A forward who was the first St. Louis star to move east and make a name for himself with powerful eastern clubs. Ratican eventually won three U.S. Open Cup titles, and played in the final a fourth time.
Ratican starred with Ben Millers in St. Louis from 1911 to 1915, before signing with the team being built at Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Bethlehem team that won the National Association Foot Ball League and 1919, and played in his first U.S. Open Cup final in 1918. Ratican had one of Bethlehem’s goals as it tied the final, 2-2, with Fall River Rovers, and then two more goals as Bethlehem won the replay, 3-0. A year later, Ratican scored a goal in Bethlehem’s 2-0 victory over Paterson in the U.S. Open Cup final. He won another U.S. Open Cup title in 1921 with Robins Dry Dock, and was on the losing side with Todd Shipyards against Scullin Steel in the 1922 final. Ratican won American Football Association Cup titles with both Bethlehem and Robins.
Ratican was a member of the Bethlehem Steel team that made a Scandinavian tour in 1919 after winning the U.S. Open Cup, and a member of the St. Louis all-star team that made a similar tour in 1920.
Inducted in 1950.
