American Football Association (1884–1924)

Last updated

American Football Association
Short nameAFA
Founded1894;130 years ago (1894)
Folded1925;99 years ago (1925)
Location Newark, New Jersey
PresidentJames Grant
Vice-PresidentThomas B. Hood

The American Football Association (AFA) was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. [1] It was the second oldest sports league to form, behind the National League of baseball in 1876 [2] , as well as being the oldest soccer organization in the United States.

Contents

History

The Association was formed in 1884 [3] in an attempt to standardize rules and procedures. It was allied with The Football Association, becoming a member on February 22, 1909, at an FA meeting chaired by Charles Clegg, [4] and drew on that organization's approach to the game. As part of its efforts, the AFA directly organized cup competitions as well as overseeing the operations of member leagues. In 1884, the AFA established the American Cup, [3] which for several decades was the highest competitive soccer competition in the United States.

The weakness of the AFA lay in its refusal to expand outside the southern New England region. [5] In addition, those involved in American Soccer had concerns about the AFA concentrating on professional players and their strong ties to the FA. AFA had never had an American president and in 1911 when they banned AFA-affiliated teams from playing Corinthian F.C., who was split from the FA, it was too much for many and they looked to join the newly formed American Amateur Football Association (AAFA). [6]

When a movement began to create a national governing body in 1911, the AFA found itself confronting the newly established AAFA, a body which quickly became national. [7] The AFA argued that it should be recognized by FIFA. However, several member organizations defected from the AFA to the AAFA in 1912. The AAFA quickly moved to reform itself as the United States Football Association, receiving FIFA recognition in 1913. [8] The AFA continued to run the American Cup through 1924, but by that time it had been superseded by the National Challenge Cup and National Amateur Cup.

American Cup

Ed.YearChampionScoreRunner-up
1
 1885 Clark ONT (1)1–0New York F.B.C.
2
 1886 Clark ONT (2)3–1Kearny Rangers
3
 1887 Clark ONT (3)3–2Kearny Rangers
4
 1888 Fall River Rovers (1)5–1Newark Almas
5
 1889 Fall River Rovers (2)4–0Newark Caledonians
6
 1890 Fall River Olympics(1)4–3Kearny Rovers
7
 1891 Fall River East Ends(1)3–1Brooklyn Longfellows
8
 1892 Fall River East Ends(2)5–2New York Thistle
9
 1893 Pawtucket Free Wanderers(1)3–1New York Thistle
10
 1894 Fall River Olympics(2)4–1 Paterson True Blues
11
 1895 Newark Caledonians(1)4–0Pawtucket Free Wanderers
12
 1896 Paterson True Blues (1)7–2Fall River Olympics
13
 1897 Philadelphia Manz(1)5–2, 2–2 Paterson True Blues
14
 1898 Arlington A.A.(1)4–2Kearny A.C.
–
1899–1905
(Not held)
15
 1906 West Hudson (1)3–1 Paterson True Blues
16
 1907 Clark (1)4–0 Scottish Americans
17
 1908 West Hudson (2)3–2 Paterson True Blues
18
 1909 Paterson True Blues (2)2–1 East Newark Clark
19
 1910 Diston (1)2–1 Kearny Scots
20
 1911 Howard and Bullough (1)1–1, 3–1 Philadelphia Hibernian
21
1912 West Hudson (3)1–0 Paterson Rangers
22
 1913 Paterson True Blues (3)2–1 Disston A.A.
23
 1914 Bethlehem Steel (1)1–0 Disston A.A.
24
 1915 Kearny Scots (1)1–0 Brooklyn Celtic
25
 1916 Bethlehem Steel (2)3–0 Kearny Scots
26
 1917 Bethlehem Steel (3)7–0 West Hudson A.A.
27
 1918 Bethlehem Steel (4)1–0 Babcock & Wilcox
28
 1919 Bethlehem Steel (5)2–0 Paterson F.C.
29
 1920 Brooklyn Robins Dry Dock (1)1–0 Bethlehem Steel
30
1921 Brooklyn Robins Dry Dock (2)5–2 Fore River
–
 1922
(Not held)
31
 1923 Fleisher Yarn (1)2–0 J&P Coats
32
 1924 Bethlehem Steel (6)1–0 Fall River F.C.

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References

  1. ↑ Farnsworth, Ed; McCabe, Tom; Rausch, Kurt. ""The Noxious Scottish Weed": Early North American soccer and the Laws of the Game". USSoccerHistory.org. Society for American Soccer History. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Langs, Sarah (May 29, 2021). "Donaldson scores MLB's 2 millionth run". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Murray, C.K. (1910). "History and Progress of the AFA". Spalding's Athletic Library; Official Soccer Football Guide 2010. New York: American sports publishing company. p. 27. ISBN   9781478105978 – via Newspaper.com.
  4. ↑ "Football:The Association Cup Draw". The Guardian . Manchester, England. February 23, 1909. Retrieved May 4, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Duffey, Edward (August 19, 1911). "America should have national soccer body". Neward Star Eagle . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ Allaway, Robert (November 8, 2023). "The American Football Association". USSoccerHistory.org. Society for American Soccer History. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Socker teams form big national body". Brooklyn Daily . December 14, 1911. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ Wangerin, David (2008). Soccer in a football world : the story of America's forgotten game. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 33. ISBN   9781592138852.
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