The Evo-Stik League Southern Division One South & West derby game between Taunton and Tiverton on 2 January is to be sponsored by and analysed on one of Japan’s biggest sports channels, J Sports.

Despite being 9,000 miles way from the broadcaster’s headquarters in Tokyo, the match at the Viridor Stadium will be pored over by pundits on J Sports Daily Soccer News thanks to the Taunton links of one of J Sports’ football analysts, Ben Mabley, who arranged the sponsorship of the game.

“I have made it my personal mission to tell our viewers in Japan as much about Taunton Town as I can possibly get away with,” said Mabley. “I am absolutely delighted that J Sports have been able to do a little bit to help out my hometown team.”

Taunton’s chairman, Kevin Sturmey, welcomes the unexpected publicity in east Asia: “We’re really pleased that Taunton Town has now gone international. I’m delighted that Tauntonian Ben Mabley who works for J Sports has secured this sponsorship and hope it may open up doors in Japan for us.”

The club has already benefited by seeing their number of Twitter followers rise by a sizeable number, many of whom are based in Japan.

Victory over their local rivals will lift sixth-placed Taunton above their local rivals Tiverton – who are currently fourth – and boost their promotion hopes.