1914

The First Cup: Brooklyn Field Club wins inaugural National Challenge Cup on late winner over Brooklyn Celtic (May 16, 1914)

May 16, 2014 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

1914 Brooklyn Field Club — Brooklyn Field Club from the 1913/14 season

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.

At long last the moment had arrived, the crowning of first ever National Challenge Cup champion. On October 12, 1913, the list of 40 participating teams was announced, and on November 1 the first games were played. Almost six months later, Brooklyn Celtic and Brooklyn Field Club emerged the sole survivors of the elimination contests, convening at Coats Field in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to decide who would reign supreme and lift the Dewar Challenge Trophy.

1914 Brooklyn Celtic — Brooklyn Celtic from the 1913/14 season

The Pawtucket Times described the scene at Coats Field that afternoon: “Long before the captains had met in the center of the field……every vantage point within the spacious enclosure was peawed with humanity. The grandstand and bleachers filled like magic; around the field the spectators thronged seven and eight deep. Every automobile was filled to its capacity and even the baseballs scoreboard in left field provided a precious foothold for groups of hardy souls.”

Thomas Bagnall, president of the New York Amateur Association Football League, USFA President Dr. Rudolph G. Manning, and USFA Secretary Thomas Cahill were all on hand for this historic occasion, the crowning of the first true soccer champion of the United States. After both teams were photographed and a “moving picture machine” was set up in the grandstand to film the action, Celtic forward Thomas Campion kicked off at 3:21 pm.

Field Club won the coin toss and chose the south goal, forcing Celtic to deal with both the bright sun and a fairly strong wind from the south. Field Club wasted no time, grabbing the lead a mere two and a half minutes into the game. Bob Millar sent an overhead shot on goal that Frank Mather successfully blocked with a leaping save, Before Mather could set himself again, Percy Adamson put the ball past the Celtic goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. The force of the kick sent Adamson to the ground, but his teammates happily picked him up, embracing him and patting him on the back.

Play in the early stages of the game was described as rough, with referee Charles Creighton often warning the players of their aggressiveness.

The Pawtucket Times described the rough play in detail. “Adamson and Millar tripped with their feet and chopped with their elbows,” the paper reported. “Andy Robinson and (David) Flanigan and the other Celtic backs body-checked their opponents.” The rough and tumble play left all the players under heavy scrutiny from referee Creighton, who issued repeated warnings.

The rough play finally came to a head after 25 minutes. As Roddy O’Hallaran was closing in on the Field Club goal, H.W. Matthews charged in with a hard tackle, leaving O’Hallaran to fall face first onto the pitch. Creighton immediately blew his whistle, awarding a penalty kick to Celtic. Thomas Campion stepped up for the spot kick and sent it into the net before Field Club goalkeeper Haughie could even move.

1914 Final coverage-headlines — (From left to right) Headlines from the Springfield Union, Pawtucket Times and New York Tribune about the 1914 National Challenge Cup Final

Play settled down for the rest of the half, and heading into the break the score was knotted 1-1.

For much of the second half Field Club dominated the game, keeping the ball in the Celtic half of the field for most of the way. The Celtic defense appeared to have tired legs by this time, defending desperately rather then strategically. George Knowles sent in a hard shot that Mather stopped more by luck than brilliance. The Times noted that Celtics fullback Andy Robinson played an instrumental role in keeping Field Club from winning the game with a larger score.

1914 Dr. G. Randolph Manning — USFA president Dr. G. Randolph Manning and many other dignitaries were in attendance for the inaugural National Challenge Cup Final.

With just minutes remaining, and extra time looming, the Celtic defense finally gave way. Bob Millar once again started the action that would lead to the winning goal, sending in a high overhead shot into the goal area. James Ford then leapt high into the air, driving the ball headlong past Mather and into the US soccer history books.

For the last two minutes Celtic threw all their men forward in a desperate bid to net the equalizer, but their weary legs were too much to overcome. In the end, Brooklyn Celtic left the field knowing the better team had won.

The Pawtucket Times singled out Bob Millar, who would be inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in its inaugural class of 1950, as the most instrumental player in the game. Millar’s actions directly set up both Field Club goals, as well as being involved in nearly every important moment of the game.

Coverage of the contest was better in the New England region. The Pawtucket Times allowed for an entire column to be devoted to the game, running from top to bottom of the page. The Boston Herald and Providence Evening Tribune also devoted numerous paragraphs to describing the action. Perhaps surprisingly, most New York area papers provided small accounts of the game. The largest of which was from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which gave it four paragraphs. Other papers, like the New York Sun, Tribune, Press and New York Times featured only basic coverage of the game.

bob-millar-1914 — Pawtucket Times: “Bob Millar: Brooklyn Field Club forward whose sterling plays dazzled rivals”

EPILOGUE

In the years after the historic contest, each club went on to drastically different fortunes, even though each were gone within a few short years. Brooklyn Celtic had another banner year in 1915, winning the New York State Amateur Football League again, as well as reaching the finals of both the American Cup and National Challenge Cup. They continued their dominance of the NYSAFL in 1916 and 1917, taking their run of league titles to five in a row stretching back to 1913.

