Victor F.C. is a name used by at least two, and possibly three, U.S. soccer teams in the early twentieth century.
Victor Talking Machine of Camden, New Jersey [1] sponsored a team, known as Victor T.M. Another team, also known as Victor F.C., was based in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There is a reference to another Victor F.C. playing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [2] This team could be either the team in Camden or the one in Bethlehem as Camden and Philadelphia sit adjacent to each other in the Delaware Valley and Bethlehem teams frequently played in the Philadelphia leagues. However, this is unlikely as both Victor F.C. of Philadelphia and Victor T.M. of Camden played in the 1914-1915 Allied League. [3]
Victor T.M. was a member of the American League of Philadelphia during the 1914-1915 and 1915-1916 seasons. [4]
In 1916, the Victor F.C. of South Bethlehem entered the Blue Mountain League and were runners up for the 1918 Lewis Cup. [5] [6]
In 1910, Victor F.C. won the Philadelphia and Suburban Association Foot Ball League. Four years later, it went to the quarterfinals of the 1914 American Cup. A year after that Victor F.C. went to the quarterfinals of the 1915 American Cup and the third round of the 1915 National Challenge 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.
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.
Bartholomew "Bertie" or "Bart" McGhee was an American soccer forward who typically played left wing forward. He played for the United States men's national soccer 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 "Bob" Millar was a Scottish American soccer forward and coach of the U.S. national team at the first FIFA World Cup, in 1930. During his at times tumultuous Hall of Fame career, Millar 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.
Neil G. Clarke(sometimes listed as Clark) was a Scottish American soccer player who began his career in the Scottish Football League before migrating to the United States. He played in both the National Association Football League and American Soccer League. In 1916, he played in the first two U.S. national team games.
Thomas “Tommy” Murray was a Scottish-American football (soccer) right halfback who played the first two U.S. national team games in 1916.
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.
John Ferguson was a football (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 a U.S. 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.
Robert Morrison was a Scottish American soccer half back who played most of his career in the USA.
Philadelphia Tacony Disston Athletic Association Football Club, better known as Disston A.A. and nicknamed The Sawmakers was a U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Disston Saw Works company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The team played for several years in local Philadelphia leagues before joining the National Association Football League. It was a perennial contender in both league and cup play until 1921. No records exist for the team after that year.
Joliet F.C. was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Joliet Steel Works of Joliet, Illinois which experienced a brief period of national success between 1915 and 1918.
George McKelvey, also spelled McKelvie, was a Scottish-American soccer player who spent his entire professional career in the United States.
Frederick "Chiddy" Pepper was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. Born in Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, Pepper received a basic education before finding vocation as a fireman on the local railway. Joining Notts County F.C. in 1908 aged 21, he found little success playing in the English Football League and subsequently emigrated to Canada in 1913. Settling in Hamilton, Ontario, Pepper was scouted by industrialist Charles M. Schwab from local team Hamilton Lancashire and joined his Bethlehem Steel F.C. in 1914, an important club in the infancy of organized association football in the United States.
Philadelphia Hibernian, also known as Hibernian F.C., was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team which played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Patrick "Paddy" Butler, was an early twentieth-century Irish soccer player who appears to have spent his entire career in the U.S. leagues. He was a member of the Bethlehem Steel teams which won the 1916 National Challenge Cup as well as the 1917 and 1919 American Cup Butler began his career on the front line, playing both inside and outside forward on both sides of the field. He ended his career at the right half back position.
Farr Alpaca F.C. was an early twentieth-century American soccer team sponsored by the Farr Alpaca textile mill of Holyoke, Massachusetts. The team competed in amateur leagues in western Massachusetts, but experienced some success in national competitions.
Edward J. Donaghy was an American soccer referee active in the 1920s and 1930s. Donaghy is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and managed a number of important matches, such as the finals of the National Challenge Cup in 1930 and 1934, as well as three games in the 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification.
The Lewis Cup was an American soccer trophy established in 1914 as the championship trophy for the amateur Blue Mountain League, which was composed of clubs from the Lehigh Valley region of northeastern Pennsylvania. It was later awarded to the winners of the American Soccer League's League Cup. The last winner received the trophy in 1963 and it resides in the Museum of Sports Glory in Kiev, Ukraine.