| Fall River Marksmen | |
| Full name | Fall River Marksmen |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1922 |
| Dissolved | 1931 |
| Ground | Mark's Stadium North Tiverton, Rhode Island (Capacity 15,000) |
| Chairman | |
| League | American Soccer League: 1921-1930 |
Fall River Marksmen were a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. North Tiverton is a village in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Sam Mark (born Fall River Massachusetts) is a former United States soccer club owner The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. Fall River United was a name used by two United States soccer clubs based in Fall River Massachusetts. Sam Mark (born Fall River Massachusetts) is a former United States soccer club owner During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United States, winning the American Soccer League on seven occasions. The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. They also won the National Challenge Cup four times. The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF affiliated teams from amateur adult club teams all the In 1924 they won the first ASL / Challenge Cup double and were subsequently the American soccer champions three times in succession. The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season The American soccer champions are the annual winners of the top Soccer leagues in the United States Between 1928 and 1930 they won a further four titles in a row. In 1930 they completed a treble, winning the ASL title, the Challenge Cup and the Lewis Cup. The Treble is a term in Association football that refers to a club winning their country's top tier league primary domestic cup and continental level cup competition in the The same year they also toured Central Europe. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and
The Marksmen played their home games at Mark's Stadium, one of the earliest examples of a soccer-specific stadium in the United States. Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. Soccer-specific stadium (or football-specific stadium) is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada, coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer [1] In 1931 the franchise relocated and merged twice! They first moved to New York, where they merged with New York Soccer Club and became the New York Yankees. The City of New York New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that in 1930 played briefly in the American Soccer League. New York Yankees were the name of a New York soccer team that played briefly in the American Soccer League. They actually won their fourth National Challenge Cup after they became the Yankees, but due to complications following the merger it was credited to the Marksmen. The Yankees later moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts where they merged with Fall River F.C. to become the New Bedford Whalers. Fall River Football Club, also referred to as Fall River Field Club, was the name used by two United States soccer clubs based in Fall River Massachusetts New Bedford Whalers was the name of three United States soccer teams based in New Bedford Massachusetts.
Contents |
In 1921 the Southern New England Soccer League and the National Association Football League effectively merged to form the American Soccer League. The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional U The National Association Football League (also spelled National Association Foot Ball League) (NAFBL was a semi-professional U The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. As a result of this merger Fall River Rovers of the SNESL were disbanded and a new team Fall River United were formed to enter the ASL. Fall River Rovers were a United States soccer club based in Fall River Massachusetts. Fall River United was a name used by two United States soccer clubs based in Fall River Massachusetts. [2] During the inaugural season United struggled, finishing sixth out of eight, and were on the verge of folding. However, in 1922 the club was taken over by Sam Mark and subsequently became known as the Fall River Marksmen. Sam Mark (born Fall River Massachusetts) is a former United States soccer club owner
Mark was willing to invest in the club and one of his first moves was to build the team its own stadium. Mark's Stadium was located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island, just over the Massachusetts border from Fall River. Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. North Tiverton is a village in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. As a result, the club was now able circumvent the Massachusetts' Blue Laws and play on a Sunday. Crucially, Mark also managed to recruit Harold Brittan from Bethlehem Steel. Harold Pemberton Brittan (November 11 1894 in Derby, England – April 1964 in New York) was a U Bethlehem Steel FC (1911-1930 was one of the most successful early American soccer clubs During the 1922-23 season Brittan scored 19 goals in 23 games and subsequently went on to serve the Marksmen for nearly a decade as a player, coach and manager. Other notable signings included winger James White and full-back Tommy Martin, both from Motherwell, full-back Charlie McGill from Third Lanark and wing-half Bill McPherson from Beith. James White (born August 21, 1899 in Airdrie North Lanarkshire, Scotland) also known as Jimmy White or Tec White Motherwell Football & Athletic Club is a Scottish football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. Third Lanark Athletic Club are an Association football club that originally existed from 1872 to 1967 based in Glasgow Scotland. William “Bill” McPherson (born September 9 1897 in Greenock, Scotland) was a Scottish-American Soccer wing half. Beith FC were a Scottish football club based at Bellsdale Park in Beith. Together with goalkeeper Findlay Kerr, who joined the following season, White, McGill and McPherson would become the backbone of the Marksmen team throughout the its short history. Findlay “Lindy” Kerr (born 1898 in Millport Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland) was a U [3][4][5][1]
The 1920s and early 1930s are sometimes described as the Golden Era of US soccer and it was the Fall River Marksmen that emerged as the era's dominant team. During the 1923-24 season the Marksmen completely dominated the league. They eventually won their first league title, finishing 6 points clear of Bethlehem Steel. Bethlehem Steel FC (1911-1930 was one of the most successful early American soccer clubs Harold Brittan again spearheaded the attack, scoring 15 goals. Harold Pemberton Brittan (November 11 1894 in Derby, England – April 1964 in New York) was a U However the strength of the team lay in a strong defence which included Ned Tate and Findlay Kerr, who kept an incredible 14 clean sheets during the league season. Edward “Ned” Tate (born 1901 in South Shields, England) was an English Soccer fullback who began his career in Canada and finished it in Findlay “Lindy” Kerr (born 1898 in Millport Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland) was a U The season also saw the Marksmen go on to complete the first ASL / National Challenge Cup double. The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF affiliated teams from amateur adult club teams all the The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season In the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, the Marksmen defeated Steel 2-0 at Dexter Park in front of 20,000 fans. Dexter Park was initially a racetrack named for a famous racehorse called Dexter, and was situated in Woodhaven New York. On March 20 1924 the final attracted 14,000 fans to the High School Field in St. Louis, Missouri were they witnessed the Marksmen defeat St. Louis Vesper Buick 4-2. Vesper Buick was a US Soccer team established in 1922 in St Louis Missouri. The only disappointment for the Marksmen during the season came when they lost 1-0 to Steel in the final of the American Cup. The American Cup (also known as the American Football Association Cup and the American Federation Cup) was the first major U [6][1][3]
The Marksmen went onto win further ASL titles in 1924-25 and 1925-26, completing a three in a row sequence. They won it again in 1928-29 and then completed a four in a row when they won further titles in during the Fall 1929, Spring 1930 and Fall 1930 seasons. [7][8][9][10][3] On May 1 1927, the Marksmen also won their second National Challenge Cup, defeating Holley Carburetor F.C. 7-0 before a crowd of 10,000 at the University of Detroit Stadium. The 1927 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U Holley Carburetor FC was a US Soccer team sponsored by The Holley Brothers Company of Detroit Michigan. University of Detroit Stadium was a Stadium in Detroit Michigan. [11]
From the beginning the Marksmen regularly recruited Scottish Football League journeymen, sometimes directly from Scottish clubs but also from other ASL teams, most notably Bethlehem Steel. Founding members The Scottish League's first season of competition was in 1890-91. Bethlehem Steel FC (1911-1930 was one of the most successful early American soccer clubs However two of their most notable players, Billy Gonsalves and Bert Patenaude, actually grew up in Fall River itself. Adelino ("Billy" Gonsalves (sometimes spelt in the Portuguese form Gonçalves) ( August 10, 1908 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Bertram "Bert" Albert Patenaude ( November 4 1909, Fall River Massachusetts &ndash November 4 1974, Fall River Massachusetts Both players first established themselves at other ASL clubs - Gonsalves at Boston Wonder Workers and Patenaude at Philadelphia Field Club - before forming a formidable partnership at the Marksmen. The Boston Wonder Workers was a member of the American Soccer League. Philadelphia Field Club is a name used by four Soccer teams based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. In 1930, the duo played a major role in helping the Marksmen win a treble. The Treble is a term in Association football that refers to a club winning their country's top tier league primary domestic cup and continental level cup competition in the During the Spring 1930 season, when the ASL played as the Atlantic Coast League, they scored 44 league goals in 26 games as the Marksmen won