Suddenly on September 9, 1917, it was announced the club was going to pull out of all competitions due to the fact that almost all of their players had been drafted into service for World War I. The New York Sun noted that McKenna and O’Halloran were the only players from the first team available for games. Brooklyn Celtic’s final National Challenge Cup game was a 3-1 loss in the Second Round of the 1916 tournament to the new juggernaut of American soccer, Bethlehem Steel.

The name would return in the 1930s with an American Soccer League team. The new Celtics reached the semifinals of the Challenge Cup in 1936 and won the championship in 1939, before folding for good in 1942.

After losing Bob Millar, Neil Clark and James Ford to Bethlehem Steel for the 1914-15 season, Brooklyn Field Club went into a sharp decline. The club finished the 1914/15 season in the middle of the NAFL with a 5-6-3 record, and were ousted from the Challenge Cup in the Second Round by Paterson Rangers. The 1915/16 season was more of the same for Field Club, finishing middle of the pack again in the NAFL, and elimination from National Challenge Cup in the First Round by Yonkers FC.

The team came to a quiet end in the fall of 1916. After playing only one game in the NAFL, an 11-1 loss to New York FC, the team disbanded. Their final mark on the National Challenge Cup was a forfeit loss to Interborough Rapid Transit Strollers in the opening round of the 1917 tournament.

1914 National Challenge Cup Final
Brooklyn Field Club 2-1 Brooklyn Celtic
May 16, 1914 – Coates Field – Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Scoring Summary

Field Club: Percy Adamson (Unassisted) – 3rd min.
Celtic: Thomas Campion (PK) – 27th min.
Field Club: James Ford (Bob Millar) – 87th min.

Brooklyn Field Club: Haughie, Hynds, Charles Drinkwater, H.W. Matthews,Neil Clark, Nichols, James Ford, George Knowles, Percy Adamson, Robert Millar, Henry Shanholdt

Brooklyn Celtic – Frank Mather, James Robertson, Andrew Robertson, David Flanagan, Frank O’Hara, Hugh Kelly, Albert Lonie, Thomas Campion, Roddy O’Halloran, McGreevey, Patrick Butler

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Charles E. Creighton | Linesmen: Hamilton Handling, Charles Taylor

Road to the National Challenge Cup Final

Brooklyn Celtic
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 6-0 win vs. Hollywood Inn
Round 3: 5-0 win vs. Babcock & Wilcox
Quarterfinals: 2-0 win vs. Columbia Oval
Semifinals: 6-2 win vs. Niagara Falls Rangers

Brooklyn Celtic tournament goal scorers: Roddy O’Hallaran 7, Albert Lonie 5, Thomas Campion 4, Mike King 3, McQueen 1

Brooklyn Field Club
Round 1: 1-0 win vs. IRT Strollers
Round 2: 3-0 win vs. Brooklyn Rangers FC
Round 3: 1-0 win vs. Bethlehem FC*
* The result was protested by Bethlehem, but the USFA ruled in favor of BFC
Quarterfinals: 4-1 win vs. Yonkers FC
Semifinals: 2-1 win vs. New Bedford FC

Brooklyn Field Club tournament goal scorers: Bob Millar 6, Harry Shanholt 2, Percy Adamson 1, Charles Drinkwater 1, Coward 1, Hynds 1, Neil Clark 1, Slade 1, James Ford 1

1914 Dewar Trophy (Spaulding) — The Dewar Trophy

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

The First Cup: By boat or by train, Brooklyn Field Club, Brooklyn Celtic prepare for inaugural National Challenge Cup Final

May 14, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

Brooklyn Field Club started their journey to the 1914 National Challenge Cup final on Nov. 2, 1913 with a easy 3-0 first round victory over Interborough Rapid Transit Strollers of the Metropolitan & District Amateur League. Another 3-0 victory followed in the next round on December 21, this time over fellow New York State Amateur Football League members Brooklyn Rangers.

Field Club’s first real test in the tournament came on January 25, 1914, a 1-0 win over Bethlehem FC. Bethlehem later protested the game on the grounds that some of Brooklyn’s players were not eligible to play, as well as the fact that the field Club team was a half hour late arriving in the field to start the game. The USFA ruled in favor of Brooklyn Field Club and things went back to being a bit more comfortable with a 4-1 win in the quarterfinals over Yonkers FC, a club that Brooklyn Celtic were battling with for the top spot in the NYSAFL.

