1911–12 American Cup
Soccer tournament
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The 1911â12 American Cup was the twentyâfirst edition of the challenge cup held by the American Football Association. The new officers for this season were elected at a meeting at the Continental Hotel in Newark on May 27, 1911.[1] John Watt the former president was now Honorary President, John Lone was president, A.M. Brown of Philadelphia was ViceâPresident, Harry Craig of Paterson was Treasurer, Andrew N. Beveridge was Secretary, and Duncan Carswell was recording secretary. This was a pivotal year for the AFA which was aligned with the English FA. The touring Corinthians team was part of the Amateur Football Association and not a member of the English FA. The AFA was instructed by the English FA to bar teams from playing in any matches with the 'outlaw' Corinthians at the risk of expulsion. As a result, Newark was suspended for a year for playing a match with the Corinthians on September 18, 1911, at Morris Park, Newark.[2] The New York State League expelled Bronx United because they pulled a player from the New York State League select team's match against the Corinthians played on September 16, 1911, at the Polo Grounds.[3] Newark, having withdrawn from the National Association Football League, was replaced with Bronx United.[4] The New York State League in a retaliatory moved started their own tournament and renamed themselves the American Amateur Football Association[5] The AFA now had a rival organization and tournament to compete with. Newark, now a member of the New York Amateur League in place of Bronx United, went on to win that championship and finished runnerâup in the AAFA Cup.[6] Newark's home field, Morris Park, was selected as the site of the AFA cup final, an all New Jersey match between the Rangers and West Hudson.[7]
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Dates | October 1911 â April 1912 |
| Teams | 35 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | West Hudson (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Rangers |
Participants
There were 35 total participants although there were eight withdrawals in the first round and one in the preliminary. These consisted primarily of the eight New York Amateur League teams Arcadia Thistle (NY), Columbia Oval (NY), Clan MacDuff (Harlem), Clan MacDonald (Brooklyn), Critchley (Brooklyn), Celtic (Brooklyn), Hollywood Inn (Yonkers) from the first division and Mount Vernon of the second division. The other withdrawal was Gorham from Providence, RI of the New England League. The other teams from New England were Fore River (Quincy), J&P Coats (Pawtucket), Howard & Bullough (Pawtucket) and the Rovers of Fall River. Two teams from the Connecticut League were Ansonia and Park City of Bridgeport. All ten teams from the Pennsylvania League participated which included Tacony, Hibernian, Victor, Wissinoming, Celtic, Tennyson, Thistle, Collingwood, Gloucester Hibernian, and the Caledonian of Trenton, NJ. All of the members of the National League took part as well including West Hudson (Harrison), Wilberforce (Paterson), True Blue (Paterson), Rangers (Paterson), Jersey AC (Jersey City), Brooklyn, Bronx United, and Scottish American of Newark. The remaining two teams were from the American Amateur Association Football League (not to be confused with the American Amateur Football Association) which were Haledon Thistle and Olympic both of Paterson, NJ.
Preliminary round
The draw was held September 23, 1911 at the Continental hotel in Newark, NJ. The 35 teams were divided up into Pennsylvania, New England, and New York/New Jersey districts only for the preliminary round to bring the total to 32 teams for the first round.[8]
New York/New Jersey District
| Mt. Vernon | w/o | Jersey AC |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
Pennsylvania District
| Tennyson | 0â3 | Collingwood |
|---|---|---|
| [10] | Liggett (3) |
New England District
First round
| Hollywood Inn | w/o | J&P Coats |
|---|---|---|
| [13] |
| Victor | w/o | Critchley |
|---|---|---|
| [14] |
| Wilberforce | w/o | Clan McDuff |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
| Brooklyn Celtic | w/o | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
