013 | Veertien Kuwana | Mie prefectural league D2 | Kuwana, Mie | Not accepted | Incomplete documentation. Renamed as Veertien Mie, reapplied in December 2019 after introduction of 100 Year Plan status system; the status was granted in February 2020 and withdrawn in February 2023 | |
| YSCC Yokohama | JFL | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Relegated to the JFL in 2024. | |
| Grulla Morioka | Tohoku League D1 | Morioka, Iwate | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3; only associate member to be admitted directly from regional leagues without JFL participation. Promoted to J2 in 2022, relegated to the JFL in 2024. | |
| Renofa Yamaguchi | Chūgoku League | All cities/towns in Yamaguchi | Approved | Promoted to J3 in 2014 and to J2 in 2015 | ||
| Fukushima United | JFL | Fukushima, Fukushima | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. | |
| FC Ryukyu | JFL | All cities/towns in Okinawa | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Promoted to J2 in 2018. | |
| Fujieda MYFC | JFL | Fujieda, Shizuoka | Approved | 2013 (J3) | Admitted to J3. Promoted to J2 in 2022. | |
| Vanraure Hachinohe | Tohoku League D1 | Hachinohe, Aomori | Approved | Promoted to J3 in 2018 | ||
| Tonan Maebashi | Kantō League | Maebashi, Gunma | Approved → Withdrawn | On 30 July 2019, the club gave up the J.League 100 Year Plan club status. | ||
| Azul Claro Numazu | Tōkai League | Numazu, Shizuoka | Approved | Promoted to J3 in 2016 | ||
| Nara Club | Kansai League D1 | Nara, Nara | Approved | Promoted to J3 in 2022 | ||
| MIO Biwako Shiga | JFL | Kusatsu, Shiga | Frozen | Application not followed up after introduction of 100 Year Plan status system. Renamed as Reilac Shiga in 2023 | ||
| Tochigi Uva | JFL | Tochigi, Tochigi | Pending | Application transitioned to 100 Year Plan status; the status was granted in May 2014 | ||
| Suzuka Rampole | Tōkai League | Suzuka, Mie | Pending | Renamed as Suzuka Point Getters, reapplied in December 2020 after introduction of 100 Year Plan status system; the status was granted in February 2021 and revoked in June 2022 |
† Listed is the league the club participated at the time of application, not necessary the league that the club currently belongs to.
100 Year Plan status (since 2014)
editFor a short time after the establishment of J3 League in 2014, the league designated J3 clubs as "associate members," as opposed to "full members" of J1 and J2. In order to avoid confusion with associate membership system for future participants, it was decided to change the name of the latter status to "100 Year Plan" status. The J.League later abolished the associate membership naming for J3 clubs, but the new name for future members remained.
Participation criteria
editThe criteria for the 100 Year Plan status are largely similar to associate membership of the past, though they are generally more relaxed because of less strict regulations for J3 participation in comparison with J2. Below are the criteria for the 2014 season.[2]
- Club organization
- Must be organized as a public corporation or NPO solely devoted to football and exist in this status for no less than one year
- The majority of the shares or stock must be Japanese owned
- Must employ at least four administrative employees, one of whom must have managerial position
- Must have proper payroll system according to Japanese law
- Must have proper financial management and conduct annual tax audit
- Must hold intellectual rights for the club name, logo, and all associated trademarks
- Home town and stadium/training facility
- Must be approved by respective Prefectural Football Association
- Must be approved by the hometown government in writing
- Home stadium must be located in the proposed hometown
- Must secure training facilities within the proposed hometown
- Others
- Must currently play in JFL, regional league or prefectural league
- Must aim for eventual admission to J.League
- Must have a working soccer school/youth system that exists for no less than one year
Criteria for J3 promotion
editThe 100 Year Plan status alone was only a prerequisite for J3 promotion until the condition of holding it to apply for a league license was repealed in January 2023 as part of revisions to J3's club licensing regulations. The club must still comply with the following requirements in order to receive the J3 license necessary for promotion.[3][4]
- Must have a stadium that complies with J3 standards (capacity 2,000 or above) and passes the league examination
- Must pass a J3 licensing examination by the league
- Must finish within top two of the JFL
- Must have average attendance of home games no less than 2,000 spectators in the prior season, with significant effort recognized to reach that number
