1915–16 American Cup

The 1916 American Cup was the annual challenge cup held by the American Football Association. The 1916 edition included 37 teams. The title was won by Bethlehem with a 3-0 win over the Scottish Americans courtesy of a hat trick by Neil Clarke making Bethlehem the first team to win the American and National cups in the same season.

1915–16 American Cup

Tournament details
Country	United States
Dates	October 1915 – June 1916
Teams	37
Final positions
Champions	Bethlehem (2nd title)
Runners-up	Scottish American
←  1915 1917  →

Preliminary round

The draw for the preliminary and first rounds was held October 2, 1915 at the Continental Hotel in Newark, NJ. The Preliminary round was to be played by October 17 and the First round by October 31. ^[1] The Celtic club of New Bedford withdrew.

New England District

October 17, 1915

Springfield FC	w/o	Celtic
	[2]

Springfield, MA

October 31, 1915

General Electric (MA)	3–2	Smithfield Avenue
Gillispie Taylor Law	[3]	Smith Harrison

Little River, Lynn, MA

Attendance: 500

Referee: Scott

New Jersey District

October 17, 1915

Bunker Hill PC	0–0	West Hudson Juniors
	[4]

Olympic Park, Paterson, NJ

Referee: C. Ward

replay

October 24, 1915

West Hudson Juniors	2–0	Bunker Hill PC
5' Allen 30' McCallum	[5]

Clark Field, East Newark

Referee: C. Ward

New York District

October 17, 1915

Degnon Boys	0–0	IRT Strollers
	[6]

Degnon Field, Long Island City

Referee: A. Burnside

replay

November 7, 1915

IRT Strollers	2–1	Degnon Boys
	[7]

Lenox Oval, Manhattan

Philadelphia District

October 16, 1915

Wanderers	4–1	Rangers
Weldon (3) Graham (1)	[8]	Lunn

Philadelphia, PA

Referee: Benjamin Groves

First round

The Chicopee Rovers forfeited to Fore River of Quincy, MA while New York Hibernian forfeited to General Electric of Schenectady, NY. The Greenville Sporting and Soccer club had to replay the Olympic club of Paterson after the game was protested. The IRT Strollers protested the replay against Brooklyn for an ineligible player and proceeded to play a third game. Yonkers protested their replay because Clan MacDonald did not have an enclosed field so no gate was taken and a third game was ordered.

New England District

October 23, 1915

Chicopee Rovers	2–2	Fore River Rovers
Logan Lowe	[9]	8' Harrison Wood

Imperial Park, Chicopee, MA

Referee: Sam Irvine (Holyoke)

October 30, 1915

Farr Alpaca	1–1	Bridgeport City
48' Hall	[10]	88' Austin

Berkshire St. grounds, Holyoke, MA

Attendance: 600

Referee: Sam Irwin (Holyoke)

October 31, 1914

Pan–American	2–0	Springfield FC
50', 87' Tom Adams	[11]

Athletic grounds, Fall River, MA

Attendance: 200

Referee: Smith (Fall River)

January 8, 1916

Fall River Rovers	2–0	General Electric (MA)
31' Jack Dalton 43' Tommy Swords	[12]

Athletic grounds, Fall River, MA

Attendance: 700

Referee: Thomas Lambie (Boston)

replays

October 30, 1915

Fore River Rovers	w/o	Chicopee Rovers
	[13]

Quincy, MA

November 7 , 1915

Bridgeport City	2–0	Farr Alpaca
Satterwaith Happinstall	[14]

Aerodrome, Bridgeport, CT

Attendance: 600

Referee: J. Miller (New Haven)

New Jersey District

October 31, 1915

Alley Boys	1–3	Scottish Americans
3' Del Brierly	[15]	Hemsley (2) Gradwell

Clark Athletic Field, East Newark

Referee: Charles Creighton

October 31, 1915

West Hudson	1–1	Jersey A.C.
10' Ward	[16]	87' Harry Neil

Federal League Park, Harrison

Referee: Alan Montgomery

October 31, 1915

Haledon Thistles	1–3	Kearny Athletics
17' White	[17]	7' Meduskey Meduskey 55' J. Sherlock

Olympic Park, Paterson, NJ

Referee: C. Ward

October 31, 1915

Babcock & Wilcox	2–1	Greenville Rovers
35' Bert Holden 2H' Ted Finn	[18]	15' Jack Parkinson