The semifinal contest with New Bedford FC, at Coates Field in Pawtucket, RI, was perhaps the fiercest test for the Field Club eleven. A fight between Neil Clark and New Bedford’s Chadwick near the end of the first half left both teams to play with ten men. Robert Millar scored both goals for Brooklyn to book a trip back to Pawtucket for the Final.

Brooklyn Celtic had a somewhat easier and quieter road to the 1914 final. With a bye through the first round, Celtic cruised to 6-0 and 5-0 wins over Hollywood Inn and Babcock & Wilcox. The quarterfinals brought a more challenging game with fellow NYSAFL members Columbia Oval, but Celtic came out 2-0 victors. The semifinals brought a lopsided 6-2 victory over Niagara Falls Rangers, though the club from Northwest New York were able to score the first goals against Celtic in the competition.

Heading into the final, both clubs were on top of their respective leagues. Field Club held the top spot in the National Association Football League , three points clear of West Hudson, who were league champions in 1912 and 1913. Although league games were still scheduled after the cup final, Brooklyn was declared the champions when the remaining games against clubs from New Jersey could not be played due to those clubs losing their grounds.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The Celtics were in an even closer race in the New York State Amateur Football League. Less than a month prior to the final, Celtic and Yonkers FC were tied atop the league table with 21 points each. Celtic finished their league schedule on June 6 with a 6-0 thrashing of Columbia Oval, thus giving them the league championship by two points over Yonkers with a 15-0-1 record. Yonkers’ only loss of the season came at the hands of Celtic.

Yonkers was also the team on the losing end of another Celtic trophy triumph that season, a 2-1 Celtic victory in the Southern New York State Cup. Celtic did not fare as well in the American Football, Association Cup, falling to Philadelphia’s Hibernian 7-1 in the second round. Field Club did not find success in the AFA Cup either, only making it one round further before dropping a 3-1 decision to Tacony FC, also of Philadelphia. The AFA Cup was a competition that was restricted to teams in the Northeast that was first launched in 1885. Bethlehem FC were the winners of that tournament in 1914.

All told, Brooklyn Field Club finished the 1913-14 season 24-1-2 in all competitions, with 81 goals scored and 23 goals allowed. Celtic finished with a 23-2-2 combined record, scoring 108 times while conceding 24 goals.

The two clubs met one other time during the 1913-14 season, and it was completely by accident. On March 21, 1914, Field Club was to play West Hudson in a league game at the Marquette Oval, but the game was called off due to the poor condition of the playing field. Celtic were also set to play a league game, but Hollywood Inn did not show due to bad weather. This led to an impromptu match between the two teams, which Celtic came out 2-0 victors behind goals from Roddy O’Hallaran and Mike King. Field Club would later claim that some of their better players were unavailable for the game, seemingly trying to save face after losing to an amateur squad.

In the days leading up to the Final, the Pawtucket Times reported that once Celtic learned that Field Club were traveling to Pawtucket by boat, the Celtics changed their plans, electing to travel by train. The Times also reported that over 200 fans were expected from New Bedford, whose team was defeated by Field Club in the semifinals. It was also reported that the USFA had made arrangements to have “200 feet of moving pictures” taken of the match.

The Pawtucket Times view of the match was as follows:

“Bob Millar will bear close watching, for he is likely to run wild in the vicinity of the Celts’ goal. Shanholt and Adamson are also dangerous men and there is a lot of drive to their kicks. In their (field Club) lineup there are individual stars whom experts declare would shine in matches across the water. The Celtic team is said to be remarkably well balanced and to have the short passing game down to a science.”

The championship game was scheduled to be played on May 16, 1914.

Road to the National Challenge Cup Final

Brooklyn Celtic
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 6-0 win vs. Hollywood Inn
Round 3: 5-0 win vs. Babcock & Wilcox
Quarterfinals: 2-0 win vs. Columbia Oval
Semifinals: 6-2 win vs. Niagara Falls Rangers

Brooklyn Celtic tournament goal scorers: Roddy O’Hallaran 7, Albert Lonie 5, Thomas Campion 3, Mike King 3, McQueen 1

Brooklyn Field Club tournament goal scorers: Robert Millar 5, Harry Shanholt 2, Charles Drinkwater 1, Coward 1, Hynds 1, Neil Clark 1, Slade 1, James Ford 1

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Brooklyn Celtic cruises past Niagara Falls Rangers to reach inaugural National Challenge Cup Final (April 26, 1914)

April 29, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

On the strength of Rodney O’Hallaran’s hat trick, Brooklyn Celtic coasted to a 6-2 victory over the Niagara Falls Rangers to earn a spot in the inaugural National Challenge Cup Final. There they will face Brooklyn Field Club on May 16.

