The National Association Football League (NAFBL) was a semi-professional U.S. soccer league which operated between 1895 and 1898. The league was reconstituted in 1906 and continued to operate until 1921.
John J. "Rabbit" Hemingsley(also spelled Heminsley) was a U.S. soccer center forward who played the first two U.S. national team games in 1916. He spent seven seasons in the National Association Football League and five in the American Soccer League.
Paterson True Blues was a professional U.S. soccer team founded in 1887 and disestablished after 1915. The True Blues, based out of Paterson, New Jersey, are best known as one of the dominant soccer teams of its era and one of the first U.S. soccer dynasties.
Clark Athletic Association, also known as East Newark Clark A.A., was a U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Clark Mile End Spool Cotton Company. It spent two seasons in the National Association Football League where it was co-champion in 1909.
The 1908 American Cup was the annual soccer tournament held by the American Football Association. The West Hudsons won the tournament for the second time in three years defeating the Paterson True Blues in the final as they did in 1906.
The fourth season of the National Association Foot Ball League began on Saturday, October 30, 1897 after eight major teams New York City and in New Jersey had "sunk all their differences" and agreed to put the NAFBL on a firm financial basis. Among the new features was that the matches would be scheduled "so that teams which cannot play on Saturdays will be allowed to play on Sundays, and vice-versa." The original lineup featured the New Jersey teams of Americus A.A. ; Centreville A.C. (Bayonne); the Scottish-Americans of Newark; the Kearny Scots of the Newark suburb of Kearny, New Jersey; the True Blues and the Crescents ; and Arlington A.A., with the Brooklyn Wanderers as the New York team.
The 1885 American Cup was the inaugural edition of this tournament staged by the American Football Association. Six teams contended for the first edition played in the 1884–85 season. Five of the teams were from New Jersey and one from New York. The Association and the tournament itself were the result of the success the game had in the previous winter and fall and despite all the teams coming from a relatively limited area it was anticipated that the game would undoubtedly grow. The draw for the first round was reported in newspapers on October 1, 1884, after being conducted by the clubs' secretaries at Paterson. The completion of the trophy was announced several days later. The trophy was exhibited in several places around Newark, Paterson and New York. The trophy, originally valued at $200, was described as having "a neat design in silver and gold appropriate figures of foot ballists being engraved on it". Clark ONT became the first winners of the trophy along with the purse of $150.
The 1886 American Cup was the second installment of the soccer tournament directed by the American Football Association. Clark ONT, as holders of the trophy, had successfully defended their title and receiving along with the trophy a pair of leg guards donated by the Alma Cricket and Football club.
The 1887 American Cup was the third edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. For the third time since its inception the Clark ONT's were the champions.
The 1888 American Cup was the fourth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. Having expanded into the New England district the first new champions came from Fall River, Massachusetts after Clark ONT of Newark had won the previous three editions. The Rovers defeated the Newark Almas in the final.
The 1889 American Cup was the fifth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Fall River Rovers won their second consecutive title by defeating the Newark Caledonians in the final.
The 1890 American Cup was the sixth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Fall River Olympics won their first title becoming the second Fall River team to do so after the Rovers had won the previous two editions.
The 1892 American Cup was the eighth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Fall River East Ends won their second title in succession by overcoming the New York Thistles in the final. The Challenge Cup committee elected by the AFA were Robert Miller of O.N.T. as president, James Henderson of Brooklyn Nonpareil as vice president, Thomas B. Hood of Pawtucket as Secretary, and John Lang of Fall River as Treasurer.
The 1893 American Cup was the ninth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Pawtucket Free Wanderers won their first title by overcoming the New York Thistles in the final. This season operations shifted to New England with the elected committee represented by John Clark of Pawtucket as president, Joseph Brady of the East Ends as vice president, John F. Geagan of the Rovers as Secretary, and Ephraim Mayes of the Olympics as Treasurer.
The 1894 American Cup was the tenth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Fall River Olympics won their second title by defeating the Paterson True Blues in the final. This season the elected committee was William Turner as president, William W. Douglas as vice president, James Henderson as Secretary, and Ephraim Mayes of the Olympics as Treasurer. The committee selected the Thomlinson's patent football as the official ball to be used in all cup games.
The 1895 American Cup was the eleventh edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Newark Caledonians brought the trophy back to New Jersey for the first time since 1887 by winning 4–0 against the Pawtucket Free Wanderers in the final. This season the elected committee was Samuel Worthington as president, Thomas Burke as vice president, William Robertson as Secretary, and Alexander Micklejohn as Treasurer. The committee chose the Thomlinson football to be the official ball for use in all cup games. This was the first occasion a steam ship team was admitted to the competition. Players from the Teutonic of the White Star line were placed in the western division. The American League of Professional Football began play this season just two weeks prior to the American Cup's opening round. However, in order to protect itself, the AFA barred players from joining the association who had already signed contracts with the ALPF. The National Association Football League also began its first season in March. The only AFA club to participate in the NAFBL, the Centrevilles of Bayonne, were the first champions.
The 1896 American Cup was the twelfth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The 1894 Runners Up, Paterson True Blues, won the tournament after defeating the two-time champions Fall River Olympics in the final. This season the elected committee was James C. Potter of Pawtucket as president, James Turner of Paterson as vice president, William Robertson of Newark as Secretary, and Andrew Meiklejohn of Pawtucket as Treasurer.
The 1897 American Cup was the thirteenth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Philadelphia Manz won this edition defeating defending champions Paterson True Blues after four attempts to complete the final. The committee for this season was H. Goldberg as president, W. Turner as vice president, William Robertson as Secretary, and Hugh Wilkie as Treasurer. The Amateur Athlete was made the official publication of the association. The 'Victor ball' by the Overman Wheel Company was chosen as the official football for use in cup games. The association originally intended to have a league series and a cup tournament. They later dropped the league idea in favor of having each team play home and away games for the cup ties. If each team won a game, then the managers of each contesting team would flip a coin to see where the third game would take place. Players had to be registered 14 days before a game to be eligible to play.
The 1906 American Cup was the fifteenth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. After being inactive for several years, the AFA reorganized in February 1906 with eight initial entries from the New Jersey towns of Harrison, Paterson, Kearny, and Newark. At their February 13 meeting at the Caledonian House in Paterson it was decided to send additional invitations to Metropolitan league teams. On February 17 at the Cosmopolitan Park House in East Newark Hal A. Holden of Kearny was elected president, Harry Craig of Paterson as treasurer, Peter Martin(Bronx Rangers) as vice-president, Herbert Turner of Paterson as recording secretary, James Allen Jr. of O.N.T. as financial secretary and Dr. John W. Reid as honorary president. On February 24, exhibition games between the West Hudsons of Harrison and Pan Americans of Fall River coincided with the association meeting at Cosmopolitan Hall in order to have a representative, in this case C.C. Murphy, present for New England clubs wishing to join the tournament. On this occasion four additional teams from the Metropolitan district joined bringing the total to twelve. Entries were open until March 3. John Swithenby who was in possession of the old trophy donated it to the association to once again award it to the winner of the tournament.
The 1907 American Cup was the sixteenth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Clark Athletic Association won the final match against the Scottish Americans.
