Mito, Nagasaki and Chiba step up: will they prove themselves in J1 football?

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Image Credit: JLeague.co

The Meiji Yasuda J1 100-Year Vision League begins in a matter of weeks.

Mito Hollyhock, V-Varen Nagasaki and JEF United Chiba will all feature in Japan’s top flight following their second-tier campaigns last season.

Mito’s historic breakthrough and Nagasaki’s return

For Mito, it marks uncharted territory. The Ibaraki outfit have never played first-division football, having operated exclusively in J2 since their founding 26 years ago. Last year’s title, secured on goal difference after a 70-point haul, changes that.

Arata Watanabe anchored their attack despite an injury-interrupted season. He netted 13 times and created seven more. Sho Omori provided width and service from left-back, appearing in every match and registering the team’s highest totals for passes and crosses.

Nagasaki return after an eight-year absence. Their second-place finish came in their inaugural campaign at PEACE STADIUM Connected by SoftBank. Takuya Takagi, who previously guided them into J1 in 2017, regained control midway through last season. His side dropped just one match in 19 under his leadership. 

Matheus Jesus carried the attacking burden. The Brazilian struck 19 goals and was named J2 Player of the Year. His output alone accounted for much of Nagasaki’s upward trajectory.

Chiba’s journey back has taken 17 years. Once part of the J. League’s inaugural cohort in the early 1990s, relegation in 2009 began a prolonged exile. Third place in the regular season sent them into the play-offs.  A 4-3 comeback from three goals down against RB Omiya Ardija in the semi-final preceded a 1-0 victory over Tokushima Vortis in the final. Carlinhos Junior’s winner in the final capped one of the most dramatic promotion campaigns in recent J. League history.

Each club brings distinct narratives into the top flight. For Mito, Nagasaki and Chiba, survival will mean validating years of ambition, while success could redefine their place in Japanese football. Momentum from promotion campaigns will be tested when fixtures commence in early February.

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Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

What do Football Queensland’s Annual Numbers mean for Australian Football?

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FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci

Football Queensland has released its 2025 Annual Report, revealing record total revenue of $25.3 million, participation exceeding 296,000 and more than 94,000 female participants across the state, as the organisation positions itself for a decade of growth leading into the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The report, released following the Annual General Meeting on Friday May 22, documents a year in which Football Queensland recorded a pre-depreciation surplus of $306,599 while maintaining participant registration fees at their lowest level among all Australian member federations for the fifth consecutive year. A statutory deficit of $269,860 after depreciation was recorded following the recognition of a $295,953 impairment against a long-outstanding debt owed by Football Australia, a matter the board and executive indicated they would continue to pursue.

Total revenue grew from $23.9 million in 2024 to $25.3 million in 2025, driven by increases across registration income, community and advanced football programs, and other income streams. Commercial revenue declined slightly from $3.66 million to $3.36 million across the same period.

Growth on and off the field

The participation figures embedded in the report underscore the scale of the challenge and opportunity facing Queensland football. Women’s and girls’ participation reached 94,165 across all programs, with club-based women’s and girls’ participation growing to 37,946. Coles MiniRoos participation climbed seven percent to 46,448, with female MiniRoos participation up ten percent.

Girls United programs welcomed more than 3,500 participants across leagues, social sessions and carnivals statewide, while the Q-League Schools Competition has now delivered playing opportunities to close to 1,000 students since its inception. Walking Football continued to expand, with the 7th Annual QUT Walking Football Cup attracting 39 teams and more than 300 participants.

Digital engagement also reached new heights, with FQTV livestream views climbing to 2.47 million and women’s viewership surging 67 percent across the year, a figure that reflects the growing audience for female football at state competition level and points to the commercial opportunity the women’s game represents for Queensland football governance.

Coach registrations grew 22.9 percent, with Football Queensland delivering courses to close to 3,000 participants across the state including dedicated all-female Foundation of Football, C Diploma and B Diploma programs. Referee registrations grew 6.3 percent, supported by 170 courses delivered to more than 2,100 attendees and a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with three of Queensland’s leading school sport associations to strengthen referee development pathways.

The 2032 dimension

Perhaps the most consequential element of the 2025 report is Football Queensland’s progress on the Brisbane 2032 infrastructure agenda. The organisation submitted a comprehensive proposal to the Queensland Government’s 100-Day Olympic Infrastructure Review, advocating for a purpose-built Tier 2 rectangular stadium, upgrades to Perry Park and the establishment of a Queensland State Home of Community Football at Meakin Park.

The submission secured meaningful outcomes, with Queensland Government contributions toward Perry Park and a State Home of Community Football included in the government’s 2032 Delivery Plan. The infrastructure foundations being laid now will determine whether the Games leave a lasting legacy for football in Queensland or a missed opportunity.

CEO Robert Cavallucci said the year had been defined by investment in the structures that make participation possible.

“Our priority remained the delivery of accessible and inclusive participation opportunities for all Queenslanders as our community and social programs reached thousands of players in every corner of the state,” Cavallucci said.

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