Cleveland has a very long but under-recognized soccer history. The first official game took place in 1889, the first league formed in 1906, and the first fenced soccer-specific field was built in 1914. Cleveland teams have contested the US Open Cup title three times, in 1930, 1945, and 1973, and the Shamrocks won the Amateur Cup in 1932. The history of soccer in Northeast Ohio is longer and stronger than most people imagine, as this first of two timelines of soccer’s beginnings in Cleveland illustrates.
A version of this article first appeared at The Sockerite on September 24, 2014.
Hay Craig!
My name is Rolf Ahrens and interested Cleveland soccer clubs and community teams during the mid to late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
I played for a community team from Bedford who was coached by Bennie Dargle’s father. Bennie went on to play professionally on the west coast and also for the Cleveland Force Indoor soccer.
But, as I remember we played against clubs and community’s in the area. Such as German Central, Broadview Hts., Empire, Zargreb. I know there were others but my memory isn’t what it once was.
Since Bedford didn’t have a high school team, when Bennie was old enough the Dargle family moved to Hudson since they had High School soccer. From there he went Akron University and then professionally