
The seven remaining ASL delegates voted unanimously to uphold president Bill Cunningham’s decision to suspend Bethlehem, the Giants and Newark, kicking off a “Soccer War.” The teams and their representatives included Boston (Bob MacDonald), Brooklyn Wanderers (Nat Agar), Fall River (Sam Mark), J&P Coats (Alex Cooper), New Bedford (Dave Pomfret), New York Nationals (E.J. Viberg) and Providence (Sam Fletcher). Horace A. Stoneham, who owned the reigning National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) champion Nationals, and also baseball’s New York Giants, campaigned for the ASL to operate outside the rule of the U.S. Football Association (now U.S. Soccer), which organized the Challenge Cup. The “Soccer War” lasted for more than a year, contributing to the demise of the ASL. [Read more…] about Sept. 27, 1928 – ‘Soccer War’ ignited as Bethlehem Steel, New York Giants and Newark Skeeters enter National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup)