Bayonne, NJ

Referee: Andrew Laurie

replay

November 7, 1915

Jersey A.C.	1–0	West Hudson
40' James Ford	[19]

Jersey City Baseball Park

Referee: Allan Montgomery

New York District

October 31, 1915

Yonkers	1–1	Clan MacDonald
55' Carver	[20]	12' Elliot

Tibbets Field, Yonkers, NY

Referee: A. Burnside

October 31, 1915

Columbia Oval	0–3	Brooklyn Celtic
	[21]	10' O'Hare 30', 55' Ellis

Lenox Oval, Manhattan

Referee: W. Hollywood

October 31, 1915

Continentals	3–0	West Hudson Junior
H.Hayes Lonie (2)	[21]

Harlem Oval, Manhattan

Referee: Vaughn E. Williams

November 8, 1914

General Electric (NY)	w/o	Hibernian
	[22]

Bayonne, NY

Referee: M. Charles Ward

November 21, 1915

Brooklyn	2–2	IRT Strollers
15' Dickson 75' Vandeweghe	[23]	17' Young 35' Reilly

Lenox Oval, Manhattan

Referee: Allan Montgomery

replays

November 7, 1915

Clan MacDonald	1–0	Yonkers
70' Elliot	[24]

Taft's Oval, Brooklyn, NY

Referee: A. Burnside

November 28, 1915

IRT Strollers	0–3	Brooklyn
	[25]	Spicer (2) Shanholt

West Side Park, Jersey City

Referee: A. Montgomery

January 9, 1916

IRT Strollers	0–1	Brooklyn
	[26]	10'Hunziker

Harlem Field, New York

Referee: A. Montgomery

January 16, 1916

Clan MacDonald	3–1	Yonkers
15' Madden 35' N. Agar 70' Harrower	[27]	Ernie Garside (pk)

Olympic Park, Paterson, NJ

Referee: Ward

Pennsylvania District

October 30, 1915

Henry Disston	4–1	Wanderers
Burrows Ware Rodgers Kirkpatrick	[28]	Wislon

Tacony Ball Park

Referee: James Kerr

October 30, 1915

Bethlehem	6–0	Hibernian
23' McDonald 65' Fleming (pk) Dean Pepper Fleming	[29]	35' Irwin Jones (og)

East End Field, Bethlehem, PA

Referee: George Allen

October 30, 1915

Feltonville	3–3	Falls CFC
2' H.Derbyshire Phillips 86' Shaw	[30]	22' Foster (pk) Foster (pk) Clegg

Stenton Field, Philadelphia, PA

Referee: James Steele

replay

November 6, 1915

Falls CFC	5–2	Feltonville
25' Clegg 65' Mellors Clegg 68' Kendall Mellors	[31]	27' Tom Derbyshire 2H' Tom Derbyshire

Northeast Manual HS Grounds, Philadelphia

Referee: James Steel

Second round

The draw for the second round was held November 6, 1915 at the Continental hotel in Newark, NJ. Matches were due to be played on or before November 28. ^[32] The Falls Cricket and Football Club forfeited to Pan–American of Fall River, MA.

November 27, 1915

Fore River Rovers	2–2	Babcock & Wilcox
Daley 80' Harrison	[33]	30' Millar Finn

Quincy Point

Attendance: 500

Referee: Catto (Quincy)

November 28, 1915

Continental	1–3	Brooklyn Celtic
15' Van den Eynden	[34]	10' Ellis 30' Crone 65' Ellis

Harlem Oval

Attendance: 1500

Referee: David M. Whyte

November 28, 1915

Falls CFC	w/o	Pan–American

November 28, 1915

Kearny Athletics	0–4	Scottish American
	[35]	50' Tommy Gradwell 75' Johnny Hemsley Tom Stark 88' Alec Bell

Clark's Field, East Newark

Attendance: 1000

Referee: C. Ward

December 25, 1915

Jersey A.C.	1–1	General Electric (NY)
Kempe	[36]	88' Lewis

West Side Park, Jersey City

Referee: Charlie Ward (Passaic)

January 23, 1916

Bridgeport City	3–1	Brooklyn
Griffin Waite Heppinstall	[37]	30' Crompton

Newfield Park

Referee: J. Miller (New Haven)

January 29, 1916

Bethlehem Steel	2–0	Clan MacDonald
Pepper Brown	[38]

East End Field, Bethlehem, PA

Attendance: 6000

Referee: Allen Montgomery (Newark)