| Collingwood | w/o | Columbia Oval |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
| Jersey AC | w/o | Clan MacDonald |
|---|---|---|
| [9] |
| Olympic | w/o | Arcadia Thistle |
|---|---|---|
| [15] |
| Caledonian | w/o | Gorham |
|---|---|---|
| [16] |
| Celtic | 5â0 | Gloucester Hibernian |
|---|---|---|
| G. Brown (4) Starkey |
[17] |
| Thistle | 1â0 | Bronx United |
|---|---|---|
| 20' Young | [18] |
| Haledon Thistle | 1â4 | Wissinoming |
|---|---|---|
| 2H' Turner | [19] | 3' McArthur 1H' Radcliffe 2H' Radcliffe 2H' Fleming |
| True Blue | 0â0 | Fore River |
|---|---|---|
| [22] |
| Rangers | 3â1 | Hibernian |
|---|---|---|
| 10' Spinnler 1H' George Bissett 2H' Spinnnler |
[23] | 85' Logue |
| Scottish American | 1â1 | Fall River |
|---|---|---|
| 47' Fenwick | [24] | 70' Proctor |
| West Hudson | 2â1 | Tacony |
|---|---|---|
| 17' Johnny Tait 50' Bob Lennox |
[25] | Hector MacDonald |
replays
| Fore River | 3â0 | True Blue |
|---|---|---|
| 1H' Moran 1H' Harrison D. McDonald |
[26] |
| Fall River | 2â1 | Scottish American |
|---|---|---|
| 2' Lynn 60' Proctor |
[27] | 40' York |
Second round
The draw for the second round was held on November 11, 1911, at the Continental hotel in Newark, NJ.[28]
| J&P Coats | 1â2 | West Hudson |
|---|---|---|
| 2H' Boots | [29] | 13' Tait 26' Tait |
| Fall River | 2â2 | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|
| 23' Albert Lynn 60' L. Gauthier |
[30] | 30' McClellan 81' Gillette |
| Wissinoming | 1â0 | Thistle |
|---|---|---|
| 43' Radcliffe | [31] |
| Collingwood | 0â1 | Fore River |
|---|---|---|
| [32] | 75' Harrison |
| Jersey AC | 3â4 | Wilberforce |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy Gorman Charlie Zehnbauer Smith (pk) |
[33] | Leadbetter Leadbetter Tom Fisher (pk) 84' Ford |
| Rangers | 2â2 | Caledonian |
|---|---|---|
| 35' McNair | [34] | 44' Cameron Darragh (og) 70' Eyers (pk) |
| Victor | 3â1 | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
| Beech Heinbecker Newton |
[35] | Jack Taylor |
| Howard & Bullough | 3â0 | Olympic |
|---|---|---|
| 35' Hemingray Daley Simcox |
[36] |
replays
| Caledonian | 0â2 | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| [37] | Spinnler McNair |
| Brooklyn | 7â0 | Fall River |
|---|---|---|
| 20' Black 30' Van der Weghe 60' Black 65' Adamson Adamson Black Black |
[38] |
Third round
The draw for the third round was held on December 2, 1911, at the Continental hotel in Newark, NJ.[39] The RangersâWissinoming match was ordered replayed because the referee had to stop the game on three occasions to move the crowd off the field for interfering with the players.
| Howard & Bullough | 1â1 | Fore River |
|---|---|---|
| 37' Bennett | [40] | 35' Harrison |
| West Hudson | 3â0 | Wilberforce |
|---|---|---|
| 5' Tait 15' Tait 88' Carter |
[41] |
| Brooklyn | 1â2 | Victor |
|---|---|---|
| McClellan | [42] | 85' Newton (pk) 88' Harold Beech |
| Rangers | 1â0 | Wissinoming |
|---|---|---|
| Ferguson (pk) | [43] |
replays
| Fore River | 1â1 | Howard & Bullough |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison | [44] | 85' McKay |
| Howard & Bullough | 2â1 | Fore River |
|---|---|---|
| 32' McKay 77' Daley |
[45] | 43' Harrison (pk) |
| Rangers | 4â1 | Wissinoming |
|---|---|---|
| 21' McNair 40' Johnny Young 57' Ferguson (pk) Spinnler |
[46] | 86' Young |
Semifinals
The second VictorâWest Hudson replay required two 15âminute overtime periods.
| Victor | 1â1 | West Hudson |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Gaynor | [47] | 20' Lennox |
| Howard & Bullough | 0â1 | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| [48] | 88' A. Coul |
replays
| West Hudson | 3â3 | Victor |
|---|---|---|
| 35' Lennox (pk) 48' Johnny Tait 83' Bob McKay |
[49] | 20' Wright 30' Bob Robinson 63' Tom Gaynor |
| Victor | 0â1 | West Hudson |
|---|---|---|
| [50] | OT' Carter |
Final
The West Hudsons and Rangers were both members of the National League. West Hudson was in first place with the Rangers vying for third place. West Hudson had an edge in the season series having won an exhibition game while splitting their two National League games with a win each.
| West Hudson | 1â0 | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| 22' James Cooper | [51] |
Champions