In a game played at Olympic Park in Paterson, New Jersey, it was a match between two teams with names that would get the blood boiling had the match been played in Scotland. The American version of Rangers vs. Celtic, on this day, was less competitive and lacked the blood feud and the religious strife that an Old Firm match typically provides. It’s also worth noting that in 1914, the Old Firm rivalry was only about 20 years old.

1914 Niagara Falls Rangers — Niagara Falls Rangers from the 1913/14 season

Celtic wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring the first goal after one minute of play as Thomas Campion’s corner kick was headed in by Mike King.

The first of O’Hallaran’s goals came shortly afterward when he sent a 15 yard shot past Rangers goalkeeper Highett. At the 20 minute mark Campion scored on a close range shot to put Celtic up 3-0, which stood until halftime.

At the start of the second half, Niagara Falls switched around the positions of some of its players with hopes of stopping the Celtic onslaught. The Rangers even swapped goalkeepers, switching Highett with Lumsden, a half back. The tactical change seemed to make no difference to the Brooklyn club, who continued to score.

Albert Lonie stretched the lead to 4-0 off a pass from Campion. With the Niagara halfbacks playing a bit too far forward, O’Hallaran started a run from midfield, eluded the Rangers back line, and scored his second goal of the game.

With a 5-0 lead at hand, the Celtic defense eased up a bit, allowing the Rangers a pair of consolation goals. First to score was Wallace, followed by Kemp’s score from a goalmouth scramble. They were the first goals allowed by Celtic in the tournament thus far, having held their previous three opponents scoreless while scoricng 13 times.

O’Hallaran completed his hat trick when Rangers defender Hoyle miss kicked the ball, allowing the Celtic forward to pounce on the easy goal.

According to the Brooklyn Standard Union, the Rangers “halves played poorly and displayed bad judgment in not placing the ball. The forwards were indifferent, relying on a kick and rush to pull them through.” The newspaper singled out Hoyle, Fred Milnes and Harper as the best players for Rangers, and King and O’Hallaran as the leaders of the Brooklyn club.

The victory set up the first-ever Open Cup Final, between a pair of Brooklyn clubs. The Final was scheduled to be played at the Lonsdale Ave. grounds (later to be known as Coats Field) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Road to the Semifinals

Brooklyn Celtic
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 6-0 win vs. Hollywood Inn
Round 3: 5-0 win vs. Babcock & Wilcox
Quarterfinals: 2-0 win over Columbia Oval

Niagara Falls Rangers
Round 1: 6-1 win vs. Buffalo Corinthians
Round 2: Forfeit win vs. MacNaughton Rangers*
*MacNaughton won the original match 1-0 but Niagara Falls’ protest was upheld and a replay was ordered but MacNaughton failed to appear.
Round 3: 2-0 win vs. Roses FC
QF: 2-1 win over Pullman FC (Chicago)

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Semifinals

April 26, 1914 – Olympic Park (Paterson, NJ)

Brooklyn Celtic 6:2 Niagara Falls Rangers

Scoring Summary

Celtic: Mike King (Thomas Campion) – 1st min.
Celtic: Rodney O’Hallaran – 1st half
Celtic: Thomas Campion – 20th min.
Celtic: Albert Lonie (Thomas Campion) – 2nd half
Celtic: Rodney O’Hallaran – 2nd half
Rangers: Wallace – 2nd half
Rangers: Kemp – 2nd half
Celtic: Rodney O’Hallaran (Unassisted) – 2nd half

Lineups

Brooklyn: Frank Mather, James Robertson, Andrew Robertson, David Flanagan, Frank O’Hara, Hugh Kelly, Thomas Campion, Albert Lonie, Rodney O’Hallaran, Mike King, Patrick Butler

Niagara Falls: Highett, Clarkson, Hoyle, Park, Lumsden, Pearce, Harper, Wallace, Kemp, Milnes, Holmes

Referee: Alex Burnside | Linesmen: Thomas Cunningham, R. Erksine

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Brooklyn Field Club edge New Bedford FC to reach inaugural National Challenge Cup Final (April 18, 1914)

April 18, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

With the help of a fluke goal in the second half, the Brooklyn Field Club moved on to the inaugural 1914 National Challenge Cup final with a 2-1 victory over New Bedford FC.

Although the game was played at a neutral venue, over 4,000 spectators turned up at Coats Field in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to watch the semifinal contest. More than 800 New Bedford supporters made the trip from Massachusetts.

In what proved to be a premonition of things to come, referee James Schofield called both teams to the center circle before kickoff and warned them about rough play. At 3:30 p.m., the game began.

1914 New Bedford FC — New Bedford FC during the 1913/14 season.

From the beginning New Bedford attacked the Field Club goal, as Quinlan managed to clear a shot from Chadwick. New Bedford was able to force a pair of corner kicks, though the wind prevented anything meaningful to come from the chances. Brooklyn gained control and nearly scored when Robert Millar centered a pass to Percy Adamson, but Adamson was unable to get a good touch on the ball and sent his shot wide of the goal.

