OLD STORIES - Season 5 2007/08

TML - Half a Decade & Still Going Strong!!

What's this, teams mixing & drinking together - unheard of...... or is it! Good to see!!!

Legends Sports Bar & Cafe, Roppongi, June 27th,
350 or so of the Footy Japan faithful descended upon Legends Sports Bar in Roppongi (www.legendsports.jp/eng/eng.html) to celebrate, congratulate, intoxicate, commiserate and generally congregate to bid farewell to the Tokyo Metropolis League's 5th season.

Photo Gallery by KeyShots Photographer Kery Raftis - CLICK HERE

The award ceremony this year was not quite as disgraceful as last year's with the majority of acceptance speeches being kept short and devoid of profanity or sabre rattling. We'll be sure to delay the ceremony by an hour or so next year to give everyone time to get utterly leathered, lose all inhibitions and talk utter bollox when they collect their trophies - come on, we're footballers for god sake - it's not the bloody Oscars... more ...
FJ.

Chiba Libra Run Out of Juice in Nagano.

Celts celebrate another cup!

ALT East Japan tournament. Sugadaira, Nagano, Weeked 14th & 15th June,
TML teams led the way at the ALT tournament on the beautiful grass pitches of Sugadaira this past weekend. The Final was an encounter between division 1's Kanto Celts & Sala (aka Chiba Libra).
PHOTOS: GALLERY1, GALLERY 2
It was once again Henry Monohan who took the honours for the Celts, scoring the only goal in a tight final. This is the 2nd piece of silverware this year for the Celts, following their victory at the Charity 6's erlier in the year. Other TML teams also participated inc. BEFC, JETS & a mixture of Hibs & Geckoes. more ...
FJ.

Lenny Tui, a spritely 47 had a trick or 2 up his sleeve when he came up against Ian rush.

It's All a Rush in Bangkok

Patana International School, Bangkok. May 31st~June 1st.
Footy Japan played the all star in our first game, very entertaining with Jun receiving a black eye from Viv Anderson, Peter Reid calling the shots for them...

PHOTO GALLERY
The highlight for me was nut megging Ian Rush and being called a Jammy bustard by another player, we had a great first half but eventually went down 2-0. more
LT.

Baby Brits Topple Sala

Young Dan Clarke all smiles after scoring BFC's winner

ASIJ, Saturday 7th June,
BFC`s recruiting foray into the international school system has paid dividends as the TML champions celebrated their second successive title by putting third placed Sala to the sword on Saturday, thanks largely to the quality of their teenage strike force.

The contest didn`t quite have the usual sense of anticipation that usually accompanies this fixture. Newly crowned champions BFC were coming off an inexplicable thumping at the hands of the Hibs in the cup final whilst Sala had succumbed 2-1 to the same opposition a week prior thanks in no small part to the genetically engineered “Mini Hitoshi” who thwarted attack after Sala attack with his bionic limbs. more ...
DB.

Cap'n Kirk Reaches Final Frontier.

Cap'n Kirk seen recently at the Hong Kong soccer 7's masters.

Hachioji Park, Sunday 15th June,
Captain Kirk Neureiter ended his footballing career in Japan probably in the same fashion as he started it, marshalling his side to a controlled and efficient victory over a team at least as good as his own individually but overmatched mentally and as a unit. 
Rumour has it that Kirk actually started here with the BFC but of course hes known as the face of the Swiss who, with the Hibs, dominated the 1st 3 years of the TML. more ...
ST.

Top vs Bottom, yet Honours Even

Hachioji Park, Sunday 15th June,
After draining all the energy and resources early on in the season with 10 back to back wins, Lions small but talented and growing squad held off a desperate and strong KGFC.
Lions were missing at least 6 regulars, the most significant being the influential Captain - Somi, Zuhair, Fahad, Khalil, and Mohammed Birkia. Lions were able to field a strong team, though the subs bench was left cold with only 1 player, whilst Abu was itching on the line (linesman) sitting out the game due to the red card he picked in the previous game. more ...
HS.

Close Encounters of the Relegation Kind

Toshi Noguchi Keeps Babas safe in Div2

Fuchu no Mori, Saturday 31st May,
Barbarians needed a point to ensure 2nd Division survival without having to rely on other results. Kicking off with 10 men v 11 was not ideal and despite the rain and mud the team rose to the occassion going in 3-0 up at half-time with 2 goals from Toshi and a 3rd from wide-boy Eduardo.
The 2nd half was pretty much a rear-guard action as Barbarians soaked up wave after wave of Jetro attack and it was only in the last minute that they managed to squeeze in a consolation.
See you all again next year.......
AF.

Osamu Hatrick Keeps the Embassy Up

Steve Lidbury all smiles as he wraps up Div 1 'Golden Boot'

Daito Bunka, Sunday 25th May,
Things were certainly not looking good at half time.  Perhaps the knowledge that a win would be enough to keep the Embassy in the First Division was playing on our minds (well actually a draw but you must never think like that, right?) more ...
TM.

The French Connection

Hodogaya Koen, Sunday 25th May,
France FC saved Lions’ blushes after Zion managed a 2-1 against the Div 2 leaders Lions, with Lions missing a handful of opportunities that could’ve made the game and season safe. more ...
HS.

Fat Lady Sings Sweetly for Old Boys

Misato Saturday 17th May,
Last week the red faces were from embarrassment at being on the pointy end of a 4-0 tonking; this week the red faces were from sunburn and bursting blood vessels as the Albion Old Boys huffed, puffed, and eventually flopped knackered over the season's finish line with a hard-earned 3-2 win over Tokyo Panthers. more ...
TC.

JETS Hand Vags Relegation, Keeping Own Hopes Alive.

Hanno, Saturday 17th May,
The Saitama Jets managed to finish a torrid season on a positive note as they were at last able to record a victory over one of their relegation rivals and offer themselves a hope of staying up, albeit dependant on other results. more ...
RK.

Mud Therapy Fails to Rejuvenate Old Boys

Todoroki Sunday 11th May,
So you've been here a while and you start to think you know how things work. You know, for example, that for the average Tokyo groundsman the sight of a passing dog cocking his leg in the centre circle sometime on Wednesday afternoon is reason enough to cancel all fixtures the following weekend. more ...
TC.

It's a Long Way to the Top.

Hachioji Koen Saturday 3rd May,
Sala kept their slim title hopes alive on Sunday evening at Hachioji with a 4-1 win over an under strength YCAC thanks in no small part to the fluffy head of Tobias Long. more ...
DB.

Top 2 to Meet in FJ Cup Final

Hachioji Park Saturday 26th April,
BFC took advantage of their Swiss 'Get out of Jail free' card that put them in the semi's, coming back from 1 nil down to beat Sala 3-1. Carlos Aranda powered in a free kick to equalize after Sala had taken an early lead through Toby Long. New BFC youngster Keisuke, then went on to score a brace of fine goals to lead his team into the final!
YCAC 2nds fairytale Cup journey was brought to an end by Hibs, though not until they'd given the Div 1 team a run for their money. The Div 3 challengers took the lead in the first half and held on well into the 2nd. When Hibs finally got the winner, there was controversy as to whether it was off-side, but the goal stuck & Hibs will play BFC in the final. more ...
FJ.

All smiles for Gavin Duffy after he seals Celts victory, heading home their 3rd goal.

CELTS Dump JETS to Bottom.

Hachioji Koen Saturday 26th April,
Celts cruised to comfortable 3-0 win over Saitama Jets, notching up our first victory over the Jets in a while and ensuring a nail biting regulation battle climax for Jets in the their final game with BFC Vagabonds. The Celts management team had coerced most of the team out to Hachioji Park very early on the Saturday morning to ensure a decent warm up and to run through some drills on set pieces prior to the game, the extra effort of getting up at an unearthly hour on a Saturday morning was soon to be evident, pure genius on behalf of the management team if I do say so myself. more ...
SY.

Promotion - Sealed with a Kiss

Misato Sunday 27th April,
Lions were going into the game against Barbarians with determination to seal their promotion with a final push against a team that can be rendered as the only true rival from events in the past.
Lions already had a 100% record against Barbarians from friendlies and with the last TML meetings finishing 2-0, and 3-0 to Lions. more ...
HS.

