The Dewar Challenge Trophy given to the winner of the National Challenge Cup.
TheCup.us introduces “The First Cup” series, which revisits the first running of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (then known as the National Challenge Cup) that took place from the fall of 1913 to the spring of 1914.
Editor’s note: As you read this, you’ll notice a lot of players with just one name. This is not an oversight on our part, but rather, many of the sources of this information (newspapers, publications etc.) only use the last name of players in their stories. If you have confirmation of any of their names, or any other details that would add to our historical records, feel free to reach out to us HERE. We are always looking for help with historical research.
Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.
October 11, 1913
The sport of soccer, then largely known as ‘football’, even in the United States, was still in its infant stages in 1913. The sport had been played on the continent for a few decades, but mostly on a regional level. There were regional tournaments, like the American Cup, which dated back to 1885, but there was no competition to determine a true national champion.
Earlier that year, the United States Football Association was launched, and one of their goals was to create a national team for the sport representing the U.S. What better way to develop a talent pool of players than to recruit from teams, both professional and amateur, from all over the country who will compete in a single-elimination tournament.
On September 12, USFA Secretary Thomas W. Cahill sent invitations to 287 clubs across the country, but in the end, only 40 of those teams accepted. The tournament would be represented by clubs from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and Illinois.
And with that, the National Challenge Cup was born.
Every competition needs a trophy and the trophy came from Sir Thomas Dewar, a British whiskey distiller. He donated the Dewar Challenge Trophy to the American Amateur Football Association to be used for their “AAFA Cup Tie Competition” which took place in the spring of 1913. The 1913 edition of AAFA’s cup competition was the second running of the tournament, but it would be the last, as the three-foot tall trophy, which weighs in at about 100 pounds, was then adopted for the National Challenge Cup and remains the trophy for the competition to this day.
(Note: The original trophy rarely travels from its current home at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas, and much like the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the winner each year has an engraved plate attached to the base of the trophy.)
Dr. G. Randolph Manning was president of the United States Football Association when the National Challenge Cup was created in 1913.
On October 11, 1913, the USFA unveiled the 40 teams that would take part in the inaugural National Challenge Cup at a meeting held at the Grand Central Hotel in New York City, presided over by Dr. G. Randolph Manning, president of the USFA.
Here is the list of teams that entered the 1913/14 National Challenge Cup:
New York
German FC
Interborough Rapid Transit Strollers
Columbia Oval FC
New York Celtics
Hudson United FC
St. George Field Club
Rangers FC
Cameron FC, all of Manhattan
Brooklyn AFC
Fulton AC
Clan McKenzie FC
Brooklyn Celtics, all of Brooklyn
Hollywood Inn FC
Yonkers FC of Yonkers*
Niagara Falls Rangers FC
Buffalo Corinthians FC of Buffalo
McNaughton Rangers FC of Rochester
* Current holders of the Dewar Challenge Trophy, having won the AAFA Cup Tie Competition earlier in the year
New Jersey
Watessing FC of East Orange
Cowboy Club
Jersey Blues of Jersey City
Babcock & Wilcox of Bayonne
West Hudson Juniors
Alley Boys FC of Harrison
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Pennsylvania
Peabody FC
West Philadelphia FC
Kensington Association FC of Philadelphia
Bethlehem FC of Bethlehem
Wissinoming Association FC
Disston FC
Tacony FC of Tacony
Braddock FC of Braddock
New England
New Bedford FC of New Bedford, Mass.
Farr Alpaca FC of Holyoke, Mass.
Presbyterian FC of Bridgeport, Conn.
Michigan
Roses FC
Packard FC of Detroit
Illinois
Clan MacDuffs
Campbell Rovers FC
Pullman FC
Hyde Park Blues, all of Chicago.
October 12, 1913
USFA secretary Thomas W. Cahill announced the draw for the inaugural National Challenge Cup on October 12, 1913.
The pairings for the first-round of the inaugural National Challenge Cup were announced by the USFA the following day in Newark, New Jersey with representatives from all over the country in attendance.