April 24, 1916

Henry Disston	0–1	Fall River Rovers
	[39]	16' Tommy Swords

Tacony Ball Park, Philadelphia, PA

Referee: George Young

replays

December 26, 1915

Babcock & Wilcox	3–0	Fore River Rovers
1H' Harding 55' Aitken 75' Millar	[40]

B&W park, Bayonne, NJ

Attendance: 400

Referee: David M. White (Brooklyn)

January 9, 1916

Jersey A.C.	1–0	General Electric (NY)
25' Jack Neilson	[41]

West Side Park, Jersey City

Referee: Charles Ward (Passaic)

Third round

The draw for the third round was held December 4, 1915 at the Continental hotel in Newark, NJ. ^[42]

January 9, 1916

Scottish American	2–1	Brooklyn Celtic
20' Rabbit Hemsley 21' Archie Stark	[43]	83' Charlie Ellis

Clark's Field, East Newark

Attendance: 1500

Referee: William Hollywood (New York)

April 2, 1916

Bridgeport City	2–1	Babcock & Wilcox
Satterwaite	[44]	17', 20' Robert Millar

Newfield Park, Bridgeport, CT

Attendance: 3000

Referee: J. Miller (New Haven)

April 30, 1916

Jersey A.C.	0–5	Bethlehem Steel
	[45]	23', 46' Pepper Neil Clark Fleming MacDonald

Federal League Park, Harrison

Attendance: 3000

Referee: C.E. Creighton (New York)

May 13, 1916

Pan–American	0–2	Fall River Rovers
	[46]	37' Tommy Swords 82' Jack Dalton

Athletic Park, Fall River, MA

Attendance: 3000

Referee: George Mitchell (New Bedford)

Semifinals

May 20, 1916

Fall River Rovers	1–3	Bethlehem Steel
36' Swords	[47]	30' Brown 37' McKelvie 80' Brown

Athletic Park, Fall River, MA

Attendance: 6000

Referee: Lambie (Boston)

May 21, 1916

Babcock & Wilcox	1–3	Scottish American
60' Aitken	[48]	10', 17' Gradwell Hemsley

B&W Park, Bayonne, NJ

Attendance: 5000

Referee: Andrew Laurie (Newark)

Final

The American Cup final took place in Taylor Stadium at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Scottish Americans, runners–up in the National Association Football League, were the defending champions of the American Cup and it was their fourth final appearance overall. Bethlehem Steel came into the final having played 32 games winning 28 with three ties and a single loss. They had scored 116 goals with 14 against. On May 6 they won the National Challenge Cup over Fall River. Their American Cup win was then followed up by an American League of Philadelphia title when they were declared joint champions along with Disston on June 15. Neil Clarke scored a hat trick for the Steelmen with a goal in the 15th minute followed by two more in the second half.

June 10, 1916

Bethlehem Steel	3–0	Scottish American
Neil Clarke (3)	[49] [50]

Taylor Field, Bethlehem, PA

Attendance: 5000

Referee: David M.Whyte

Champions

Bethlehem Steel Football Club, National and American Cup champions 1915–16.