Bad Workmen Blame Technicolour Tool

OiFuto Sunday 20th April,
We should have known from the start. When you line up against an opponent wearing a green, yellow and red kit, and they're kicking off with a green yellow and red match ball, you can pretty much guarantee that it's going to run for them rather than you. Nevertheless, the Albion Old Boys overcame both the biased ball and their own rustiness to get past a much-improved Guarana side with a 4-2 win that (barring further forfeits) should guarantee at least second spot in Div 3. more ...
TC.

Final Shot at the 'Grassy Knoll'??

YC&AC Sunday 20th April,
YCAC breezed past a depleted Geckoes team in a somewhat meaningless end of season game in what might yet prove to be the last TML1 fixture at YCAC played on grass. Just dont put your mortgage on it! more ...
ST.

RSPCA to Investigate Cruelty to Panthers

Kaji fires home the winner for Shane.

YC&AC Sunday 20th April,
For the second time in a month, the fixture list drew together two of the seemingly lower lights of the third division. And, for the second time in a month, the two sides combined to produce a display belying of the lowly league positions of both teams. The rock solid ground at YCAC carried the scars of the previous weekend's sixes shenanigans and the peculiar linings of a midweek baseball caused all sorts of confusion for both sides, as the attempted to play what passed for the sensational silky soccer expected by fans of the TML. more ...
AW.

Panthers Lacking Grrrr!!

YC&AC Sunday 20th April,
Looking at the table before the game you would have expected a one sided game, the Panthers side that is. Our newest recuits, Kei, Jon and a rejuvenated Tom joined us and we were assured a great game and a win at the end. Sadly all did not go to plan and after the first 30 seconds the defense knew what was in store for us! more ...
LR.

Somi – The Lion King!

YC&AC Sunday 20th April,
A very windy day in YCAC saw WS Clash playing for Div 2 survival against a tough and determined Lions outfit. Lions had a debutant ex-pro keeper, Hisham, replacing the absent Orlando. more ...
HS.

Henry Monohan receives the Magellan MVP award as Celts win the Charity 6's. MORE

Yama Grabs 3 Points for Hibs

Hodogaya Koen Saturday 12th April,
The Swiss always give Hibs a tough time, and it was no different Saturday. They had assembled a team with size and skill for the occasion, and the game was played at a high pace and level throughout. more ...
JA.

Cup-tie Rule Sees BFC Through to Semi-Finals

Tokyo Wednesday 9th April,
Having beaten BFC 2-1 in the FJ cup quarter finals on Saturday, April 5th at Oi Futo, the Swiss were forced to relinquish their semi-final spot to their British adversaries due to one of their players having played for another team in the same competition - in strict contravention of the tournaments rules more ...
FJ.

Celts Safe for Another Season

Misato Sunday 30th March,
Celts cruised to comfortable 3-0 win over BFC Vagabonds  on miserable Sunday afternoon in Misato.  Having had a recent run of defeats in cup and league it was with a renewed optimism that Celts took to the task at hand. Despite 3 players deciding a night out in the "Pong" was conducive to pre-match preparations & also missing some key players, Celts were still fielding a strong line-up. more ...
SY.

Back to Reality!

Misato Sunday 30th March,
Lions' confidence was approaching borderline arrogance when they showed up with 1 substitute including 2 players that have not played for 3 months+ and 1 ill player, with crucial regular individuals missing from upfront (Zuhair), midfield (Raoof and Fahad), and defence (Khalil)....with also the experienced Mohammed ElSheikh and Kowa missing. more ...
HS.

B.E.F.C Survival Fight Begins.

OiFuto dirt, Sunday 30th March,
With just four league games remaining The British Embassy realize its going to take a massive effort to ensure their status in T.M.L League one next season. That survival fight began in earnest on Sunday against a slick Swiss Kickers side at Oifuto. more ...
KC.

Cap'n Kirk's Swiss Kickers can't regain past form!

Swiss Fail to Produce Goods Again.

OiFuto dirt, Sunday 30th March,
Good day for a game, unfortunately it finished poorly as there were more missed chances than anything else. The Swiss should probably have held out for a 1-0 win but a remarkable substitution of a brand new player who had not touched a ball in two years, combined with that player’s beautiful pass to the opposition in the final third, allowed the BEFC to knock it past a stranded Peter for the tying goal. more ...
KN.

BFC On Last Legs??

Yoyogi Park, Saturday 22nd March,
A nice walk in Yoyogi park turns into perverted self mutilation for BFC before Evans rouses himself to save the day with a classy hat trick. BFC 4- British Embassy 3 more ...
GK.

Paul Clarke's ariel superiority kept things tight at the back for Sala.

Sala Edge Celts in Crucial Win

Misato Sunday 23rd March,
In a fairly fought match between two physical sides, Sala showed more attacking quality and better teamwork to come out on top at Misato.  A goal in each half for Sala and a late penalty for Celts left the game at 2-1 come the final whistle, and left Sala still within striking distance of the top two. 

The game had started brightly for Celts and saw them winning the vital midfield battle, overpowering Sala in the air and gaining a territorial advantage.  From this fothold, they were able to launch numerous attacks in the first 15 minutes, although most of these attacks lacked any real guile on the deck, and with the Sala defence holding strong, Celts were only able to turn their superiority into a series of corner kicks. more ...
ST.

Turning Point - Hitoshi saves Jonathan's PK

Five Star Hibs

Misato Sunday 23rd March,
Hibs made the trek out to Misato to take on the Geckoes expecting the usual hurricane winds and lunar surface, but the conditions weren't too bad - reasonably flat, nice weather and mild winds - so no excuses on that front. Both teams were up for it and tried to impose their style on the game early.

Hibs got some passing going and had a nice build up that led to an early shot by Kuni off the post, but then the hard-charging Gecks began to pick off our passes and force mistakes in our backfield. more ...
JA.

Swiss Make a Splash

Hachioji Park Thursday 20th March,
Swiss expectations for a good game on a nice pitch were high, especially since our last two outings had been windy howlers on pitches like tambos in Chiba.  Unfortunately, one must remember that this is the TML, and it just cannot be allowed. With the Charity 6's postponed due to heavy rain, one may have been forgiven for thinking the 1 TML game of the day would also be cancelled. No such luck  more ...
HS.

13th Month a Jinx!

YCAC Sunday 16th March,
Lions entered their 13th month undefeated in all 11-aside competitions, and with winning the last 10 TML games (including last season's finale), against a strong France team with 5 wins on the trot, this was destined to be match of the season. more ...
HS.

Mikey Mops Up.

Mikey Taw slots home his 2nd of the day as YCAC ease past the Jets.

Hachioji Park Suday 9th March,
The prospect of an hour and a half journey from Yokohama proved too much for some of our teammates but the bare 11 hardy souls who braved the trip made it worthwhile, taking home the 3 points that will keep YCAC in the top flight next year.
 
Seems a bit soft to talk about relegation after the 3 points shot the club up to 4th spot but without a now perfect record against the bottom 2 teams YCAC would have been deep in the mire with them.. more ...
ST.

Winning Ugly!

YCAC Saturday 8th March,
Hibs thought it would be a physical game against the big Celts team on the lunar surface at YCAC. Eight yellow cards and two reds later, it was. more ...
JA.

Mugged Again!

YCAC Sunday 9th March,
After a big win the previous week, our game against Albion provided a good reality check and re-inforced Managements wise decision to focus on the Cup this season! 

The previous match between the two clubs ended in a 0-1 defeat for YCAC2nds, I wasn't there but heard that it was a good contest that arguably we could have won. more ...
SM.

Old Boys On Top Despite Missing Members

YCAC Sunday 9th March,
The phrase "Famous Last Stands" usually brings to mind the image of valiant but ultimately unsuccessful combat against overwhelming odds - Custer's regiment defended stoutly but ended up getting some very unbecoming haircuts from Sitting Bull's braves, and even the fabled 300 Spartans were ultimately kebabbed by the Persian hordes. But in the Battle of Yamate Hill on Sunday the Albion Old Boys overcame a two-man disadvantage in the first-half and a hometown gale in the second to record an unlikely come-from-behind win against YCAC 2nds. more ...
TC.

The facial expressions say it all, and it didn't get much better!!!

There Will Be Blood

Hachioji Park Sunday 9th March,
Sala kept themselves in the hunt for the TML title with a hard fought victory over Geckoes in Saitama on Sunday.
An emotional day saw touching drama on the touchline as Charles announced his immediate retirement from the Chiba side, having been handpicked to lead an expedition to find the world’s longest snake.
Worse was to follow when it became clear that Clarkey would not be coming due to an accident with a piano (Dropped on his head?)

