Fall River F.C. was an American
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club based in
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...
. 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 six occasions. They also won the
National Challenge Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...
four times. In 1924 they won the first ASL / Challenge Cup
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
and were subsequently the
American soccer champions three times in succession. Between 1928 and 1930 they won a further three titles in a row. In 1930 they completed a
treble, winning the ASL title, the Challenge Cup and the
Lewis Cup
The Lewis Cup was an American soccer trophy established in 1914 as the championship trophy for the amateur Blue Mountain League, which was composed of clubs from the Lehigh Valley region of northeastern Pennsylvania. It was later awarded to the win ...
. The same year they also toured
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
.
The 'Marksmen' played their home games at
Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium is a former football (soccer), soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River F.C. (1922–1931), Fall River F.C., one of the era’s most successful soccer te ...
, one of the earliest examples of a
soccer-specific stadium
A soccer-specific stadium, mainly in the United States and Canada, is a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium whic ...
in the United States.
In 1931 the franchise relocated and merged twice. They first moved to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, where they merged with
New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that, in 1930, played briefly in the American Soccer League.
In 1923, New York fur merchant Maurice Vandeweghe - the father and grandfather of later basketball stars Ernie and Kiki Van ...
and became the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. 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
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...
, where they merged with
Fall River F.C. to become the
New Bedford Whalers
New Bedford Whalers was the name of three American soccer teams based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The first Whalers played in the Southern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. The second Whalers played in the American Soccer Leag ...
.
History
Early years
In 1921 the
Southern New England Soccer League
The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional soccer league based in New England which was established in 1914 and collapsed in 1921. During its short existence, it featured some of the top teams in the northeast United States. D ...
and the
National Association Football League
The National Association Football League (also spelled ''National Association Foot Ball League'') (NAFBL) was a semi-professional U.S. soccer league which operated between 1895 and 1898. The league was reconstituted in 1906 and continued to oper ...
effectively merged to form the
American Soccer League. A new team
Fall River United were formed to enter the ASL. During the inaugural season United struggled, finishing sixth out of eight, and were on the verge of folding. After the
first ASL season United could not agree to terms on a lease for their playing grounds for the following season. Subsequently, a joint bid with United and the Fall River Rovers to continue in the ASL was denied while
Sam Mark
Samuel Mark (born Markelevich; September 22, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American soccer club owner. During the 1920s and early 1930s he was the owner of Fall River FC, often referred to as the ''Marksmen'', one of the era's most successful ...
's bid was accepted by the league. He built a new stadium at Tiverton, RI to host his new team Fall River F.C.
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
Mark's Stadium is a former football (soccer), soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River F.C. (1922–1931), Fall River F.C., one of the era’s most successful soccer te ...
was located in
North Tiverton, Rhode Island
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
, just over the
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
border from Fall River. 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
Harold Pemberton Brittan (11 November 1894 – 3 May 1959) was an American-English soccer center forward. He began his career in England with Chelsea before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he was a prolific goal scorer with the powerh ...
from
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...
. 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
Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
, full-back
Charlie McGill from
Third Lanark and wing-half
Bill McPherson from
Beith
Beith (locally ) is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) afte ...
. Together with goalkeeper
Findlay Kerr, who joined the following season, White, McGill and McPherson would become the backbone of the 'Marksmen' team throughout its short history.
Golden Era

The 1920s and early 1930s are sometimes described as the ''Golden Era'' of U.S. soccer and it was Fall River F.C. 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
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...
.
Harold Brittan
Harold Pemberton Brittan (11 November 1894 – 3 May 1959) was an American-English soccer center forward. He began his career in England with Chelsea before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he was a prolific goal scorer with the powerh ...
again spearheaded the offense, scoring 15 goals. However the strength of the team lay in a strong defense which included
Ned Tate and
Findlay Kerr, who kept an incredible 14 clean sheets during the league season. The season also saw the 'Marksmen' go on to complete the first ASL /
National Challenge Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...
double
Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to:
Mathematics and computing
* Multiplication by 2
* Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length
* A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1
* A ...
