Abbot Worsted Company was at one time the largest producer of carpet yarns in the world.
Abbot Worsted had an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Abbot Worsted Yarn Company of Forge Village, Massachusetts. During the early 1920s, it was a perennial contender in the National Challenge Cup.
The Abbot Worsted Company was founded in 1855, but in 1879, it established facilities in Forge Village, Massachusetts. By 1916, it was the largest producer of carpet yarns in the world, drawing a work force from both the local population and Britain. Abbot Worsted F.C. was the company's team. In 1919, it was drawn with Lynn Hibernians in the first round of the 1920 National Challenge Cup. Abbot Worsted beat the Lynn Hibernians 3-2. [1] [2] In 1921, the team hired Jack Kershaw who had scored a goal for the losing Fore River in the 1920 National Challenge Cup, as head coach. [3] Over the next six years, Kershaw took the Forge Villagers, as the team was known, [4] deep into the Challenge Cup. In both 1922 and 1925, Abbot Worsted went to the cup semifinals. In 1923 and 1924, they made it to the quarterfinals. In addition, in 1924, Worsted lost in the semifinals of the American Cup. The Forge Villagers also went to the 1921 and 1922 Massachusetts State Cup, but lost both times, to Fore River in 1921 and to Holyoke Falcos in 1922. After Kershaw left to coach Harvard in 1927, Abbott Worsted F.C. faded from the national scene.
Massachusetts State Cup
Bethlehem Steel Football Club (1907–1930) was one of the most successful early American soccer clubs. Known as the Bethlehem Football Club from 1907 until 1915 when it became the Bethlehem Steel Football Club, the team was sponsored by the Bethlehem Steel corporation. Bethlehem Steel FC played their home games first at East End Field in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley, then later on the grounds Bethlehem Steel built on Elizabeth Ave named Bethlehem Steel Athletic Field.
Fall River F.C. was an American soccer club based in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United States, winning the American Soccer League on six occasions. They also won the National Challenge Cup four times. In 1924 they won the first ASL / Challenge Cup double and were subsequently the American soccer champions three times in succession. Between 1928 and 1930 they won a further three titles in a row. In 1930 they completed a treble, winning the ASL title, the Challenge Cup and the Lewis Cup. The same year they also toured Central Europe.
Fleisher Yarn began as an amateur company soccer club of the S.B. & B.W. Fleisher Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia. Feisher Yarn became a professional team for the 1924-25 American Soccer League season. The team folded after one year in the league.
Bartholomew "Bertie" or "Bart" McGhee was a soccer player who played as a forward. Born in Scotland, he played for the United States national team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup and scored the second goal in World Cup history against Belgium. He was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986.
Robert Millar was a soccer player who played as a forward and the coach of the United States national team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup. During his at times tumultuous Hall of Fame career, he played with over a dozen teams in at least five U.S. leagues as well as two seasons in the Scottish Football League. He finished his career as a successful professional and national team coach.
James J. Gallagher was a Scottish American soccer right wing midfielder who spent eleven seasons in the American Soccer League. He was a member of the U.S. soccer teams at the 1930 FIFA World Cup and 1934 FIFA World Cup. Gallagher was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986.
Harold Pemberton Brittan was an American-English soccer center forward. He began his career in England with Chelsea before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he was a prolific goal scorer with the powerhouse Bethlehem Steel, Philadelphia Field Club and Fall River F.C. clubs in the National Association Football League and American Soccer League. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1951.
The Brooklyn Robins Dry Dock were an American soccer team which took its name from the workplace it represented. The dock was part of the Todd Pacific Shipyards in Brooklyn who formed the professional soccer club in 1918 to play in the National Association Football League. Robins played until the league folded in 1921. Robins best finish was third in 1920 and 1921, but won the 1921 National Challenge Cup.
John Ferguson was a Scottish-American soccer full back. He began his career in Scotland before moving to England, then the United States. He earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1925. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Harry Jay Ratican was an American soccer forward, coach and team owner. He began and ended his career in the St. Louis Soccer League with several years in both the National Association Football League and American Soccer League. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Thomas "Tommy" or "Whitey" Fleming was a Scottish American soccer outside forward who began his career in Scotland and finished it in the United States. During his Hall of Fame career, Fleming won five American Cups, four National Challenge Cups and at least eight league titles.
Fore River was an amateur U.S. soccer team which had its origins as the Fore River Shipbuilding company team of Quincy, Massachusetts.
The 1920–21 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Caledonia F.C., also known as Caledonian F.C. or Caleys was a U.S. soccer team from Detroit, Michigan, which had a short period of national prominence in the early 1920s.
Jack Kershaw was an English soccer center forward who began his career in England and ended it in the United States. He was born in Lancashire, England. He played at least two seasons in the Southern New England Soccer League and two in the American Soccer League before coaching professionally and collegiately.
George McKelvey, also spelled McKelvie, was a Scottish-American soccer player who spent his entire professional career in the United States.
Ansonia F.C. was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team from Ansonia, Connecticut.
Francis Higgins was a U.S. soccer goalkeeper who spent two seasons in the American Soccer League and an unknown number in the Southern New England Soccer League.
The American Soccer League, established in 1921, was the first of four different professional soccer sports leagues in the United States to use the ASL name. It was formed by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For several years the ASL's popularity rivaled the popularity of the National Football League. Disputes with the United States Football Association and FIFA, as well as the onset of the Great Depression, led to the league's collapse in spring 1933.
Clark Hodder was an American athlete, coach, and administrator who won the Massachusetts State Amateur Championship in golf and played and coached hockey at Harvard College.