See also

• 1916 National Challenge Cup

References

1. "Soccer Enemies Caught In Draw". (October 3, 1915). The Sunday Call, p.18 col.1
2. "No Opponent For Local Soccer Club". (October 15, 1915). Springfield Union, p.23 col.2
3. "General Electric Wins First Round National Cup". (November 1, 1915). Daily Evening Item, p.6 col.6
4. Doc (October 18, 1915). "Sport Notes". Paterson Evening News, p.6 col.3
5. "West Hudson Jrs Win Cup–Tie game". (October 25, 1915). Newark Evening News, p.22 col.2
6. "Opening Game For A.F.A. Cup". (October 18, 1915). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.2 col.5
7. "With The Soccer Elevens". (November 8, 1915). The Sun, p.10 col.8
8. "Wanderers Defeat The Rangers". (October 17, 1915). Philadelphia Inquirer, p.14 col.3
9. "Rovers Play Draw With Fore River". (October 24, 1915). Springfield Union, p.2 col.1
10. "Alpacas In A Tie". (October 31, 1915). Springfield Sunday Republican, p.6 col.3
11. "Pans Win From Springfields". (November 1, 1915). Evening Herald, p.6 col.6–7
12. "Rovers Turned Current On And Blanked The Electrics". (January 10, 1916). Fall River Daily Globe, p.6 col.6–7
13. "Some Great Soccer Games Being Played". (November 22, 1915). Boston Globe, p.7 col.3
14. "Cites Trounce Farr Alpacas In 1st Round". (November 8, 1915). Bridgeport Evening Post, p.15 col.1–2
15. "Scottish–Americans Down Alley Boys". (November 1, 1915). Newark Evening News, p.28 col.2
16. "Jerseys Hold West Hudsons To A Tie". (November 1, 1915). Newark Evening News, p.28 col.3
17. "Thistles Lose Cup–Tie Game". (November 1, 1915). The Morning Call, p.3 col.5
18. "Babs Take American Cup Contest". (November 1, 1915). Evening Review, p.3 col.3–4
19. "Jerseys Win Cup Tie Replay Game". (November 8, 1915). Jersey Journal, p.8 col.2
20. "Exciting Game Here For A.F.A. Cup". (November 1, 1915). Yonkers Herald, p.10 col.6–7
21. "Brooklyn Celtics Win Soccer Cup Tie". (November 1, 1915). New York Tribune, p.15 col.8
22. "Soccer Football Card Varied One". (December 16, 1915). Passaic Daily Herald, p.7 col.3
23. "Brooklyn Sockers Draw In Cup Ties". (November 22, 1915). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.2 col.3–4
24. "Local Clean Up On Soccer Fields". (November 8, 1915). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.3 col.4
25. "Spicer Stars For Brooklyn". (November 29, 1915). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.3 col.2
26. "Brooklyn Reaches Second Cup Round". (January 10, 1916). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.3 col.3
27. "Clan MacDonals Clinch It". (January 17, 1916). Brooklyn Daily Eagle, p.3 col.1–2
28. "Disston Squelch Wanderers' Hopes". (October 31, 1915). Philadelphia Inquirer, p.20 col.8
29. "Bethlehem Eliminates Hibernian". (November 2, 1915). Bethlehem Globe, p.7 col.1
30. "Feltonville Ties Falls". (October 31, 1915). Philadelphia Record, p.# col.5
31. "Falls Outplays Feltonville". (November 7, 1915). Philadelphia Press, p.3 col.7
32. "Jersey Teams Draw Home Games In Second Round". (November 7, 1915). The Sunday Call, p.18 col.2
33. "Plays Star Team To Tie". (November 29, 1915). Quincy Daily Ledger, p.5 col.3
34. "Brooklyn Celtics Beat Continentals". (November 29, 1915). The Sun, p.8 col.4
35. "Scots Gain Third Round". (November 29, 1915). Newark Evening News, p.6 col.5
36. "Jersey A.C. 11 In Another Draw". (December 27, 1915). Jersey Journal, p.7 col.7
37. "Brooklyns Go Down Before City Attack". (January 24, 1916). Bridgeport Evening Post, p.12 col.1
38. "Soccer Cup Competitions". Sporting Life. Vol. 66, no. 23. February 5, 1916. p. 23.
39. "Disstons Beaten In Cup Contest". (April 25, 1916). Bethlehem Globe, p.12 col.6
40. "Babs Trim Fore River". (December 27, 1915). Evening Review, p.3 col.6–7
41. "Jersey A.C. 11 Trim Electrics". (January 10, 1916). Jersey Journal, p.7 col.2
42. "Ford Acquitted By A Single Vote". (December 5, 1915). The Sunday Call, p.16 col.2
43. "Scots Eliminate The Celtics". (January 10, 1916). Newark Evening News, p.6 col.3–4
44. "B–W Eleven Trims Cities By One Goal". (April 3, 1916). Bridgeport Evening Post, p.12 col.6
45. "Jersey A.C. Out Of A.F.A. Contest". (May 1, 1916). Jersey Journal, p.4 col.4
46. "Rovers Again Hand Defeat To P.A's.". (May 15, 1916). Evening Herald, p.6 col.1–2
47. "It's All Over For The 1916 Rovers". (May 22, 1916). Evening Herald, p.6 col.1–2
48. "Scottish–Americans Defeat Babs' 3 To 1". (May 22, 1916). Evening Review, p.3 col.1–2
49. "Bethlehem Eleven Wins American Cup". (June 12, 1916). The Globe, p.# col.1–2
50. "Local Soccer Champions Win Another Cup". (June 12, 1916). Bethlehem Times, p.# col.4–5