After 24 minutes, New Bedford was the first to score. A run from Murphy was followed by a scrimmage in front of the goal, and Beckton was able to sneak the ball past Field Club goalkeeper Haughie for a 1-0 lead. Soon after, Brooklyn had a good opportunity to tie the score, but Adamson’s free kick from 18 yards out sailed over the crossbar.

In the minutes following the goal, the pre-game warning from referee James Schofield came to fruition, as several fouls were called. At the 34 minute mark, a run by Chadwick was strongly stopped by Neil Clarke, resulting in a fight between the two players. Schofield sent both players off the field. The Pawtucket Times noted that New Bedford was hurt more by losing Chadwick then Brooklyn was in losing Clark.

Just minutes before the halftime whistle, Brooklyn knotted the score. After taking a pass from Adamson, Millar sprinted into the penalty area and hammered home a shot across the goal and into the top of the net, freezing New Bedford goalkeeper Haworth who was helpless on the play.

The second half proved how costly Chadwick’s absence would be for New Bedford. Passes from Murphy and Klemm to forwards Beckton and Fredette were often off the mark. The Pawtucket Times mentioned that Fredette, for fear of being offside, played a “flat footed game and was repeatedly found wanting.”

New Bedford did have one decent chance to score in the second half. Murphy broke away from a scrimmage at midfield toward the Brooklyn goal. At first Haughie remained in goal, but after hearing defender Quinlan yell “come out, come out!”, Haughie raced toward the ball and just beat Murphy to clear it away for a corner kick.

In the 69th minute, Brooklyn got the winning goal on somewhat of a fluke play. Following a throw-in, James Ford sent a pass into the penalty area. New Bedford defender Preston, trying to clear the ball from the mess of players in front of the goal, kicked the ball directly into Millar. The ball rebounded off Millar and past Haworth and over the goal line for a 2-1 lead.

The Brooklyn defense was able to hold off New Bedford’s shaky attack for the rest of the game, sending the Field Club eleven to the first-ever National Challenge Cup Final.

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Semifinals
April 18, 1914 – Coats Field (Pawtucket, RI)

Brooklyn Field Club 2:1 New Bedford FC

Scoring Summary
New Bedford: Beckton – 24th min.
Brooklyn: Robert Millar – 43rd min.
Brooklyn: Robert Millar – 69th min.

Lineups

Brooklyn: Haughie (GK), Quinlan, Charles Drinkwater, H.W. Matthews, Neil Clark, Nichols, James Ford, George Knowles, Percy Adamson, Robert Millar, Henry Shanholt

New Bedford: Haworth (GK), Billy O’Toole, Preston, Clarke, Holden, Brown, Murphy, Klemm, Fredette, Chadwick, Beckton

Red Cards: Neil Clark (Brooklyn) 34’, Chadwick (New Bedford) 34’

Attendance: 4,000
Referee: James Schofield
Linesmen: Harry Dale, William Black

Path to the Semifinals

Brooklyn Field Club
Round 1: 1-0 win vs. IRT Strollers
Round 2: 3-0 win vs. Brooklyn Rangers FC
Round 3: 1-0 win vs. Bethlehem FC*
* The result was protested by Bethlehem, but the USFA ruled in favor of BFC
Quarterfinals: 4-1 win vs. Yonkers FC

New Bedford FC
Round 1: Forfeit win over Farr Alpaca (Holyoke, MA)*
* New Bedford won 3-1, but Farr Alpaca’s protest was upheld. Farr Alpaca was unable to play the replay due to a conflicting league game.
Round 2: 3-0 win over Presbyterian FC (Bridgeport, CT)
Round 3: 2-0 over West Philadelphia FC
Quarterfinals: 4-1 win vs. Peabody FC

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Niagara Falls Rangers topple Pullman FC to complete Semifinal field (April 5, 1914)

April 5, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

Playing on a sloppy pitch at Aluminum Park, the Niagara Falls Rangers held off the visiting Pullman FC from Chicago 2-1 to advance to the semifinals of the inaugural National Challenge Cup. Snow fell the night before, turning the field into a muddy mess, and forwards for both teams had difficulty shooting the wet, heavy ball with any accuracy.

Niagara Falls opened the scoring after 17 minutes on a goal from former English international Fred Milnes. Pullman pressed hard for the equalizer, but the Rangers defense stood their ground for most of the half.

With five minutes remaining Pullman finally broke through with a goal from Cartwright. Play in the early part of the second half was described by the Chicago Daily Tribune as “full of action, although the mud and water made good combination difficult.” Niagara Falls were left shorthanded for brief periods when Harper and Holmes were sent to the sidelines with minor injuries.