. In the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, the 'Marksmen' defeated the 'Steelmen' 2–0 at
Dexter Park in front of 20,000 fans. On March 30, 1924, the final attracted 14,000 fans to the High School Field in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, where they witnessed the 'Marksmen' defeat
St. Louis Vesper Buick 4–2. The only disappointment for the Marksmen during the season came when they lost 1–0 to the 'Steelmen' in the final of the
American Cup
The American Football Association Challenge Cup (also known as the American Association Cup or simply American Cup) was the first major U.S. soccer competition open to teams beyond a single league. It was first held in 1884, and organised by t ...
.
The 'Marksmen' went on to 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 the
Fall 1929,
Spring 1930 and
Fall 1930 seasons.
On May 1, 1927, the Marksmen also won their second
National Challenge Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...
, defeating
Holley Carburetor F.C. 7–0 before a crowd of 10,000 at the
University of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of the University of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. The stadium ...
.
From the beginning the 'Marksmen' regularly recruited
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) is a defunct league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4&nbs ...
journeymen, sometimes directly from Scottish clubs but also from other ASL teams, most notably
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...
. However two of their most notable players,
Billy Gonsalves
Adelino William Gonsalves (August 10, 1908 – July 17, 1977) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of ...
and
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude (; November 4, 1909November 4, 1974) was an American soccer player who played as a forward. Although it was formerly disputed, he is officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup ...
, actually grew up in Fall River itself. Both players first established themselves at other ASL clubs – Gonsalves at
Boston Soccer Club
The Boston Soccer Club was a member of the American Soccer League. They were renamed the Boston Bears for the Fall 1929 ASL season.
In 1925, the ASL and the St. Louis Soccer League (SLSL) boycotted the National Challenge Cup, now known as t ...
and Patenaude at
Philadelphia Field Club
Philadelphia Field Club is a name used by four soccer teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All four versions of Philadelphia F.C. competed in the first American Soccer League, but none were in any way related to the other three teams whi ...
– before forming a formidable partnership at the 'Marksmen'. In 1930, the duo played a major role in helping the 'Marksmen' win a
treble. 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
1930 National Challenge Cup
Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 193 for this ye ...
the Marksmen defeated
Cleveland Bruell Insurance in a two-leg final. 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 of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
.
Jimmy McAuley and
Werner Nilsen
Werner "Scotty" Nilsen (February 4, 1904 – May 10, 1992) was a former soccer player who played as a forward. He is one of the highest scoring players in United States soccer history, scoring 131 goals in 239 games with the Boston Soccer Club. ...
each scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
while
Alex McNab
Alexander McNab (27 December 1894 – 3 April 1960) was a Scottish-American soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the US, he won six consecutive National Challenge Cups with teams from b ...
scored the other Fall River goal. On April 6 at
Luna Park
Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903), Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Islan ...
in Cleveland, Fall River took the second leg, 2–1, with further goals from McNab and
Bob McAuley, no relation to Jimmy. They completed the treble when they won the
Lewis Cup
The Lewis Cup was an American soccer trophy established in 1914 as the championship trophy for the amateur Blue Mountain League, which was composed of clubs from the Lehigh Valley region of northeastern Pennsylvania. It was later awarded to the win ...
defeating
Hakoah All-Stars
Hakoah All-Stars is a former United States soccer club, based in New York City, that played in the American Soccer League between 1930 and 1932. The club was formed after the merger of Brooklyn Hakoah of the ASL and New York Hakoah of the Easter ...
2–1 and 3–0 in another two-legged final.
European Tours
Throughout their short history the Marksmen regularly provided opposition for touring European teams and, more often than not, they held their own. On September 19, 1926, the Marksmen beat
Sparta Prague
Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague.
It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
3–2. On June 3, 1928, at
Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium is a former football (soccer), soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River F.C. (1922–1931), Fall River F.C., one of the era’s most successful soccer te ...
, a capacity crowd of 15,000 saw goalkeeper
Jimmy Douglas keep a clean sheet as the Marksmen held
Rangers
A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
to a 0–0 tie. Then on August 26, 1928, at the same venue they beat an
Italian League XI, playing as ''Palestra Italia'', 4–2. In 1930 they played
Rangers
A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
twice. On May 30 they lost 3–2 with
Billy Gonsalves
Adelino William Gonsalves (August 10, 1908 – July 17, 1977) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of ...
and
Werner Nilsen
Werner "Scotty" Nilsen (February 4, 1904 – May 10, 1992) was a former soccer player who played as a forward. He is one of the highest scoring players in United States soccer history, scoring 131 goals in 239 games with the Boston Soccer Club. ...
scoring the Fall River goals. The goalkeeper that day was
Johnny Reder who later played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
with
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. However a few weeks later on June 22 they lost 6–1 at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
. Guest player
Archie Stark
Archibald McPherson Stark (December 21, 1897 – May 27, 1985) was a soccer player who became the dominant player in U.S. leagues during the 1920s and early 1930s. He spent nine seasons in the National Association Football League and another twe ...
scored the only goal for Fall River. In between these games they beat
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
3–0 at
Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium is a former football (soccer), soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River F.C. (1922–1931), Fall River F.C., one of the era’s most successful soccer te ...
on June 15. Stark scored the opening goal with
Alex McNab
Alexander McNab (27 December 1894 – 3 April 1960) was a Scottish-American soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the US, he won six consecutive National Challenge Cups with teams from b ...
and Bob McAuley adding the other two.
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
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
, playing six games in
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''ÄŒesko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, and
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
. The squad included, among others,
Bill Harper,
Alex McNab
Alexander McNab (27 December 1894 – 3 April 1960) was a Scottish-American soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the US, he won six consecutive National Challenge Cups with teams from b ...
,
Jerry Best and
Werner Nilsen
Werner "Scotty" Nilsen (February 4, 1904 – May 10, 1992) was a former soccer player who played as a forward. He is one of the highest scoring players in United States soccer history, scoring 131 goals in 239 games with the Boston Soccer Club. ...
as well as veterans
James White, Charlie McGill and
Bill McPherson and guest player
Archie Stark
Archibald McPherson Stark (December 21, 1897 – May 27, 1985) was a soccer player who became the dominant player in U.S. leagues during the 1920s and early 1930s. He spent nine seasons in the National Association Football League and another twe ...
. Both
Billy Gonsalves
Adelino William Gonsalves (August 10, 1908 – July 17, 1977) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of ...
and
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude (; November 4, 1909November 4, 1974) was an American soccer player who played as a forward. Although it was formerly disputed, he is officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup ...
were playing with the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
at the
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. FIFA, ...
and did not travel. They opened the tour on August 20 with a 2–2 tie against
Slavia Prague
Sportovnà klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in t ...
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
Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (), known in English as Austria Vienna, and Austria Wien in German language in Europe, German-speaking countries, is an Football in Austria, Austrian professional association football club from the capital city of Vi ...
twice, losing the first game 6–0 on August 23 before winning the second 3–1 the following day. On August 30 they won their second game when they put three goals past
Å K Slovan Bratislava
Å K Slovan Bratislava (, "Bratislava Slavs") is a professional association football, football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, that plays in the Slovak First Football League. Founded as I. ÄŒSÅ K Bratislava in 1919, the club changed its name ...
. The tour came to an end on August 31 when they lost 6–2 to
Ferencvárosi TC
Ferencvárosi Torna Club, commonly known as Ferencváros (), Fradi, FTC is a Hungary, Hungarian professional Association football, football club based in Ferencváros, Budapest, that competes in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top flight of Hunga ...