Nevertheless Sala threw themselves into the action from the start, fighting back the tears, and went one up inside the first ten minutes.
Some nice interplay between Brookey and Pete on the right flank saw the naturalized Englishman cut inside and arrow a wicked 20 yard shot into the top right corner.  more...
RC.

YCAC Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

ASIJ Sunday 2nd March,
Plenty of goals between YCAC and BFC yet again as a Shosuke inspired BFC turned around a 3-1 deficit in the last 25 minutes to claim all 3 points in Chofu on Sunday
 
Perfick it was at ASIJ, Ma, absolutely perfick. Not too hot, not too cold, no wind to speak of and the pitch, omg, the pitch. That's the best line I've run up and down with my flag all year. ASIJ, with a little imagination, almost has a stadium feel about it. more ...
ST.

'Bonjour' from Shetland!

ASIJ Sunday 2nd March,
From Shetland with love. Garry 'Gazza' Robertson went from plonker to top cat with a howitzer free kick to complete a gritty 4-3 win over YCAC, sending BFC four points clear at the top of TML1  more...
AH.

Mushashi Shigaki Revisited

ASIJ Sunday 2nd March,
Imagine the scene, you go to a local izakaiya for a few beers after a game and get back to Tokyo late on a Sunday evening only to realise you have left your wallet in the depths of west Tokyo and need to make a 2 hour round trip to get it back!!! What can make that seem OK? Well how about a 4-3 victory against YCAC or better still a 4-3 victory when you have come back from being 3-1 down………  more...
PL.

Super Vags!

OiFuto Dirt Saturday 1st March,
BFC Vagabonds did their brothers in arms British FC a big favour this weekend by holding 2nd placed Hibs 1-1 on the old 'dirty' at OiFuto. Only a late strike - and what a strike - by Mick McGirr saved the greens a point! For the poets amongst you(or those who appreciate poetry) read on more from the American bard...
TM.

What a Blow

Misato Sunday 24th Feb,
Over the last few weeks it's been snow that caused havoc with the fixtures so it was very frustrating when more matches were cancelled last Sunday on a clear Sunny day. Although the sun was shining, 100km/h winds forced the Musashino train line (and others) to stop, stranding players all across Saitama. Those who went by car to the Misato pitch, soon realized even if they did have a full squad, football was out of the question.
Watching local kids trying to have a kick around, the ball was going a couple of yards in one direction, then doing a U-turn and being blown 50~100 yards in the other. Any match would have been a farse, with morse time being spent chasing stray balls (although that's nothing new with some teams ;-)) Hopefully, with the help of captains, we can catch up all cancelled games to finish the season on time.
FJ.

Inter Edge Past Old Boys

YCAC ground as seen from the space shuttle!

YCAC Saturday 16th Feb,
In a hard-fought top-of-the table clash between two well-matched teams,  FC International nabbed the points with a late winner to consolidate their Division 3 lead over second-placed Albion Old Boys. 

The arid lunar landscape of the YCAC pitch has long ago ceased to be conducive to anything resembling The Beautiful Game, which is a pity because both sides had plenty of talented footballers on display. more ...
TC.

Embassy Rocked by Late Winner

YCAC Sunday 17th Feb,
The Embassy arrived at YC & AC in confident mood, and knowing that a point would move them out of the relegation places for the first time this season. That was reflected in an encouraging start; shifting the ball around nicely in midfield and mopping up loose balls at the back effectively.  more...
RH.

Jetro Striker Kawai gets up to head home an early goal, but it wasn't to be their day!

Field Of D…ust!

Misato Sunday 17th Feb,
Only those who were blessed with a match on the Misato pitch on Sunday could agree that the one true factor that could decide a game was who kept the ball on the pitch longer.  Any ball above the calf that was passed, shot, trapped, flicked…(and any other move you could do with a ball) was absolutely nulled due to the wind and dirt. more ...
OT.

Mid Table Misery

Todoroki Sunday 17th Feb,
Swiss vs. Celts, a thrilla’ it was not.   How about this for a short summary, an 80 minute tale of a bouncing ball that no one could kick into the goal.   It was sort of like WWII in the North of France – a battle for position in the mud trench of Todoroki Pitch #2.  Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise, the pitch reminded me a lot of the film set  “Saving Private Ryan”.  more...
KN.

Unfortuately for Barb's Keeper, freezing winds made for shakey hands, costing the day!

S.A.D.

Misato Sunday 17th Feb,
With the Lions not playing until later in the day the opportunity to watch football of a calibre higher than that of the Champions League would have to wait. The man in the park walking his dog had to make do with a free-flowing, end-to-end, open game of football which was ultimately decided by the Barb's keeper uncharacteristically selling the farm (twice!) in the 2nd half. more ...
AF.

JETs Sliced & Diced by Hibs

Hachioji Park Monday 11th Feb,
It was an interesting weekend on the football front; first, the surreal prospect of the Premier League adding a 39th game to the league season, to be played overseas and drawn by lots, had everyone desperately thumbing through their calendars trying to work out what had happened to most of February and all of March, for this was surely the stuff of Fools Day. more from JETS...
RK
After a few disappointing results the Hibs came out Monday night with a full squad and plenty of motivation. On the beautiful Hachioji pitch, under the lights, both teams were up for it. more from Hibs...
JA.

Are you sure that's the centre-spot? Albion Oldboys try to kick off in blizzard conditions

Albion Avalanche Buries JETs

Hanno Saturday 9th Feb,
The Albion Old Boys became The Alpine Cold Boys on a snowy winter evening in darkest Saitama, but neither a raging blizzard nor a determined Jets team could prevent the Superannuated Snowmen from taking the three points with another stylish performance. more ...
TC.

A Perfect Half

YC&AC, Saturday 9th February,
Forget about the Premiership, Seria A, Champions League...etc....If you want to watch the most flowing football nowadays, you should watch Lions playing!
Lions have now completed the first half of the season with a perfect record more ...
HS.

'O my Brothers'

Snowed Under - Heavy snow wreaked havoc with Sundays schedule & more is forecast!

Hachioji Park Saturday 9th Feb, (READERS WARNING - this story can screw with your eyes & brain!!)
A bitter winter nochy was the setting for the club derby and it was beautiful, o my brothers, …for 10 horrorshow minutes. Two key droogies were missing for this game, Glenn and O`Connell, leaving us a malenky bit poogly about the untested line up. Two bolshy defenders in Quinn and Musgrove and a goal keeper, Mignon, and right back, Baxter, who didn't get much spatchka the night before (both vecks however claimed to have spent the nochy doing different vesches). more ...
GQ.

Lions Scratched But Untamed.

Awaiting Capitulation

Hachioji Park, Sunday 27th January,
Oh, but we just have to make it exciting don’t we. Not enough for Sala the workman like three nil win. Not on your life. Never has the old adage of ‘Two up and praying for a draw’ been more appropriate.
Three nil up and coasting with ten minutes left, Sala handed Jets two goals and had to endure a nervy final few minutes on Sunday night in Saitama. more ...
RC.

Lovers Tiff or new Dance move? Looks like the start of something beautiful!!

BFC Back on Top with 5-1 Win

Daito Bunka Uni, Saturday 27th January,
Even missing six or seven regular players, BFC breezed to a 5-1 win over the Geckoes to retake top spot in TML One, albeit having played a game more than Hibs.
003.5 - 'The name's Morson. James...etc, etc.'
Enlarge
003.5 - 'The name's Morson. James...etc, etc.'

Captain Jon Day struck twice and Yamagishi, Morson and Evans chipped in with superb goals in a one-sided game.
BFC were due a few goals and with a pre-match e-mail from former goalkeeper Jyrki demanding victory, it seemed rude not to, well, score a few. more ...
AH.

A Point Gained is 2 points Lost!!

YC&AC, Sunday 27th January,
One of those days where everybody was a little quiet and frustrated at the end. Both teams thinking about 2 points lost rather than the 1 gained, no doubt. YCAC because we'd created the better chances throughout and spurned all except one. Celts, maybe, because that one, a late equaliser, should have been disallowed in the view of their linesman. more ...
ST.

Dr Lowes displays his silky skills.

Panthers Say 'NO' to Getting Stoned

Daito Bunka Uni, Saturday 27th January,
After a 2 hour ride out to Daito Bunka we were ready to play, but were not sure if it was rugby or football as we saw the pitch! The sun was up and it was slightly warm apart from the nice cross wind blowing the light ball around.. more ...
LR.

Long Way to Go!