- Must make efforts to develop a stable support organization in the year immediately before joining
- Must be deemed an appropriate J3 member by the board of directors based on club activities
Application history
edit- Green – promoted to J.League
- Gold – current members
- Grey – membership declined
- White – application pending or membership withdrawn
| Applied | Club name | League† | Home town | Application results |
Year admitted to J.League |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2014 | Renofa Yamaguchi | Chūgoku League | All cities/towns in Yamaguchi | Approved | 2014 | Promoted to J3 and in 2015 to J2. Former associate member |
| Vanraure Hachinohe | Tohoku League D1 | Hachinohe, Aomori | Approved | 2018 | Promoted to J3. Former associate member | |
| Azul Claro Numazu | Tōkai League | Numazu, Shizuoka | Approved | 2016 | Promoted to J3. Former associate member | |
| Nara Club | Kansai League D1 | Nara, Nara | Approved | 2022 | Promoted to J3. Former associate member | |
| Tochigi Uva | JFL | Tochigi, Tochigi | Approved | 2024 | Application transitioned from associate membership; renamed Tochigi City FC, withdrew membership on 19 December 2023. Promoted to J3 | |
| November 2014 | Kagoshima United | JFL | Kagoshima, Kagoshima | Approved | 2015 | Promoted to J3 and in 2018 to J2 |
| November 2015 | Tokyo Musashino City | JFL | Musashino, Tokyo | Approved | On 31 July 2020, Musashino relinquished its 100 Year Plan status. On December 2023, Musashino reverted to their former corporate ownership by Yokogawa Electric. | |
| FC Imabari | Shikoku League | Imabari, Ehime | Approved | 2019 | Promoted to J3 and in 2024 to J2. | |
| November 2018 | Tegevajaro Miyazaki | JFL | Miyazaki, Miyazaki | Approved | 2020 | Promoted to J3. |
| ReinMeer Aomori | JFL | Aomori, Aomori | Approved | On 31 January 2023, Aomori withdrew their membership. | ||
| November 2019 | FC Osaka | JFL | Higashiosaka, Osaka | Approved | 2022 | Promoted to J3. |
| Veertien Mie | JFL | Kuwana & Yokkaichi, Mie | Approved | On 22 February 2023, Veertien withdrew their membership.[5] | ||
| Iwaki FC | JFL | Iwaki, Fukushima | Approved | 2021 | Promoted to J3 and in 2022 to J2. Former associate member | |
| Vonds Ichihara | Kantō League D1 | Ichihara, Chiba | Approved | |||
| Nankatsu SC | Kantō League D1 | Katsushika, Tokyo | Approved | |||
| November 2020 | Criacao Shinjuku | Kantō League D1 | Shinjuku, Tokyo | Approved | ||
| Suzuka Point Getters | JFL | Suzuka, Mie | Approved | On 28 June 2022, Suzuka's 100 Year Plan status was revoked.[6] | ||
| Verspah Oita | JFL | Beppu & Yufu, Oita | Approved | On 25 April 2023, Verspah withdrew their membership. | ||
| November 2021 | Cobaltore Onagawa | Tohoku League D1 | Onagawa, Miyagi | Approved | Cobaltore withdrew their membership. | |
| Ococias Kyoto AC | Kansai League D1 | Kyoto | Declined | Reapplied on 28 February 2022 | ||
| Kochi United | JFL | Kochi, Kochi | Approved | 2024 | On 31 January 2023, Kochi withdrew their membership. Promoted to J3 | |
| Okinawa SV | Kyushu League D1 | Tomigusuku, Okinawa | Approved | On 25 July 2023, Okinawa withdrew their membership. | ||
| December 2021 | Tokyo 23 | Kantō League D1 | Edogawa, Tokyo | Approved | ||
| February 2022 | Ococias Kyoto AC | Kansai League D1 | Kyoto | Declined |
† Listed is the league the club participated at the time of application, not necessary the league that the club currently belongs to.
- Current members (current league in parentheses)
- Criacao Shinjuku (JFL)
- Nankatsu SC (Kantō League D1)
- Tokyo 23 (Kantō League D1)
- Vonds Ichihara (Kantō League D1)
- Past members
- Azul Claro Numazu (J3)
- Cobaltore Onagawa (Tohoku League D1)
- FC Imabari (J2)
- Iwaki FC (J2)
- Kagoshima United (J3)
- Kochi United SC (J3)
- Nara Club (J3)
- Okinawa SV (JFL)
- FC Osaka (J3)
- ReinMeer Aomori (JFL)
- Renofa Yamaguchi (J2)
- Suzuka Point Getters (JFL)
- Tegevajaro Miyazaki (J3)
- Tochigi City FC (J3)
- Tonan Maebashi (Kantō League D2)
- Vanraure Hachinohe (J3)
- Veertien Mie (JFL)
- Verspah Oita (JFL)
- Yokogawa Musashino FC (JFL)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Jリーグ準加盟規程" [Regulations for J.League associate membership] (PDF). J.League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "Ｊリーグ百年構想クラブ規程" [Regulations for J.League 100 Year Plan club status] (PDF). J.League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "Ｊリーグ入会要件の改定について" [About revision of J.League admission requirements] (in Japanese). J.League. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "J リーグ規約" [J.League Terms] (PDF) (in Japanese). J.League. February 2023. p. 5.
- ^ "Ｊリーグ百年構想クラブからの脱退について". J.League. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Notice regarding disqualification of J League 100-year plan club qualification". Suzuka Point Getters. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.