In the 75th minute, Pullman right back Blockey committed a foul in the penalty area, and Kemp stepped up for the Rangers to give the home side a 2-1 lead. With just ten minutes remaining, Pullman made several desperate attempts to even the score, but Niagara Falls held on to advance.

The Rangers moved on to represent Western New York in the final four of the inaugural National Challenge Cup, but despite the talented clubs in that region over the years, this has proven to be a rarity. It would be more than 80 years before another team from Western New York would reach the semifinals, when the Rochester Raging Rhinos advanced all the way to the championship game in 1996.

Path to the Quarterfinals

Niagara Falls Rangers
Round 1: 6-1 win vs. Buffalo Corinthians
Round 2: Forfeit win vs. MacNaughton Rangers*
*MacNaughton won the original match 1-0 but Niagara Falls’ protest was upheld and a replay was ordered but MacNaughton failed to appear.
Round 3: 2-0 win vs. Roses FC

Pullman FC
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 3-0 win vs. Fulton AC
Round 3: 3-1 win vs. New York Celtic*
* Referee ended the match with 10 minutes remaining (Sent off player refused to leave)

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Quarterfinals
Niagara Falls Rangers 2:1 Pullman FC

Scoring Summary
Rangers: Fred Milnes – 17th min.
Pullman: Cartwright – 40th min.
Rangers: Kemp (PK) – 75th min.

Lineups

Rangers: Highett, Clackson, Hoyle, Park, Lumsdon, Pearce, Harper, Wallace, Kemp, Milnes, Holmes

Pullman: Roberts, Blockey, B. Govier, Dickson, S. Govier, Taylor, Pollitt, Cartwright, Shallcross, Mackie, McNaughton

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Brooklyn Celtic defense carries them past Columbia Oval, into Semifinals (March 29, 1914)

March 29, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

The Brooklyn Celtics once again barred their opponents from the nets with a 2-0 victory over NYSAL rivals Columbia Oval in the Quarterfinals of the inaugural National Challenge Cup, at Edison Park in Brooklyn.

1914 Columbia Oval — Columbia Oval from the 1913/14 season

Up to this point in the tournament, the Celtics had yet to concede a goal, winning 6-0 over Hollywood Inn in the second round and 5-0 over Babcock & Wilcox in the third round.

The Celtics scored a goal in each half. 15 minutes from the start, King made a great run down the side and sent a pass over to Rodney O’Hallaran, who put Brooklyn up 1-0.

Ten minutes after halftime it was King who was on the receiving end of an assist, this time from Patrick Butler, and Brooklyn would eventually secure the 2-0 win.

Heading into the game, the Celtics were unbeaten in the New York State Amateur League (9-0-1, 19 pts). This was only good enough for second place behind Yonkers FC (10-1-1, 21 pts), who were eliminated from the Challenge Cup the day before. Celtic had played two fewer games than Yonkers, but were still in contention, and it appeared to be a two-horse race at that point as Columbia Oval were a distant third with a 8-4-2 record (11 pts).

Path to the Quarterfinals

Brooklyn Celtic
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 6-0 win vs. Hollywood Inn
Round 3: 5-0 win vs. Babcock & Wilcox

Columbia Oval
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 5-1 win vs. Clan MacKenzie
Round 3: 2-1 win vs. Alley Boys FC

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Quarterfinals
Brooklyn Celtic 2:0 Columbia Oval

Scoring Summary

Brooklyn: Rodney O’Hallaran (Mike King) – 15th min.
Brooklyn: Mike King (Patrick Butler) – 55th minute

Brooklyn: Frank Mather, James Robertson, Andrew Robertson, David Flanagan, Frank O’Hara, Hugh Kelly, Thomas Campion, Albert Lonie, Rodney O’Hallaran, Mike King, Patrick Butler

Columbia – Hopkins, Harper, Horne, Ellis, Holbrook, Blatchford, P ierson, Woollard, A. Maskell, Spellacy, F. Maskell

Referee – G. Caldicott | Linesmen – Roberts, Slater

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Brooklyn Field Club defeat ‘cup holders’ Yonkers FC to reach Challenge Cup Semifinals (March 28, 1914)

March 28, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

The Brooklyn Field Club ousted Yonkers FC 4-1 at Manhattan Field to reach the semifinals of the inaugural National Challenge Cup.

Yonkers were the holders of the Dewar Trophy, as they had been awarded it for winning the American Amateur Football Association Cup in 1913. It was the one and only time the Dewar trophy was awarded for a competition other than the National Challenge Cup.

The New York Tribune reported that despite a steady all-day rain, the Manhattan Field pitch held up rather well. The midfield stayed in good shape, and the only muddy areas were at the boundary lines.