Daito Bunka Uni, Saturday 26th January,
An 85 minute train ride and a 10 minute bus to Daito Bunka were this Swiss’ reward for having been a dedicated founding member of the TML.  Unfortunately, without grounds to offer, that’s our value to the league these days.  “If you can find it, you can play” is the way it feels sometimes.  more ...
KN.

Embassy Hold High-Flying Hibs

Hodogaya Koen, Saturday 26th January,
Few would have given the Embassy much hope yesterday of a result against top-of-the-table Hibs. However, the high level of commitment, which has never been in doubt, was finally rewarded with a result – a 2-2 draw in an entertaining affair in Hodogaya. more ...
FB.

Clash Grab First Victory

It's all hugs & smiles as Clash start scoring!

Misato, Sunday 20th January,
After a pretty strong season by Clash standards in 2006/2007 things this season have not been so good. Ok, we have been spanked more times than a cute high school girl has been by an ero-oyaji with cash to burn.

A change of formations though has brought a bit more cohesion to the team and that paid dividends against KGFC on the 20th January with a 3-0 victory.
 
After a gentle warm up and some stretches it was time to have a bit of a chat about the day's formation, tactics and attitude. more ...
CA.

YCAC Regain Composure to Upset Hibs

YC&AC, Sunday 20th January,
Perhaps we should just skip past the 1st 40 minutes of this one. It was pretty ugly especially for both sets of defenders who collectively seemed to lack the inclination to deal with any Incoming whether on the ground or in the air. I dont know why. It was bright and the pitch was hard and uneven, but no worse than normal, and the often gusting hilltop winds were mercifully missing.… more ...
ST.

Andy Gill skips past Vagabond Captain Richard Straughan on his way to goal!

Geckoes Thunder On.

Misato, Sunday 20th January,
Sid wants a match report for the Geckoes v Vagabonds game because he has some nice pictures to use with it, unfortunately this reporter played for the Clash straight after the game and followed that up with a rather large night out so apologies in advance if this report is either missing facts or inventing things that never happened… more ...
RM.

Sala Bane of YCAC

Hachioji Park, Sunday 13th January,
The New Year festivities over and done with, the weekly routine back into play, resolutions made and it was now time to blow the holiday cobwebs away and get back into winning ways. On a bitterly cold evening in Saitama the Sala men reconvened. more ...
PS.

Kitchen Sink Blues

Hachioji Park, Monday 14th January,
BFC launched the kitchen sink, the toaster, even the contents of the hoover bag at Saitama JETs on Monday yet somehow still failed to blow the door off its hinges. On another day this could have ended 8-0. more ...
KC.

Ken Hersche has a goal disallowed, but went on to score another in Lions 4-0 win

Clash No Match for Lions.

YC&AC, Sunday 13th January,
WS Clash were unlucky to lineup against a very strong Lions squad, similar to the squad that beat Maritizio 5-0. With some of the players having not played for 3-4 weeks, my personal expectations were 3-0, but a beautiful cross from Ahmed in the first 2 minutes that ended up in the back of the net from Ken's header from close range, made me think more?
BUT, celebrations were cut short when to everyone's amazement, the referee ruled out the goal for a foul on the keeper, who could'nt believe his luck more ...
HS.

Panthers finally uncaged at YCAC!

Nick Webb(L) finally leads his IFG ASIA, Tokyo Panthers team to their 1st Victory.

YC&AC, Sunday 13th January,
Despite conditions so early and cold it even had the British players shivering in their footie boots, the Panthers initially attacked the game with surprising pace. Facing the wind we were forced into shorter goal kicks than we are used to from Tomo and that put the midfield and defense slightly on the back foot. We didn’t let this get to us though and made a few attempts to sneak the ball up the wings with some delightful one touch passing, the Panthers manager and captain had finally come to realise all his shouting had not been in vain (a prospect he had been dreaming about fondly since the start of the season), but YCAC were not taking this laying down and defending well. After a few chances we thought our luck was in! more ...
LR.

Geckoes Make Most of Mud.

Oi Futo, Saturday 12th January,
Have you ever had the impression that the league is so far behind in the fixtures that whatever the conditions, you’re playing? Well, that was the general consensus between the Geckoes and Embassy players as they took to the soaking dirt pitch at Oi on Saturday afternoon.
Sid had called earlier in the day to confirm that the game was indeed on (despite pools of water across the pitch) and from kick off it was apparent that most of the Geckoes players would rather have been elsewhere as it was the Embassy who made much of the early running. more ...
RK.

YCAC Go Through Hell to Claim Silverware.

YCAC score the winner against NSP in the semi-finals of the New Year 7's

Footy Japan / IFG Asia New Year Soccer 7's, 2008. Oi Futo Dai Ni, Oi Chou Rinkai Koen. Saturday, January 5th & Sunday, January 8th, 2008.
PHOTO GALLERY CLICK HERE

YCAC overcame NSP - a team who's joint age didn't come anywhere close to makeshift YCAC keeper and stalwart defender Steve Taw's age, and went on to beat Hellcats - an extremely vocal team with a Japanese Ronaldinho look-and-play-alike, 2-1, to claim the prestigious Cup in the Footy Japan / IFG Asia New Year soccer 7's, 2008. more
JD.

Oi Futo, Saturday 22nd December,
OiFuto 1 pitch looked like a good surface after a drizzle, and Lions thought they had a major advantage against 8-men KGFC, but holidays, injuries and work, forced 3 changes that saw 2 of the defenders replaced, and a major re-shuffle necessary with Zuhair the reliable striker forced to play as a centre-back, Akira starting his first game this season after a knee injury saw him slot into an unfavoured right-back position, and Hussein also playing out of position as a left-back. more ...
HS.

Mike McGirr - on target again!.

Hibs Go Top For Christmas.

Hachioji Park, Saturday 15th December,
There are no more gimmees in the TML - the Jets have had their struggles this season but they jumped all over us at Hachioji. The Hibs were disorganized and scattered in the first half, and they chased us all over - it felt like they outnumbered us on the pitch. more from Hibs...
JA.

Jets Ain't Quite Tough Enough.
Having not won a league game since August and picking up only 2 points out of the last 24 available it becomes increasingly difficult to put a positive spin on things, however, with the exception of the debacle against Sala, performances have been decent in spite of results. Losing to Hibs is, of course, nothing to be ashamed of, as they are a very good side with some outstanding wide men. Indeed, the Jets can probably take some comfort from the manner of the defeat: one-nil up at half-time despite being under almost constant pressure, and still in front after 20 second half minutes of what was now a pummeling. more from JETs ...
RK.

SickNote Special Sinks Embassy

Hachioji Park, Saturday 15th December,
A swerving, dipping, stinging, rasping 30 yard free kick from returning captain Stephen Brooke-Smith won a depleted Sala the three points in a hard-fought game against the Embassy under lights at Hachioji.

After spending weeks on the sidelines with some sort of very serious, career threatening injury, Brookie was forced to recall himself to the starting line up when only 12 Sala players made themselves available. To make matters worse he was also suffering from a bout of Saizeria induced food poisoning, to which the 300 passengers on the middle carriage of the last Sobu line train back to Tsudanuma that night can surely attest to. more ...
DB.

Lion, Ken Hersche upped his goal tally to 5 this season, whilst Lions haven't conceded!

Iron, Like Lions, Against Zion

YC&AC, Sunday 16th December,
A cold, windy, and bumpy pitch was the ground for a game that saw 8 goals last season in a 4-4 draw in which Zion scored 2 late goals in the last 2 minutes.

Lions were determined to keep their good form going, and to ensure a repeat of last season does not occur. more ...
HS.

Celts frustrate BFC

Shosuke saved a point for BFC!

Hachioji Park, Saturday 15th December,
A frustrating day for BFC ended on a surreal note when BFC skipper Jon Day scored the winner for France FC. Fromage frais!
Jon's winner for the French against KGFC. Not a sentence I ever imagined writing. I recall a wild-eyed Day going nose to nose with one of the French boys, yelling 'HE'S MY BROTHER!!!' after Rob Day had been launched into the bushes at YCAC. Life was simpler then. more ...
AH.

Back to the Brawing Doard

Farewell Gilo, Sala says 'adios' to it's Kiwi/Brit founder, Giles Legg.

Misato, Sunday 9th December,
With all the good graced timing of an unexpected visit from the grim reaper, Sala’s run of form came to an end on Sunday against a well drilled Hibs side.