another league title. In the National Challenge Cup the Marksmen defeated Cleveland Bruell Insurance in a two-leg final. The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF affiliated teams from amateur adult club teams all the They just about finished off the Cleveland team when they won the opening leg, 7-2, on March 30 at the Polo Grounds. The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants Jimmy McAuley and Werner Nilsen each scored a hat-trick while Alex McNab scored the other Fall River goal. Jimmy McAuley (born 1901 in Newtownards, Ireland) was an Irish Football (soccer inside forward who played professionally in Ireland and the United Werner “Scotty” Nilsen (born February 4 1904 in Skien, Norway, died May 10 1992 in St A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts Not to be confused with another Scotland international footballer Alexander 'Sandy' McNab Alex (Alec McNab (born December 27 1895 in On April 6 at Luna Park in Cleveland, Fall River took the second leg, 2-1, with further goals from McNab and Bob McAuley, no relation to Jimmy. Bob McAuley (born August 28, 1904 in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland) was an early twentieth century Scottish-Canadian Football They completed the treble when they won the Lewis Cup defeating Hakoah All-Stars 2-1 and 3-0 in another two-legged final. Hakoah All-Stars is a former United States football club that played in the American Soccer League between 1930 and 1932 [1][10]
Throughout their short history the Marksmen regularly provided opposition for touring European teams and, more often then not, they held their own. On September 19 1926 the Marksmen beat Sparta Prague 3-2. [8] On June 3 1928 at Mark's Stadium, a capacity crowd of 15,000 saw goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas keep a clean sheet as the Marksmen held Rangers to a 0-0 draw. Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. James “Jimmy” Douglas (born January 12, 1898 in East Newark New Jersey; died March 5, 1972 in Point Pleasant New Jersey Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. [12][13] Then on August 26 1928 at the same venue they beat an Italian League XI, playing as Palestra Italia, 4-2. The winner was Torino FC. Qualifications Group A Classification Results Table Please note that the home teams [14] In 1930 they played Rangers twice. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. On May 30 they lost 3-2 with Billy Gonsalves and Werner Nilsen scoring the Fall River goals. Adelino ("Billy" Gonsalves (sometimes spelt in the Portuguese form Gonçalves) ( August 10, 1908 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Werner “Scotty” Nilsen (born February 4 1904 in Skien, Norway, died May 10 1992 in St The goalkeeper that day was Johnny Reder who later played baseball with Boston Red Sox. John Anthony Reder (born Lublin, Poland, September 24, 1909; died Fall River Massachusetts, April 12, 1990 Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. However a few weeks later on June 22 they lost 6-1 at the Polo Grounds. The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants Guest player Archie Stark scored the only goal for Fall River. Archibald “Archie” Stark (December 21 1897 in Glasgow, Scotland – May 27 1985 in Kearny New Jersey) is a former U In between these games they beat Kilmarnock 3-0 at Mark's Stadium on June 15. Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. Stark scored the opening goal with Alex McNab and Bob McAuley adding the other two. Not to be confused with another Scotland international footballer Alexander 'Sandy' McNab Alex (Alec McNab (born December 27 1895 in [15][16][10]
While teams from Europe regularly toured North America, it was rare for an ASL team to play overseas. However in August 1930 the Marksmen toured Central Europe, playing six games in Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hungary. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The squad included, among others, Bill Harper, Alex McNab, Jerry Best and Werner Nilsen as well as veterans James White, Charlie McGill and Bill McPherson and guest player Archie Stark. William Harper (born January 19 1897 - died April 12 1989) also known as Bill Harper was a Scottish footballer who Not to be confused with another Scotland international footballer Alexander 'Sandy' McNab Alex (Alec McNab (born December 27 1895 in Jeremiah 'Jerry' Best (born January 23, 1901 in Mickley, England) was an English football player who began his career in Werner “Scotty” Nilsen (born February 4 1904 in Skien, Norway, died May 10 1992 in St James White (born August 21, 1899 in Airdrie North Lanarkshire, Scotland) also known as Jimmy White or Tec White William “Bill” McPherson (born September 9 1897 in Greenock, Scotland) was a Scottish-American Soccer wing half. Archibald “Archie” Stark (December 21 1897 in Glasgow, Scotland – May 27 1985 in Kearny New Jersey) is a former U Both Billy Gonsalves and Bert Patenaude were playing with the United States at the 1930 FIFA World Cup and did not travel. Adelino ("Billy" Gonsalves (sometimes spelt in the Portuguese form Gonçalves) ( August 10, 1908 