Yonkers drew first blood 20 minutes into the game. Young, the inside left for Yonkers, sent a long, low shot past Field Club goalkeeper Pennell. Five minutes before halftime.

Brooklyn equalized with a somewhat controversial goal. Neil Clark, with what was described by the Tribune as a “lucky reach of his foot”, sent the ball just past the Yonkers goal line. While the goal seemed somewhat doubtful, referee Charles Creighton allowed it to stand and the score was tied 1-1 heading into the break.

Soon after the second half began, Robert Millar received a nice pass from George Knowles and gave the Field Club a 2-1 lead. Millar began the run-up for the third goal with a long pass to Percy Adamson, who in turn took the ball up field and sent it in to James Ford for a 3-1 advantage.

With just 10 minutes remaining Slade added the fourth and final goal.

The Tribune noted Millar, Hinds and Charles Drinkwater as standout players for Field Club, while Porter, Kerr, McHollan and Dickson were noted stood out for the losing side.

Path to the Quarterfinals

Brooklyn Field Club
Round 1: 1-0 win vs. IRT Strollers
Round 2: 3-0 win vs. Brooklyn Rangers FC
Round 3: 1-0 win vs. Bethlehem FC*
* The result was protested by Bethlehem, but the USFA ruled in favor of BFC

Yonkers FC
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 3-0 win vs. Fulton AC
Round 3: 3-1 win vs. New York Celtic*
* Referee ended the match with 10 minutes remaining (Sent off player refused to leave)

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Quarterfinals
Brooklyn Field Club 4:1 Yonkers FC

Scoring Summary
Yonkers: Young – 20th min.
Brooklyn: Neil Clark – 40th min.
Brooklyn: Robert Millar (George Knowles) – early 2nd half
Brooklyn: James Ford – 2nd half
Brooklyn: Slade – 80th min.

Lineups

Brooklyn: Pennell, Hinds, Charles Drinkwater, H.W. Matthews, Neil Clark, Nichols, James Ford, George Knowles, Percy Adamson, Robert Millar, Slad

Yonkers: Porter, Dearn, Kydd, Kerr, McKenzie, Dennison, McHollan, Dickson, Petri, Young, Dick

Referee: Charles E. Creighton | Linesmen – Clark, Craig

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: New Bedford FC first to Semifinals after 4-1 win over Peabody FC (March 21, 1914)

March 21, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

The New Bedford Football Club reached the semifinals of the 1914 National Challenge Cup with a decisive 4-1 victory over Peabody FC of Philadelphia’s Allied American League.

Playing in front of over 3,500 spectators at home, the New Bedford club jumped to a 2-0 halftime lead, although the visitors looked early on to be the stronger team. In the first five minutes of play Evans and J. Marley of Peabody tested New Bedford goalkeeper Howarth with fast drives which were turned away. New Bedford took control of the game, with Klem scoring the first goal from a splendid centering pass from Murphy. By the halftime whistle Freddett doubled the lead with a hard drive.

New Bedford’s lead grew to 3-0 shortly after the start of the second half on a goal from Chadwick. Peabody avoided the shutout when M. Marley scored after a serried of short passes. New Bedford notched their fourth and final goal when Morgan headed in a corner kick from Jimmy Murphy. Murphy was singled out by the Philadelphia Inquirer as the standout player of the game, noting that his “work at outside right was remarkable to behold.”

Path to the Quarterfinals

New Bedford FC

Round 1: Forfeit win over Farr Alpaca (Holyoke, MA)*
* New Bedford won 3-1, but Farr Alpaca’s protest was upheld. Farr Alpaca was unable to play the replay due to a conflicting league game.
Round 2: 3-0 win over Presbyterian FC (Bridgeport, CT)
Round 3: 2-0 over West Philadelphia FC

Peabody FC

Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 1-1 draw vs. Wissinoming FC (Tacony, PA), 3-0 win in replay
Round 3: Forfeit win over St. George FC (Manhattan, NY)*
*Game in Philadelphia on Jan. 24 called off due to weather, St. George was unable to field a team for the replay.

1913/14 National Challenge Cup Quarterfinals
New Bedford FC 4:1 Peabody FC (2-0 HT)

Scoring Summary

New Bedford: Klemm 1H’, Freddett 1H’, Chadwick 2H”, Morgan 2H’ (Murphy)
Peabody: M. Marley 2”

Lineups

New Bedford: Haworth, Preston, Mahen, Holden, Raistrick, Brown, Murphy, Klemm, Morgan, Chadwick, Fredette

Peabody: R.W. Hanna, Whitson, Hawley, Lynch, W. Hanna, Leslie, Evans, M. Marley, J. Marley, Jacovelli, Meadows

Att – 3,500 Referee – Schofield

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Pullman FC beats Hyde Park Blues in Chicago derby to complete quarterfinal field (March 8, 1914)

March 8, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

Pullman FC became the eighth and final team to advance to the inaugural National Challenge Cup quarterfinals with a 4-2 victory over fellow Chicago club Hyde Park Blues.

