Dec. 20, 1890 – Fall River Rovers 4:1 Olympics at Jarvis Field, Cambridge, Mass.

According to The Boston Globe, the game between two Fall River soccer teams was “arranged by Gov.-elect Russell with Col. Spencer Borden of his prospective staff while the former was here to speak during the campaign.” There had been “a movement … to add Association foot ball to the regular list of sports at Harvard …”

The Rovers and Olympics had each won in two previous games against each other in 1890.

A separate Globe story reported: “…. The Fall River contingent … arrived home at 8 o’clock and the Rover men immediately began to paint County St., where the winning team’s clubs are situated, a bright red. The Olympics were favorites in betting … 50 to 10 … About $2,000 was wagered on the game by local sports.”

Another match under association football rules had been scheduled in Boston: “A game has been arranged between two Fall River teams for Christmas day on the Brotherhood base ball grounds.”

Dec. 25, 1890 – Chase Rovers 2:1 Fall River Clippers at Congress St. Grounds (Att.: 200)

”The cold wind whistled around the grounds made memorable by the brilliant work of Boston’s famous champions of 1890 (the Boston Reds baseball team, which lasted two seasons) and the foot ball players were unable to keep warm, not to speak of the spectators.”

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY