Ed Farnsworth and Kurt Rausch look at the season Scottish-born Henry “Harry” Boyd spent in the US in 1891-92 during which he played for Chicago Thistle, Fall River Olympics, and also Fall River East End, the latter with whom he won the American Cup. Boyd’s playing career in England and Scotland included stints at Sunderland Albion, Burnley, West Bromwich Albion, Third Lanark, Woolwich Arsenal, and Newton Heath.
Toffee Soccer co-author David France discusses the history of Everton’s North America tours and is joined by Everton Fans’ Forum international lead Tony Sampson. Updated with video
Ed Farnsworth looks at how a reunion of old teammates in Philadelphia led to the formation of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Updated with Video National Soccer Hall of Fame Executive Director Djorn Buchholz will talk about his tenure at the Hall from its 2018 opening in Frisco, developing a new process for the induction of Hall of Famers, managing the organization during a global pandemic, and plans for the future.
Brian D. Bunk on how teams and matches were organized in the early period of US soccer history.
Michael Kielty, Pádraig Coyle, and Conor Curran will discuss the Irish influence on soccer in the United States.
Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk will present their research on Oliver and Fred Watson, two Black players born in Rhode Island who played between 1894 and 1907.
Milwaukee, National Amateur Cup:
SASH member Robert A. Gansler has made a documentary about the Bavarian Soccer Club, five-time winners of the National Amateur Cup, and twice winners of the USASA National Open Cup.
Osvaldo Croci reviews Olivier Corbobesse’s L’Histoire racontée par le Football
Midwestern US, SASH Sessions, Southwestern US:
A review of December’s SASH session on the history of soccer in the South Central and Midwestern United States. Includes video from the session.
AFA, Black Soccer, Fall River, Pawtucket:
Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk on Oliver “Allie” Watson and Fred Watson, two brothers from Rhode Island who between them from 1894 to 1901 were the first African Americans to play in a senior soccer league, to play and score in an American Cup match, win a league championship, and play for a professional team.
Patrick H. Salkeld, Jeff Organ, and Rachel Allison will discuss the history of soccer in the South Central and Midwestern regions of the United States. Updated with Video
Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk on Oliver “Allie” Watson and Fred Watson, two brothers from Rhode Island who between them from 1894 to 1901 were the first African Americans to play in a senior soccer league, to play and score in an American Cup match, win a league championship, and play for a professional team.
The footage is from two matches during the 1919 tour and is the earliest known footage of a professional US soccer team.
Elmer Schroeder was elected as the first native-born president of US Soccer in 1932. Two decades later he was murdered.
The footage is from the 1-1 draw at Stockholm Olympic Stadium with Stockholm Tigrarna on August 15, 1916, the first match of the first-ever overseas tour by the US Men’s National Team.
Kurt Rausch’s examination of the career of Samuel Bustard — who was widely, and wrongly, reported dead during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic — illuminates soccer in the New York Metro Area in the 1910s and 1920s.
Following the collapse of the ALPF after only 16 games over two weeks, four former ALPF sides met in seven additional matches, including a series of three games in Fall River for the “championship of America.” Former Boston and Brooklyn ALPF professionals continued in Fall River after that.