Sala started as brightly as the fine winter sun that bore down on the Misato pitches and definitely looked most likely to take the lead when Toby latched onto a defensive mistake but could only pull his shot wide of the right hand post after ten or so minutes. more from Sala ...
RC.
JAY THE DESTROYER
Misato, Sunday 9th December,
Misato continues to develop into a rich and multi-faceted ecosystem - there are dry mud-flats in the center, sparse grasslands out on the sides, and the jungle encroaches along the northwestern border.
On Sunday there were also the usual gale-force winds lengthwise down the pitch. more from Hibs ...
JA.

Vags Learn No Lessons From History

YC&AC, Saturday 8th December,
A Dunkerque Tommie-like performance by British Embassy, Tommy Cooper finishing by Vags, and some debatable refereeing decisions by the Ref saw BEFC run out surprising 3-1 winners in a crucial relegation six-pointer on Saturday at YCAC. more ...
Kit.

Celts 'Never Say Die' Attitude Wins WSG Respect
(But Not the Match)

YC&AC, Saturday 8th December,
It’s been a funny week for the Geckoes. It started with a game against the Hibs where they created enough chances to win three games and lost 6-1 and finished with the Christmas Party which featured a wide selection of gloves and more shots than the rest of the TML has seen all season. In the middle was a bizarre 6-3 victory over a Celts side that refused to give up at YCAC on Saturday afternoon more ...
RK.

Sayonara Danny boy, The young lad bagged the first goal in his final game for BFC.

BFC do Swiss on Mud Patch

Misato, Sunday 9th December,
Skinny boys Dan and Sho scored as BFC beat the Swiss Kickers 2-1 on Misato's cabbage patch, despite the best efforts of the ref to snatch a late equaliser for our European cousins.
We climbed the ridge. River and green fields spread out before us. A pleasant surprise. Typically, however, we were ushered to the far corner of the vast expanse of green to a distant cabbage patch. Then we clocked the ref, decked out in grey socks -- primary school-style. Pot Pourri! more ...
AH.

Face only a mother could love, but Tyson Masar scores goals!!

YC&AC Shock Champs.

YC&AC, Sunday 2nd December,
"Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher, I have a message for you: Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
 
England losing to Norway in the WC Qualifiers was a shock back in 1981-it wouldn't be now of course- prompting the crazed outburst from some Norwegian whack-job. Possibly the 2nd most famous commentary about the footballing Brits in history (c'mon..."some people are on the pitch"....?) more ...
ST.

Back on Track For Old Boys

YC&AC, Sunday 2nd December,
Having shamefully surrendered their 100% record the previous weekend by failing to put a team together to face Stoneds, the Albion got their Division 3 title challenge back on track on Sunday with a hard-fought win over YCAC 2nds. more ...
TC.

Nice new turf at Hodogaya is a pleasure to slide on says Hibs new signing Tomo Smith.

Shambles!

YC&AC, Sunday 2nd December,
BFC were beaten for the first time in over a year by a determined YCAC side. 1-0 at halftime. 4-2 YCAC the final score. The pre-match team talk might as well have been in Albanian. English doesn't seem to work. more ...
AH.

Andre the Destroyer

Hodogaya, Saturday 1st December,

The Hibs went into this one expecting a tough one from the Geckoes, and flattering scoreline aside, we got one. They dominated our midfield and stretched our defense all match, but were repeatedly caught by our counterattacks, especially as the game wore on.

Hotogoya Park is now a beautiful, spanking-new artificial pitch, our first nice ground of the year. With Misato lurking next week, in the first half we tried to take advantage and work short passes at every opportunity, but were repeatedly picked off by the hard-charging Gecks. more ...
JA.

Toru's Torpedo Sinks Vagabonds

Misato, Sunday 2nd,
Same opposition two weeks running, was almost like a home and away tie. Both teams seemed to have changes from the previous week due to injuries, hangovers and lads just not bothering to get out to Misato at another unearthly hour. Celts didn't get a full warm up due to the bizarre patterns of traffic in Tokyo's outer-rims, it was like spurs defence, didn't move for about 30 minutes and then suddenly opened up to allow anyone through. more ...
GD.

VICTORIOUS IN PHUKET

Hibs won their 2nd Phuket 7's Cup in a row beating the Shanghai Krauts, more

Lions Roar On!

Misato, Sunday 2nd,
The first Sunday of December was blessed by beautiful weather, and was to hold the awaited clash in Division 2 between 2 unbeaten teams, Lions, with a 100% record, and Maritizio, unbeaten in 4 games.
Lions lined up with their full squad, whilst Maritizio although looking strong, did have a guest keeper from Vags between the posts.
Maritizio started the game strongly, and showed they meant business by notching the first attempt on goal via a powerful header from their tall striker, from the edge of the box, but not troubling Lions' safe hands, Orlando (aka Spiderman). more ...
HS.

Reservoir Dogs

Misato, Sunday 2nd December,
Vagabonds lost 2-0 to Kanto Celts between 10am and 12pm today. It has to be considered one of the poorest Vags performances of the season yielding a record number of injuries, about 6 players, and culminating in a reservoir dogs like bloody final scene in the Celts six yard box. more ...
GQ.

Swiss Struggle Past Jets.

Kirk signal a change after scoring & pulling his hammy!

OiFuto, Saturday 1st December,
Swiss vs. Jets on Saturday, great day for a match at Oifuto as the pitch appeared to have been unused following the light rain on Friday evening.  Other than the strange "circle" in midfield which even caused the referee to reprimand encroachers for being aggressive, the smooth surface at Dai 1 is typically a joy to play on.  Unfortunately, this writer's age is becoming more of a problem as covering the expansive pitch at Oifuto has me begging for 5 a side on Thursday nights. more from Swiss...
KN.

Another game, another narrow defeat. The Saitama Jets are a team who are striving to keep their season alive to the very end with another exciting relegation battle. The Jets aren’t panicking yet, with over half the season still to play there is still time to force a couple of scrappy wins and prolong the agony, or if you prefer, adventure, for yet another season. more from JETs...
RK.

YCAC Can't Make Swiss Roll.

YC&AC, Sunday 25th November,
The Swiss have been zealously guarding their neutrality ever since the Napoleonic Wars. The odd World Cup Qualifier in Turkey aside, they have managed to avoid a battle on foreign soil for 200 years

Penknife wielding, holey cheese eating surrender monkeys they may be but they are certainly not above a bit of highway robbery now and then. Anyone with the misfortune to be at YC&AC last sunday lunchtime could surely bear witness. more ...
ST.

Winning smiles, Toblerone Dhugal - scorer & Sam the provider celebrate Salas goal.

I'll have the Toblerone Darling.
The Haggis is Off.

YC&AC, Sunday 18th November,

Stirling Bridge, Bannockburn, the Thin Red Line, David Livingstone, Sir Alexander Fleming, Stephen Hendry, the Dhougies. It all seemed so long ago on Sunday morning. How the mighty have fallen.
Sala arrived at YCAC with the bare 11 while their tartan contingent were snuggly tucked up in their kilts (quilts) licking their wounds from their predictable failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and even more predictable hangovers. more ...
SB-S.

Hibs Still in the Game.

Misato, Saturday 17th November,
The Hibs' glut of games at oft-canceled Misato this year meant this was our first match in four weeks. We showed up with bare 11 and not sure what to expect from BEFC. more ...
BC.

Panther Chris Batterham held in check by YCAC's Paul Wood.

YCAC Keep Panthers Caged

YC&AC, Sunday 18th November,

YCAC Seconds record prior to this game had such pleasing symmetry - Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2, Goals For 11, Goals Against 11 - it seemed a shame to play and muck those well-balanced stats up.  But duty called.........
 
A typically bright and blustery day at the YCAC for the 5th game of this campaign saw us set to play league new boys Panthers.  Having done our usual rigorous scouting and pre-match preparation, we knew they had given a number of teams a very close game and we expected similar.   more ...
WK.

Maturing Vagabonds Deny Geckoes.

Misato, Saturday 17th November,
Spotlight on the vagabonds young talent. The season is still young, about a quarter way along, but there has been some evolution with the Saharas. Alex has expanded his game noticeably with providing the ball as well as going it alone. Francis, an all round type of player, last season virtually undetected, has become a key player this season – he can tackle defend and attack and score!

A customary word on the pitch conditions: wadi. Mudskippers and lungfish flapped around the six yard box at both ends and the center circle. more ...
GQ.

Courage Under Fire...