With the game taking place at the beginning of the spring season in Chicago, the Chicago Daily Tribune noted that although the grounds were free of snow, the muddy conditions combined with the lack of fitness caused the pace of the game to slow down after about thirty minutes of play.

Pullman took a 3-1 halftime lead on goals from Pollitt, Shalcross and Mackie. Pollitt added another goal in the second half. Wright, a newcomer to the Blues roster, scored a goal in both halves for the losing side.

The win set up the car builders to travel north to face the Niagara Falls Rangers in the quarterfinal round, and also left them as the sole remaining western team in the tournament.

It should be noted that at this point in history, “western” cities were regarded as St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit. Until commercial airline travel became widespread in the 1950s, the Mississippi River was regarded as the “western frontier” as far as most national sports leagues and competitions in the United States were concerned.

1913/14 National Challenge Cup
Third Round

Pullman FC 4:2 Hyde Park Blues (3:1 HT)
March 8, 1914 – Chicago, Illinois

Scoring Summary
Pullman: Pollitt (2), Shallcross, Mackie
Hyde Park: Wright (2)

Lineups

Pullman: Roberts, B. Govier, Blockey, Dixon. S. Govier, Brown, Pollitt, Mackie, Shallcross, Cartwright, McNaughton

Hyde Park: Birchall, Scott, Burton, Whiteside,Parker, Fairhurst, Craig, Evans, Wright, Hawk, Mair

Referee – W. Napier | Linesmen – Patterson, Cummings

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup

The First Cup: Violence halts Yonkers, New York Celtic match; Niagara Falls Rangers win snowy match in Detroit (Feb. 1, 1914)

February 1, 2013 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

1914 New York Celtic — New York Celtic from the 1913/14 season

Links to the full series are located at the bottom of this story.

The Lenox Oval was the scene of a wild third round affair between Yonkers FC and New York Celtic. With Yonkers leading 3-1 with twenty minutes remaining in the second half, Celtics J. Duffy fouled a Yonkers player who was on the ground. Referee George Caldicott ordered Duffy off the field, but Duffy refused to leave. An unidentified Yonkers player then struck Duffy and was sent off as well.

Duffy finally left the field, but retuned to attack Caldicott, causing him to be removed from the field by two policemen. Ten minutes later Waters, right fullback for the Celtics, was ordered off for rough play. Waters also refused to leave the field, leading Caldicott to stop the game with ten minutes to play.

In Detroit, Michigan, the Roses FC hosted the Niagara Falls Rangers, and the visitors came away with a 2-0 victory to advance to the quarterfinals.

The field at Maloney’s Park was covered with a foot of snow, and the Detroit Free Press described both teams as “displaying a very fair brand of the English game” despite the conditions.

In the opening minutes of the game Shankland and Munshow almost gave the hosts an early lead. The Free Press noted that the Rangers should have ended the first half three goals ahead, but the deep snow provided a great handicap towards their efforts.

In the second half, Roses goalkeeper Stansfield made a few outstanding saves to keep the game scoreless, but in the 60th minute his goal was finally breached by Wallace. The Roses had their chances in equalizing, with Horton and Miller missing chances, and eventually Wallace scored his second goal of the game after Stansfield saved two successive shots.

It was noted by the Free Press that the Roses players were much smaller and faster than their Rangers counterparts, but the heavy snow negated their speed advantage.

The remaining third round game between Chicago’s Pullman FC and Hyde Park Blues was called off due to weather, and would eventually be played on March 8, 1914.

1913/14 National Challenge Cup
Third Round

Yonkers FC 3:1 New York Celtic FC
Feb. 1, 1914 – Lenox Oval – Manhattan, New York

Sent Off: J. Duffy (NYC), Unknown Player (Yonkers), Waters (NYC)

Referee: G. Caldicott

Match stopped in 80th minute when Waters refused to leave the field after being sent off.

————————————————————
Niagara Falls Rangers FC 2:0 Roses FC
Feb. 1, 1914 – Maloney’s Park – Detroit, Michigan

Scoring Summary
Rangers: Wallace – 60th min.
Rangers: Wallace – Second Half

Lineups
Roses: Stansfield, Thompson, Cowan, Wink, Moore, Morgan, Winslow, Sutherland, Shankland, Horton, Miller

Rangers: Highheit, Boyle, Clarkson, Parkes, Lumsden, Pearce, Harper, Wallace, C. Holmes, Kemp, Fred Milnes

Referee – G. O’Keefe | Linesmen – R. Bone, W. Glasgow

THE FIRST CUP SERIES (THECUP.US)
A detailed look back at the 1913/1914 National Challenge Cup