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Bertram "Bert" Albert Patenaude ( November 4 1909, Fall River Massachusetts &ndash November 4 1974, Fall River Massachusetts The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer Below are the squads for the 1930 FIFA World Cup tournament in Uruguay. They opened the tour on August 20 with a 2-2 draw against Slavia Prague in front of a crowd of 18,000. This was the first of two games against Slavia. They lost the other 4-0 on August 28. They also played FK Austria Wien twice, losing the first game 6-0 on August 23 before winning the second 3-1 the following day. FK Austria Wien is an Austrian football club which plays in the capital Vienna. On August 30 they won their second game when they put three goals past ŠK Slovan Bratislava. ŠK Slovan Bratislava is a Slovak Sports club, based in Bratislava. The tour came to an end on August 31 when they lost 6-2 to Ferencvárosi TC. Ferencvárosi Torna Club (FTC also known as Ferencváros, nicknamed Fradi, is a sport club in Hungary, founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group The tour ended early, and in dispute, with Fall River unhappy about their share of the gate receipts. [1][10]
The Marksmen returned from their European tour, and started the ASL Fall 1930 season late, but that didn't stop them from winning their seventh league title, despite playing only 27 out of 30 games. However, by this stage the effects of the Great Depression had seen attendance fall at Mark's Stadium. Mark's Stadium is a former soccer Stadium located in North Tiverton Rhode Island. As a result Sam Mark moved the club to New York, hoping that a new market there would be more lucrative. Sam Mark (born Fall River Massachusetts) is a former United States soccer club owner The City of New York Once there he merged the club with New York Soccer Club and renamed them the New York Yankees. New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that in 1930 played briefly in the American Soccer League. New York Yankees were the name of a New York soccer team that played briefly in the American Soccer League. Before the merger was finalised, however, Fall River Marksmen had entered the 1931 National Challenge Cup and Mark was unable to re-register them as the Yankees. The 1931 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U As a result the Spring 1931 season saw them continue to play in the Challenge Cup as the Fall River Marksmen while at the same time playing as the New York Yankees in the ASL. While the Yankees only managed to finish third in the ASL, the Marksmen won the cup. Largely on the goalscoring strength of Billy Gonsalves, with 9, and Bert Patenaude, with 13, they reached the final where they eventually beat Chicago's Bricklayers and Masons F.C. in a final played as a three game series. Adelino ("Billy" Gonsalves (sometimes spelt in the Portuguese form Gonçalves) ( August 10, 1908 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Bertram "Bert" Albert Patenaude ( November 4 1909, Fall River Massachusetts &ndash November 4 1974, Fall River Massachusetts Bricklayers and Masons FC, also known as Chicago Bricklayers, was a U The last of these three games is officially regarded as the last game the Marksmen ever played. The first leg of the final was played on April 5 at the Polo Grounds, where the Marksmen won 6-2, and seemingly established a clear lead. The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants Patenaude scored five goals in that game while Bill McPherson added the other. William “Bill” McPherson (born September 9 1897 in Greenock, Scotland) was a Scottish-American Soccer wing half. A week later at Mills Stadium in Chicago, the Bricklayers kept the series alive by earning a 1-1 draw. This time Gonsalves got on the score sheet. Sparta Stadium in Chicago attracted 4,500 for the deciding game on April 19. The Marksmen could only field 10 players after their captain, Alex McNab, broke his arm in a midweek friendly and the club had neglected to bring along any reserves. Not to be confused with another Scotland international footballer Alexander 'Sandy' McNab Alex (Alec McNab (born December 27 1895 in Despite this they still managed to win 2-0 with goals from Patenaude and Gordon Burness. Gordon Burness (born Montrose Angus, Scotland; died July 22, 1989 in Needham Massachusetts) was a Scottish-Canadian-U [17][18][19][1]
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | National Challenge Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922-23 | 1 | ASL | 3rd | ? | |
| 1923-24 | 1 | ASL | 1st | Champion | Champion |
| 1924-25 | 1 | ASL | 1st | Champion | Did not enter |
| 1925-26 | 1 | ASL | 1st | Champion | ? |
| 1926-27 | 1 | ASL | 3rd | Champion | |
| 1927-28 | 1 | ASL | 5th (1st half); 2nd (2nd half) | Semifinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1928-29 | 1 | ASL | 1st (1st half); 1st (2nd half) | Champion | Did not enter |
| Fall 1929 | 1 | ASL | 1st | Champion | N/A |
| Spring 1930 | 1 | ACL/ASL | 1st | Champion | Champion |
| Fall 1930 | 1 | ASL | 1st | Champion | |
| Spring 1931 | 1 | ASL | 3rd (NY Yankees) | Did not qualify | Champion (Marksmen) |
see also Cat:Fall River Marksmen players