Misato, Saturday 17th November,
With 4 key players out and several unusual positional changes Maritizio was in trouble.  In fact moments in the game Maritizio had their French Goal Keeper Vince playing on field as Maritizio found itself running out of options and ammunition. But with Vince with a new sense of being did not embarass himself or the team. We hope to see that again! more ...
WK.

Puddles Even the Playing Field.

Hachioji Park, Sunday 11th November,
A headless horseman rode through hajioji park. He was followed by a pale horse. I think I was the only one who saw them. The surface water was a couple inches deep in places, pooling up to 3 meters in diameter. Vags burned off valuable energy in vain trying to squeegee it off. Steve G with an ingenous, though heavy, tool – a goal – which removed about 2% of the water and warmed us up, to say the least. Evening is a crap time to play a match but who is complaining. The ref was late but smelled good when he showed up, just in time for a downpour that put back the 2% with interest. more ...
GQ.

WSG Continue to Menace.

YC&AC, Sunday 11th November,
Waking up on Sunday morning, you could have been forgiven for thinking the Geckoes v YCAC game would be cancelled. After all, the fixture was due to be played on a grass pitch and it had rained for the previous couple of days but thankfully the game was at YCAC and not at Misato so it could be played as scheduled. more ...
RK.

Saharan Deluge Sees Vagabonds Close the Gap on Leaders

YC&AC, Sunday 4th November,
Vags' apparent quest for relegation was dealt a severe blow after a gutsy 4-1 win against YCAC on Sunday. The win sent shockwaves through an already unpredictable league, leaving leaders BFC quaking in their Matrix pods after they dropped points on Saturday night. more ...
KG.

At Last!

Hachioji Park, Sunday 4th November,
At last, the monkey is off the back. The Embassy are off the mark in Division 1 having finally delivered on the promise hinted at in patches throughout the season. And while a casual glance at the score line may give a slightly false account of the match as a whole all would agree that the three points were played for and got. more ...
TM.

BEFC Pop their Div 1 Cherry.

Hachioji Park, Sunday 4th November,
The league table said that the Embassy, with 6 defeats from 6 games, were the worst side in Division One and it is true that they are the most limited side that the Jets have faced this season, although that opinion would probably have to be revised if we could play against ourselves! more ...
RK.

Old Boys Roar Past Jets.

Hachioji Park, Sunday 4th November,
A fine late Autumn day. A beautiful astroturf playing surface. What more could you ask for? Well, a pitch that was smaller than Okinawa would probably have been appreciated by some of the veterans on parade at Hachioji Park, as would a Saturday kick-off to allow a proper post-match drinkathon without work the next day, but these are some of the trials and tribulations that a homeless, itinerant bunch of Old Boys must cope as they face up to life after St Mary's. more ...
TC.

Swings and Roundabouts.

Hachioji Park, Saturday 3rd November,
The two top of the table clashes that really mattered in football last weekend both ended in slightly controversial draws, though Arsenal and Man Utd probably had a marginally bigger crowd and Sala are probably only second until the rest of the league catches up on games played…Anyway, top of the table clash it was, but there wasn’t much quality on show to confirm it. more ...
RC.

Sala Stifle BFC.

Hachioji Park, Saturday 3rd November,
Sala upset some of BFC's Yin and Yang in a frenetic 1-1 draw punctuated with moments of high drama, tragi-comic errors and the odd sliver of genuine skill. Very odd. more ...
PB.

JETs Remain Grounded

YC&AC, Sunday 28th October,
After last week’s humiliation at the hands of Sala the Saitama Jets were looking to bounce back against YCAC. The Jets delivered a performance big on heart and commitment, recovering from two goals down, but crucially lacking in quality and eventually succumbed to a late winner. more ...
RK.

Hibs Gaining Momentum.

YC&AC, Sunday 21st October,
The Hibs were caught off guard before the game by the green stuff all over the YCAC pitch, but it turned out be grass - our first of the season, natural or otherwise. We also had perfect weather and new kit, and the still bitter memory of the 3-0 whipping YCAC laughingly gave us last season. more ...
JA.

Still No Joy for BEFC

Misato, Sunday 21st October,
With blue skies and with the sun shining strongly a real sense of optimism could be felt amongst the Embassy players. Was this to be the fateful day when we would lose our Div. 1 virginity and post some points on the board? It certainly felt like it. With seventeen names on the teamsheet sixteen turned up at Misato station bright and early, with only Brian's identical twin brother Brian failing to appear. more ...
AE.

Shigeru Chino fire home his first goal of TML5

Suffering Jets.

Hanno Misugidai, Saturday 20th October,
Sala recorded their highest ever league victory over a depleted Jets side on Saturday amongst the mountains of Hanno, in distant Saitama. It’s a nice little pitch though a bit on the short side.

Sala got out of the blocks quickly and piled the pressure on the Jets backline with neat, short passing and some pace on the flanks.

In fact there were so many chances in the opening fifteen minutes that it would be fair to say that Sala were extremely unlucky not to find themselves four or five goals to the good. Toby and Dhugal could each have had a first half hat trick, and on another day probably would have. more ...
AH.

Jets 2nds Blunder to 3-2 Win

Hanno Misugidai, Saturday 20th October,
A beautiful sunny afternoon in the mountains of Hanno, the maple leaves a burnished orange with the first hint of autumn, yet it was a worried Cap’n Dez who looked to the horizon two minutes before kick-off, wondering if his team was ever going to arrive. Warm-up was perfunctory and a slightly under-prepared Jets side took the field against the unknown quantity of the Panthers. more ...
CP.

BFC Do Number on their Little Bruv.

Captain Jon Day Gets his first of the season to help BFC overcome Vags.

ASIJ, Sunday 21st October,
Historic. Titanic. Very, very noisy. BFC did a number on the Vags in a high-decibel TML clash, winning 5-0 to preserve their 100 percent start to the season.

Skipper Jon Day scored twice as BFC went on one in the second half. There was much swearing. A shaky truce was finally declared late that night.. more ...
AH.

BFC Unable to Improve Their 100% Record

ASIJ, Sunday 21st October,
The year was 2087 and little Sid Lloyd III looked at his Puma-sponsored personal info-pad showing a match report from 22 October 2007. “5-0! That must ‘ave been a right ‘ammering” he said, mimicking the accent of his Great Great Grandfather, old man Lloyd, or Snowy, as he was now affectionately known. Snowy had given him the info-pad from his turbo wheelchair a few days earlier but if little Lloyd had witnessed the game in person, as is so often said, he would have seen a different match than the one the result suggested. more ...
HS.

YCAC 2nds Start at Pace.

YC&AC, Sunday 21st October,
Somewhat later than the rest of the League, YCAC2's finally got their 07/08 TML season underway against Shane at the YCAC.  Although we had done a bit of pre-season, we are not normally strong starters and were keen to make an exception this year.  The team had a new look to it (and not only because of the nifty new grey strip).  We welcomed back some old boys, some new faces (Nigel, Nick, Harty and Mikey) and were missing a few due to RWC and holidays. more ...
SM.

Ken Hersche saved Lions some blushes by scoring against the 9 man Dutch FC.

 Lions Make Hard Work of 9 Man DEFC

Misato, Sunday 21st October,
On a day where Lions were missing 1 or 2 key players in defence and midfield, the least worry should have been the attack. Dutch Embassy started with 8 players, and went up to 9 players after 15 minutes or so. Lions had 15 players, 7 of those are attacking players. Playing against an incomplete team should be difficult, because of sitting back, meaning less chances created. BUT!, that wasnt the case! Dutch Embassy had 1 attempt at goal and a couple of corners throughout the game, with Lions creating enough chances to give Dutch Embassy a negative goal difference that would take them 2 seasons to recover from! more ...
HS.

That'll Do Nicely

YC&AC, Saturday 20th October,
Since the TML started the Geckoes had played the Swiss eight times in the league and never picked up a point, in fact they’d only scored four goals so it’s fair to say that the Swiss would have been feeling quite confident going into the game. However the Geckoes showed when they played BFC a couple of weeks ago, the majority of the game with ten men, that they are no pushovers and they certainly proved that during the game. more ...
RK.

Footy Japan to Organize 2 Day New Year 7's

OI FUTO, 15th October,
Finally, Footy Japan are able to offer a tournament along the lines of the ones many players have been travelling to in SE Asia. A 2-day affair, with qualifying followed by knockout rounds. Due to the lack of availability of grounds, we've had to wait til now to get somewhere suitable and Oifuto (Dai Ni!!!!) has finally given us the chance. On the weekend of January 5th & 6th, 2008, we will hold the New Year 7's and are hoping to attract 32 teams to enter. For more details, click here.