The teams were separated by geography and all of the first round matches were scheduled to be played on the first Saturday or Sunday of November.
USFA secretary Thomas W. Cahill announced the parings as follows:
New York City District
Brooklyn AFC at Interborough Rapid Transit Strollers
Cameron FC at German FC
Byes: Yonkers FC, Brooklyn Celtics, Clan McKenzie FC, Columbia Oval FC, New York Celtics, Hudson United, St. George FC, Rangers FC, Hollywood Inn FC, and Fulton AC
New England District
Farr Alpaca FC (Holyoke, Mass.) at New Bedford FC (New Bedford, Mass.)
Bye: Presbyterian FC (Bridgeport, Conn.)
New Jersey District
Babcock & Wilcox (Bayonne) at Cowboy Club (Jersey City)
Jersey Blues (Jersey City) at Alley Boys FC (Harrison)
Byes: Watessing FC (East Orange), West Hudson Juniors (Harrison)
Chicago District
Byes: Pullman FC, Clam McDuffs, Hyde Park Blues and Campbell Rovers FC
Pennsylvania District
Kensington AFC at Tacony FC
Disston FC at Bethlehem FC
Byes: West Philadelphia FC, Braddock FC, Wissinoming AFC
Detroit District
Byes: Roses FC, Packard FC
Western New York District
Niagara Falls Rangers at Buffalo Corinthians FC
Bye: McNaughton Rangers (Rochester)
THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup
Sept. 12, 1913 / Oct. 11, 1913: How the 1913/14 National Challenge Cup began
Nov. 1, 1913: The inaugural National Challenge Cup gets under way
Nov. 2, 1913: Brooklyn Field Club begins their journey as Round 1 concludes
Nov. 29 1913: Farr Alpaca forfeit Round 1 replay with New Bedford FC
Dec. 6, 1913: Four teams move on to Round 3, two more to be decided by protest or replay
Dec. 14, 1913: Second Round nearly complete as USFA announces protest results, draw for Round 3
Dec. 21, 1913: Third time’s the charm for St. George FC as Round 2 comes to a close
Jan. 12, 1914: Rochester’s MacNaughton Rangers forfeit replay with Niagara Falls Rangers
Jan. 24, 1914: Differing opinions as New Bedford FC eliminates West Philadelphia FC to reach quarterfinals
Jan. 25, 1914: Brooklyn Field Club, Columbia Oval join the quarterfinals
Mar. 8, 1914: Pullman FC beats Hyde Park Blues in Chicago derby to complete quarterfinal field
Mar. 28, 1914: Brooklyn Field Club defeat ‘cup holders’ Yonkers FC to reach Challenge Cup Semifinals
Mar. 29, 1914: Brooklyn Celtic defense carries them past Columbia Oval, into Semifinals
Apr. 5, 1914: Niagara Falls Rangers topple Pullman FC to complete Semifinal field
Apr. 18, 1914: Brooklyn Field Club edge New Bedford FC to reach inaugural National Challenge Cup Final
Apr. 26, 1914: Brooklyn Celtic cruises past Niagara Falls Rangers to reach inaugural National Challenge Cup Final
Before the 1913/1914 Final: By boat or by train, Brooklyn Field Club, Brooklyn Celtic prepare for inaugural National Challenge Cup Final
May 16, 1914: Brooklyn Field Club wins inaugural National Challenge Cup on late winner over Brooklyn Celtic
Great history lesson! Next time a smug Eurosnob says, “Call it football!,” we can remind him or her that the United States Football Association predates every professional league in the US except MLB.
The origins of the word “soccer” is an interesting and unfortunate one. But then again, so is the history of the sport in general.
I read that soccer is an abbreviation/nickname for the word association. So soccer football = association football.
Soccer, rugby, American grid iron, Australian rules, and the other odd branches of the game (Gaelic, etc.) are all technically forms of football. Arguing about whether to call it soccer or football is like saying chocolate ice cream has to either be called chocolate OR ice cream. Soccer is a form of football, so either term is correct.