. The tour ended early, and in dispute, with Fall River unhappy about their share of the gate receipts.
Fall River/Yankees
The 'Marksmen' returned from their European tour, and started the
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
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
had seen attendance fall at
Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium is a former football (soccer), soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River F.C. (1922–1931), Fall River F.C., one of the era’s most successful soccer te ...
. As a result,
Sam Mark
Samuel Mark (born Markelevich; September 22, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American soccer club owner. During the 1920s and early 1930s he was the owner of Fall River FC, often referred to as the ''Marksmen'', one of the era's most successful ...
moved the club to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, hoping that a new market there would be more lucrative. Once there he merged the club with
New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that, in 1930, played briefly in the American Soccer League.
In 1923, New York fur merchant Maurice Vandeweghe - the father and grandfather of later basketball stars Ernie and Kiki Van ...
and renamed them the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. Before the merger was finalized, however, Fall River F.C. had entered the
1931 National Challenge Cup
The 1931 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
History
By the spring of 1931, the twin ravages of the Great Depression and the "Soccer Wars" had ...
and Mark was unable to re-register them as the Yankees. As a result, the
Spring 1931 season saw them continue to play in the Challenge Cup as the ''Fall River F.C.'' 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
Adelino William Gonsalves (August 10, 1908 – July 17, 1977) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of ...
, with 9, and
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude (; November 4, 1909November 4, 1974) was an American soccer player who played as a forward. Although it was formerly disputed, he is officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup ...
, with 13, they reached the final where they eventually beat
Chicago Bricklayers in a final played as a three-game series. 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
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
, where the 'Marksmen' won 6–2, and seemingly established a clear lead. Patenaude scored five goals in that game while
Bill McPherson added the other. A week later at Mills Stadium in Chicago, the Bricklayers kept the series alive by earning a 1–1 tie. 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
Alexander McNab (27 December 1894 – 3 April 1960) was a Scottish-American soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the US, he won six consecutive National Challenge Cups with teams from b ...
, broke his arm in a midweek friendly and the club had neglected to bring along any reserves. Despite this they still managed to win 2–0 with goals from Patenaude and
Gordon Burness.
["Brickies Lose; Soccer Title To New York". (April 20, 1931). ''Chicago Tribune'', p.27 col.7]
Year-by-year
Honors
*
American Soccer League
**''Winners''
1923–24,
1924–25,
1925–26,
1928–29,
1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
,
1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...
: 6
*
National Challenge Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...
**''Winners''
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...
,
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
,
1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...
,
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
: 4
*
Lewis Cup
The Lewis Cup was an American soccer trophy established in 1914 as the championship trophy for the amateur Blue Mountain League, which was composed of clubs from the Lehigh Valley region of northeastern Pennsylvania. It was later awarded to the win ...
**''Winners'' 1930: 1
**''Runners Up'' 1925: 1
*
American Cup
The American Football Association Challenge Cup (also known as the American Association Cup or simply American Cup) was the first major U.S. soccer competition open to teams beyond a single league. It was first held in 1884, and organised by t ...
**''Runners Up''
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...
: 1
Notable players
Notable coaches
*
Harold Brittan
Harold Pemberton Brittan (11 November 1894 – 3 May 1959) was an American-English soccer center forward. He began his career in England with Chelsea before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he was a prolific goal scorer with the powerh ...
: 1922–1926
*
Fred Morley
Frederick Morley (16 December 1850 – 28 September 1884) was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime, and some consider him to be the greatest fast bowler ever. During a 13-year career ...
References
{{USSoccer
1922 establishments in Massachusetts
1931 disestablishments in Massachusetts
American Soccer League (1921–1933) teams
Defunct soccer clubs in Massachusetts
Marksmen
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle (or a sniper rifle) to shoot at ...
Association football clubs established in 1922
Association football clubs disestablished in 1931
Tiverton, Rhode Island
U.S. Open Cup winners