FJ Founders, Jon & Sid have been immortalized on YouTube. Following the success of the PUMA TRIBES website, Doe Profero of London decided to make a cartoon strip of the stars although FJ's 'Jay & Silent Bob' appear to have picked up some strange accents!! Watch ...
FJ.

YCAC'S Anthony Savage gets a hug after his 35yd corker.

No Luck Say Irish, Just Grit!

Misato, Sunday 14th October,
Some would say the "luck of the Irish" had something to do with the comeback the Celts pulled off at Misato, 0-3 down against YCAC with 10 minutes of the second half gone; who would have thought that the game could end in a draw. Today, there were no four leaf clovers or lucky leprechauns around, just some good old fashion grit, determination, strength of character, confidence & team spirit from the lads to get back into a game that just ran away from us.

Once again Celts were missing some regular first team players and having two players failing the early morning fitness test meant a mere 12 players available with two of them having just played 80 minutes in the earlier 2nd division game.. more ...
SY.

Usually a keeper, Hitoshi Ono shows the strikers how to score!

 Ravenous Albion Feast on Guarana

Misato, Sunday 14th October,
You wouldn't normally expect a team with an average age on the boneyard side of forty to come roaring out of the starting blocks like Linford Christie with a lighted firework up his jacksy, but that's exactly what happened at Misato on Sunday, as Albion Old Boys laid claim to the fastest-ever TML goal, Hitoshi Ono finishing off an eight pass move to score after 20 seconds without a Guarana player having touched the ball (and we have the video to prove it !!). more ...
TC.

Barbarians & Maritizio finally got to Tango!

Henry's Brace Beats Babas

Misato, Sunday 14th October,
With confusion still surrounding the previous Maritizio & Barbadians fixture over a supposed game forfeit, as suffered by the Swiss to the Hibs moments before, it was clear from the re-scheduled fixture itself that there was likely to be an added bite to this game. This being more so the cases since both teams were appearing to be potential 2nd division front runners, with similar points on the table. more ...
VG.

Ah…Tyrants

Misato, Sunday 14th October,
Wow. Stone me! Cor blimey. Shockaroony. Flawless performances from Sala certainly number fewer than hairs on Clarkey’s head, but this must have been close. On top of that, a Sala clean sheet is currently sitting between the Amur Leopard and Iberian Lynx atop the WWF’s Critically endangered/Feared extinct- species list. more ...
RC.

Jets 2nds Humble Guarana Repubic 4-0

Misato, Sunday 7th October,
The Jets 2nds finally got their season underway, and did so in style in style, claiming a 4-0 victory over the Guarana Republic. Chris the Pied Piper led the Jets Rat-Pack safely through the caverns and crevasses of the bogged Misato pitch, as the Guaranese defence was led a merry dance of step-overs and fox-trotting. Although Chris was conducting the tune, there were also notable solo performances from Hiro in his first competitive game, and from Shinichi filling in at right back. more ...
JR.

Ronaldo spent more time on the floor than Rocky Balboa in his fight against Ivan Drago

Off the Mark

Misato, Saturday 6th October,
Sala picked up their first points of the season against BEFC with a comfortable but not convincing display against last year’s TML 2 champions.’
The pitch, which was being used for the first time since being completely flooded during the last big typhoon, had a hard crust, but was slick with mud underneath which would barely take a stud. Not the best news for Ronald, who had turned up wearing trainers.
This certainly didn’t seem to dispirit the Ugandan though, as he put in a stellar opening ten minutes on the right flank, carving chance after chance for the boys in white. The best of these was blasted into the side netting by Toby from close range; unusually wasteful from one of Sala’s more consistent goal-scorers. But not as glaring a miss as AJ forgetting to write about Brian G’s surgical scrubs in the Nagano match report. You didn’t think you’d gotten away with it did you Bris? Blue, they were more ...
RC.

JETs Just Hold on For Draw

Misato, Sunday 7th October,,
The Saitama Jets and Kanto Celts fought out a keenly contested 2-2 draw on a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon at Misato. The pitch, back in service after more than a month recovering from a spot of flooding, was in good grassy condition down the flanks, but through the middle was such that Armstrong and Aldrin would have felt at home. more ...
RK.

Celts Finally Get a Game... and a Point.

Misato, Sunday 7th October,
Kanto Celts kicked off their TML Season 5 campaign with a 2-2 draw with Saitama Jets at Misato.

Kirk in scoring form again with is PUMA 'Golden boots'!

The Celts were missing 7+ regular first team players; with injuries, business trips and the bank holiday weekend taking their toll, however the pre-season recruitment of several new players along with the assistance of friends and acquaintances meant we were able to field a team of 12 for our first game. more ...
SY.

Swiss Pounce on Vags late Collapse.

Misato, Saturday 6th October,
"There was a bit of waiting around before the game. The pitch was out of date chocolate cake with a nice green mould all over the surface.  BFC had just snatched a win against Geckos by a Brian Doyle - as Kev Gray once called "deus ex machina" - goal. Looking on, Alex S was going to use the fudge cake to his advantage he said. We began with caution, which is never a good idea by the way, and were soon in a stop start rythym of our own making. Eyes large as marmosets, we watched the game more than we played it in the early first half. Ged was on edge, shouting his head off. Richard pensive on the line. The sun had come out, the wind rose in our faces and the first half was painfully hard work for us. more ...
GQ.

Engine Saves Stalling BFC

Brian 'The Engine' Doyle bags all 3 points for BFC in the closing stages.

Misato, Saturday 6th October,
BFC made heavy work of beating Geckoes 3-2 but still managed to make it four wins out of four this season. The TML champions were not helped by three late pull-outs on the morning of the game.

Had it not been for a late goal from Brian 'The Engine' Doyle, dropping two points after being 2-0 up would have stung for weeks.

TREVOR FRANCIS TRACKSUITS

Do the Geckoes play trumpets into the early hours outside the bedrooms of BFC players the night before games?

BFC turned up with a bare eleven to play Geckoes in last season's Footy Japan Cup semi-final and were beaten. BFC skipper Jon Day was fielding calls from sheepish players crying off on the way to this game. more ...
PB.

Albion Claw Win From Battle With Panthers

Yoyogi NHK, Saturday 29th September,
The NHK Ground, Yoyogi. Hard to believe that it's only a few months short of a quarter of a century since this ground provided the venue for this reporter's first game of competitive football in Japan. In those days, with a few ragged tufts of green poking forlornly through the soil, the field was still trying to kid itself that it was a grass pitch, in much the same way that Ralph Coates or Bobby Charlton used to try to kid themselves that they had a full head of hair. more ...
TC.

Geckoes On The Rampage...

Hachioji Park, Saturday 22nd September,
The Geckoes had their biggest league win for two seasons with a convincing 4-1 win over Sala in a repeat of the Footy Japan Cup Final.. The game started with the Geckoes kicking off and after a combination of errors Sala had the first corner of the game. Not the start that we had in mind, especially after Rob had highlighted Sala’s strength at set-pieces in the team talk and 15 seconds later the Geckoes were defending one. more ...
RK.

YCAC & BEFC do Battle in 8 Goal Thriller

Todoroki, Monday 24th September,
YCAC's TML5 campaign got off to a belated start with a hard fought victory over The Embassy under the lights of Todoroki on Monday night. Not even my 5th Special Brew moves me to describe it as a classic but it was certainly a ding-dong battle, end to end stuff or even a pulsating affair just to use up my quota for cliches for the entire season in one paragraph. more ...
ST.

Woszi like?! Rou on target as BFC do Hibs

Rouven gets his head to a last minute corner, to bag the game's only goal.

Oi Futo, Saturday 22nd September,
If you can't get to Waitrose, go to Oi Futo Dirt. An omelette-fest this was not, but champions BFC continued their 100 percent start to the season with a 1-0 win over Hibs after a late twist. more ...
PC.

Albion Lead the Way in Div 3.

Todoroki, Sunnday 16th September,
Given that both teams had started the league with a victory, albeit Albion with a walkover from Shane F.C. ,this game began as a rather tentative affair with both sides conscious of mistakes. Played in searing heat on a narrow pitch (no one can ever complain about St Mary’s ever again) it had seemed that chances would come late in the game due to tiredness. more ...
GC.

BFC Maintain Perfect Start.

Hachioji Park, Monday 17th September,
Groundhog Day for champions BFC as they beat the Saitama JETS by their favourite 4-1 scoreline to make it two wins out of two this season.Vags beating BEFC 1-0 put them third in the table and meant many of us can expect some long delays applying for new passports. more ...
BC.

JETS Brought Back to Earth.

Hachioji Park, Monday 17th September,
Saitama Jets crashed to a heavy defeat against reigning champions BFC at Hachioji Park on Monday evening with all the goals coming in the second half. Despite the one-sided nature of the score the Saitama team matched the British for long periods and will feel a little aggrieved at the margin of defeat. more ...
RK.

Vagabonds Secure First Win.

Fuchu No Mori Monday 17th September,
The Vags and Embassy picked up today where they left off last season with a repeat of the tight, hard fought but very fairly contested game that marked last season’s league encounter (finished 2-2 thanks to Adrian’s last minute equaliser). Indeed the result was more or less the only difference today. more ...
RS.

Sleepless in Seattle, Pointless in Fuchu!

Fuchu No Mori Monday 17tth September,
In the baking Fuchu sun the British Embassy and the BFC Vagabonds played out a hard-fought contest which was vastly more entertaining than any Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan rom-com. But then what isn't? more ...
SC.

Swiss Foiled by Holiday Traffic

Fujitsu Big Circus Saturday 15th September,
The Hibs came away with a forfeit win Saturday, after the Swiss fell victim to holiday traffic and arrived at the rustic Big Circus pitch 45 minutes after kick-off time. But the two teams were eager for a match and agreed to a friendly, which was as hard-fought as any of our regular matches have been more ...
JA.

Anyone for Water Polo?

Typhoon Vicky dumped heaps of water in Tokyo's rivers causing lots of flooding.

Misato, Saturday 9th September,
Typhoon Vicky swept it's way across Tokyo and the Kanto plain earlier this week, swelling many river to the tops of their banks and leaving the Misato pitches under meters of water.
Despite the weather being ok following the storm, the large amount of rainfall in the mountains and countryside has left the waterways straining to cope. Already 2 weekends of matches (12 matches) have been cancelled at Misato and only thanks to volunteers finding grounds have we been able to save some matches next weekend.
FJ.

Lions Set the Pace.

Tatsuya Ando Celebrates scoring Lions 2nd.

Misato, Sunday 2nd September,
Lions would like to start this report by applauding a rare-to-see sportsmanship from the France left back, who kicked the ball out of play after going past the Lions right-back who pulled up with a hamstring. Although the France player could've put in a dangerous cross, especially that they were 1-0 down at the time!

All respect to France FC, talented, strong, and true sportsmanship....how football should be!

The beautiful new surface in Misato was home to a brilliant game that saw France FC wear bibs, whilst Lions wore the national French kit. The game started strongly as expected, with midfield being the battle ground.
more ...
HS.

10 Unforgettable goals!

Barbarian Ben McMakin clears a corner.

Misato, Sunday 2nd September,
5-all thrillers are unforgettable matches where people can remember each thrilling event in the game, aren’t they?! Well, I didn’t play in the 5-all ding dong between the Clash and Zion last season and don’t think I’ve ever seen one at a stadium or on TV. I do remember a 4-4 thriller between Charlton and West Ham where Paul Kitson scored a hat-trick for the Hammers and a young Jermaine Defoe the other while for Charlton Euell and Johansson got a brace each with Johansson scoring his second and the final equaliser of the game in the last minute. Git. Well anyway come the final whistle I thought that the Clash had won this game at Misato 5-4 and I was in it so my memory cannot be relied on very heavily, but then again the referee agreed with me until corrected by most but me and a Barbarians defender who thought it was 4-4. Sorry to bring that up Jorge. more ...
CA.

Jet's Win with Gildart Brace.

Hachioji Park, Saturday 1st September,
Saitama Jets started the new season as they ended the last with a victory over the Wall Street Geckoes at Hachioji Park through two second-half goals from Canadian poacher Nate Gildart in an open and entertaining encounter. more ...
RK.

Winning Start For Champions

Shawn Kee scores on his debut for BFC.

OiFuto, Saturday 1st September,
Skipper Jon Day told his team at half time what he wanted, and the team duly obliged as BFC started the defence of the TML Division 1 title with a 3-0 win over the newly promoted British Embassy FC. Goals from 17 year old Shawn on his debut, a clinical penalty by Carlos and a fine individual goal from another debutant, Jerry, saw off the Embassy in the season opener for both teams.
Lining up with Jason in goal, Leigh, James Mulligan, Brian and Ryo in defence, BFC was determined to keep tight at the back - a cornerstone of their success from last year. Pablo and Carlos worked the center of midfield putting in a huge effort, and with Shosuke and Garry starting on the wings there was plenty of creativity on display. Up front, a very young and talented forward line of Dan and Sean sought to unsettle the Embassy backline with their pace and ability on the ball. more ...
BD.

Toothless Sala Plough Familiar Furrow

A front post cock-up from a corner sees Sala gift Swiss a 2nd own goal in a 2-0 loss.

OiFuto, Saturday 1st September,
“The better team lost today.” Kirk commented to me as the final whistle blew, and in essence he was correct. Sala were the better team on display in terms of possession, passing, pressure and lots of other words that start with p. Unfortunately they weren't the better team in the rather more crucial area of getting the three points. more from Sala ...
RC.

The Swiss weren’t given an easy task in their first game of the ’07-’08 season, matched up with traditional rivals Sala.  Great day on the turf at Oifuto, that is one of the benefits of playing against the league organizer, some quality pitches to play on.  Sala looked its familiar self with a solid defensive lineup, speed across the midfield, but the same forward line which meant goals were going to be tough to come by. more from Swiss ...
KN.

Toshi Noguchi Celebrates number 2.

'Rope a Dope' still Working for Barbarians.

OiFuto, Saturday 25th August,
It was a blistering hot day at Oi-dirt (this pitch isn’t getting any better with age) that seemed to sap the energy out of you when standing still. Barbarians were a bit tentative after such a long lay-off, especially when the first fixture saw them drawn against a younger, fitter KGFC side.

The Barbarians apprehension was soon realized to be misplaced as the defense settled into there usual solid shape, soaking up everything KGFC could throw at them. more ...

CR.

Lions new keeper, Orlando Torres. pulls off a smart save.

Lions Roar into Season 5.

OiFuto, Saturday 25th August,
Lions kick-off the Division 2 league on a hot Saturday in OiDai1, against the newly relegated Jetro. Lions had a strong 15-man squad, whereas Jetro had only 10 players.
Lions opted to start last year's top scorer Gaafar Somi, who was nursing a groin injury, but his quality in dictating the midfield was next to none, and was evident from the vast spells of passing that Lions enjoyed with Jetro kept at bay.
Lions almost scored in the first 3 minutes when Ahmed Gaafar outran the defence, only to see his shot pushed away to a corner. Soon afterwards, Ahmed was again close to scoring, this time the ball bouncing off the post back into the keeper's hands. more ...

HS.

Keita Narama smashes a shot against the bar in the season opener.

Kick Off
Hibs Edge Vags in Opening Match

OiFuto, Saturday 25th August,
A good, hard fought, competitive game of football to start the season. The one thing confirmed for the Vags today is that we are comfortable in the first division. Over the piece the Hibs probably just edged it and the Vags flagged a bit in the last 15 minutes but it was touch and go for most of the game. more from Vags...
RS.

We had the honor of welcoming the Vagabonds to the first division this year, and weren't sure what to expect. Word on the street was that they had a lot of help from BFC players last season, which is obviously no longer available...more from Hibs...
JA.

TML Season 5 Bigger & Better (Hopefully)

Tokyo, August 17th,
Well it's just 8 days away now, till the opening matches of TML's season 5 which promises to be the biggest & best yet. Season 5 will see the League increasing to 3 Divisions with a total of 28 teams (4 more than last year) 5 of which are new teams. These new teams are joining with the lower half of last years Div 2 to form the new Division 3. All teams will now play the other teams in their division twice. Divisions 2&3 have been limited to 8 teams as even this will put a huge strain on resources (grounds). Unfortunately 6 teams had to be turned away from joining the league, although we hope to be able to allow them to play in the future.
The season will Kick off on Sat 25th August and run through till June next year all going well, but all players & supporters are urged to help their team captains & TML by supplying necessary documents to help in the booking of grounds, otherwise we may become known as the Misato Metropolis League!!
FJ.