Manchester United, tied for first place with Clan McPherson in the Lawrence, Lowell & District Soccer League, was victim of “one of the biggest surprises of the season …” Lawrence’s Shaw scored “from the 25-yard line” and on a penalty kick. [Read more…] about Dec. 21, 1912 – Lawrence (Mass.) 5:2 Manchester United
Shawsheen rallied from 2-0 deficit (Reid, Brittan) to equalize “before half-time through MacGowan, Fall River castoff, and Carrie” in Andover, Mass. Notes: Marksmen’s first loss (of two) on the way to ASL title; game played “before a large crowd.” (The Boston Globe)
Center forward Vivian J Woodward, scored twice for the Pilgrims, an English team that won 11 of 12 games (72-7 goal differential) on a two-month tour of the U.S. Woodward starred for Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and was the England national team’s leading scorer. The Pilgrims took a 4-3 win over an All-Fall River team before an 8,000 crowd on Oct. 14, 1905. [Read more…] about Oct. 16, 1905 – Greater Boston 0:5 Pilgrims at South End Grounds (Att.: 3,000)
Fall River SC concluded a tour with 2W-3L-1D record, protesting against biased refereeing and claiming it was not paid by Ferencvaros, the club that organized the tour. In this match, Jeremiah Best and Alex McNab are listed as Fall River scorers in Colin Jose’s American Soccer League 1921-1931/The Golden Years of American Soccer, though other sources list Archie Stark and McNab as scorers. Jozsef Takacs (Takacs II) had a hat trick and Mihaly Tancos, Geza Toldi and Jozsef Turay also converted for Ferencvaros. [Read more…] about Aug. 31, 1930 – Ferencvaros 6:2 Fall River SC in Budapest (Att.: 6,000)
The U.S. joined FIFA in 1913 and played its first international as the “All-American” soccer team. Thomas “Tommy” Swords also has been listed as the first goal-scorer for the U.S. national team, though U.S. Soccer credits C.H. Spalding as first. A story in Aug. 21, 1916 editions of the Boston Globe names Spalding and C.H. Ellis as scorers, but does not credit the other goal to an individual: “The third goal for the Americans was won by free kicking.” [Read more…] about 20, 1916 – Thomas Swords first captain of U.S. national team. Sweden 2:3 U.S., Rasunda Stadium (Att.: 15,000).
Jimmy McGrory scored off a deflection as Celtic FC won the 55th edition of the Scottish Cup (Celtic’s 14th championship). Kennaway made his international debut as a 21-year-old with Canada in 1926, then attracted Celtic’s attention in a friendly match; Fall River took a 1-0 win over Celtic May 31, 1931 (Celtic’s goalkeeper was John Thomsen, who would die following a clash with Rangers’ Sam English less than five months). Kennaway replaced Thomsen and became Celtic’s starting goalkeeper from 1931-39, then coached Brown University from 1946-59. [Read more…] about April 15, 1933 – Joe Kennaway becomes first foreigner to earn Scottish Cup winners’ medal. Celtic 1:0 Motherwell (Att.: 102,339)
Fall River Marksmen 6:2 Chicago Bricklayers, National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) final at Polo Grounds, New York (Att. 12,000). Less than a year after the inaugural World Cup, Bert Patenaude continued his scoring spree as the Fall River Marksmen won the National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) for the second successive time. Patenaude was 21 years old and Gonsalves 22, and they might have continued their combination, but the American Soccer League folded before the 1932 season, and the U.S. national team lacked organization.
Patenaude was 20 when he converted the first hat trick in World Cup history in 1930, still the third youngest to score a hat trick in the competition. But Patenaude was not selected for the 1934 World Cup team, and information is scarce regarding his exclusion. In March 13, 1934 editions of the Boston Globe, George M. Collins wrote:
“Over New York way the most interesting item is that Bert Patenaude, former Fall River star, has drawn a suspension from the Irish-Americans Club. Patenaude was said to be a sure starter for Rome, but his recent actions may finish his hopes in this respect.”
This was the first of a three-game series, the next two games played in Chicago, a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 Marksmen win on goals by Patenaude and a Gordon Burness penalty kick. Patenaude totaled 13 goals, Gonsalves nine in Fall River’s Cup campaign.
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY
This U.S. Open Cup match at the Polo Grounds “was one of the greatest games ever seen here,” according to the Boston Globe report. Attendance announced at 15,000, including 3,000 arriving from New England (the New York Giants averaged less than 12,000 attendance in both the 1929 and ’30 seasons at the Polo Grounds).
A replay was set at New Bedford next Sunday “by the committee of the National Cup.” Bethlehem Steel scored on an R. McAuley own goal after 12 minutes of the second half. “Stark had almost connected with Dick’s great center and McAuley’s lunge at the ball caused the deflection.” At 27 minutes, Alex McNab deadlocked. [Read more…] about March 16, 1930 – Fall River 1:1 aet Bethlehem Steel, National Challenge Cup at Polo Grounds ‘One of the greatest games’
At least one soccer match was snowed out on the second Saturday in March, 1928. The next day, though, conditions improved enough for the Fall River Marksmen to play host to J&P Coats in an American Soccer League game in North Tiverton, R.I. The Marksmen took a 3-2 win over the Threadmen as Harold Brittan scored twice, heading in the deciding goal off a Dougie Campbell cross in the second half. [Read more…] about March 11, 1928 — Snowfall Too Heavy for Boston-New Bedford
J&P Coats took a 5-3 win over Boston in the Eastern semifinal of the National Cup – the U.S. Open Cup. “Fully 6000 were in the Stadium when the game started,” according to the Boston Globe report. Bill Adam scored four goals and McGrane one for the Threadmen. Bobby Blair had two goals and Tommy Fleming one for Boston, whose team nickname was “The Woodsies.”
The Globe game story listed a Fall River dateline, but in the advance the venue was to be “Sam Mark’s Stadium” in Tiverton, R.I., noting Cup games would start at 3 p.m. Sunday. Mark had constructed the stadium across the state line to avoid Blue Laws, so games involving his team, the Fall River Marksmen, could be played on Sundays.
In the days after this game, a Globe headline noted: “Attractiveness of Soccer is Fast Appealing to Fans.”
Teams also apparently competed in the “State Cup,” a separate competition from the “National Cup.” Boston was set to meet Fore River Shipyard in the State Cup “just as soon as the ice and snow clear away.”
TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY