1885–86 American Cup

1886 American Cup
Tournament details
Country	United States
Date	October 24, 1885 – April 3, 1886
Teams	7
Final positions
Champions	Clark O.N.T. (2nd title)
Runner-up	Kearny Rangers
Tournament statistics
Matches played	8
Goals scored	36 (4.5 per match)
	← 1885 1887 →

The 1886 American Cup was the second installment of the soccer tournament directed by the American Football Association. Clark O.N.T., 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.

Participants

The clubs still all came from New York and New Jersey, though there were now four different cities represented. The Domestic club became the Almas, while New York Rovers and Trenton were added. The Alma football club, established in 1884, played out of Frelinghuysen Avenue Grounds and wore black jerseys and white knickerbockers. The Trenton football club, established in 1886, played out of the East State Street grounds and wore blue and black jerseys, blue caps, white shorts, and red socks.

State	City	Team
New Jersey	Paterson	Caledonian Thistle Club
	Newark	Almas
		Clark O.N.T.
		Domestic
	Kearny	Kearny Rangers
	Trenton	Trenton F.B.C.
New York	New York	New York F.B.C.
New York	New York	New York Rovers

Participants
O.N.T. Alma Rangers Caledonian Trenton New York Rovers

Competition

First round

Caledonian Thistle drew a bye.

October 24, 1885	Trenton	0–4	Kearny Rangers	Trenton, New Jersey
3:30 PM		^[1]^[2]		Stadium: Cricket Grounds Referee: H.Starmer
Note: Trenton- E.H.Openshaw(c), J.James, J.Mart, H.Everingham, T.Baddely, D.Baggley, J.Mardel, W.Emery, T.McNichol, Frank Gee, R.Rhodes. Kearny Rangers: GK D.Ferguson, DF J.Hood, J.Lennox, MF T.Burke, W.Hood, D.Morris, FW R.Raeburn, W.Taylor, J.Young, J.Taylor, H.Ashley.

October 31, 1885	O.N.T.	10–0	New York Rovers	East Newark, New Jersey
		^[3]^[4]		Stadium: ONT AA Grounds Referee: T.Hood
Note: O.N.T.: GK R.Hughes, DF Harry Holden, J.Dougherty, MF T.Smith, Joe Swithemby, A.Polisher, FW C.McCann, James Howarth, Jack Swithemby, James McGurck, Joseph Swarbrick. Rovers: GK W.Donnegan, DF A.Crawford, W.Dunnan, J.Lachlan, MF W.Lachlan, B.Wilson, H.Westbrook, FW J.White, F.Malcomb, W.Harris, A.Campbell.

November 3, 1885	Alma	1–1	New York	Newark, New Jersey
2:45 PM	Maxfield	^[5]	Grant 85'	Stadium: Frelinghuysen Grounds Referee: T.Hood
Note: Almas: GK Hollenback FB Starmer, Moore, HB Frank Farrow, Morton, Corbey, FW Lucas, Lodge, Maxfield, John Gray, George Curtin.

First replay

November 14, 1885	Alma	1–1	New York	Hoboken, New Jersey
		^[6]^[7]		Stadium: Elysian Fields

Second replay

November 26, 1885	Alma	4–2	New York	Newark, New Jersey
10:30 AM	Lodge , Gray ,	^[8]	Johnston Lucas	Stadium: Frelinghuysen Grounds Attendance: 600

Second round

December 12, 1885	Clark O.N.T.	5–0	Caledonian Thistles	East Newark
3:30 PM	Jack Swithenby 10' Devine 15' Jack Swithemby 35' McCann Swarbrick	^[9]		Stadium: ONT Grounds Attendance: 500 Referee: C.Smith
Note: ONT: GK Hughes, DF Pollister, Holden, MF Howarth, Joe Swithenby, P.Smith, FW Swarbrick, McGurck, McCann, Devine, Jack Swithenby(c). Thistles: T.Paterson, Chapman, Hall, Williamson, Forsythe, W.Turner(c), Anderson, A.Turner, Donaldson, H.Craig, J.Kane.

December 12, 1885	Almas	0–3	Kearny Rangers	Newark, NJ
3:00 PM		^[10]	Young 10' Young William Taylor	Stadium: Frelinghuysen Avenue Ground Referee: R.Craig
Note: Almas: GK Ryker, DF Moore, Conklin, MF Corby, Morton, Hirst, FW Gray, Lucas, Lodge, Curtin, Maxfield. Rangers: GK T.Hood, DF J.Hood, Lennox, MF Buck, W.Hood, Crawford, FW Ashley, William Taylor, Walter Taylor, Raeburn, J.Young.

Final round

April 3, 1886	Clark O.N.T.	3-1	Kearny Rangers	Newark, NJ
3:30 PM	M.Devine 15' J.McCann 25' Fisher 65'	^[11]^[12]	McKell 68'	Stadium: Frelinghuysen Avenue ground Attendance: 1000 Referee: A. Turner (Paterson Thistle)

Clark O.N.T.

Kearny Rangers


GK		Patrick Hughes
FB		A. Palister
FB		Harry Holden
HB		James Howarth (c)
HB		Joe Swithemby
HB		T. Smith
LW		Joseph Swarbrick
LW		J. Fisher
C		James McGurck
RW		M. Devine
RW		J. McCann


GK		B. Ferguson
FB		J. Hood
FB		J. Lennox (c)
HB		A. Alsop
HB		W. Hood
HB		T. Burke
LW		J. Conley
LW		W. Taylor
C		J. McKell
RW		R. Raeburn
RW		T. Woods

Umpires:
H. Starmer (Alma Club)
J. Johnston (New York)

Match rules

90 minutes
Replay if game ends in a draw

American Cup Bracket

Home teams listed on top of bracket

First Round

Second Round

Finals

Clark O.N.T.

10

New York Rovers

0

Clark O.N.T.

5

Caledonian Thistle

0

Caledonian Thistle

bye

Clark O.N.T.

3

Kearny Rangers

1

Almas

4*

New York

2

Almas

0

Kearny Rangers

3

Trenton

0

Kearny Rangers

4

Notes: * result after two replays

Champions

American Football Association Challenge Cup

Second Title

References

^ "October Pastimes". Newark Sunday Call. October 25, 1885. p.1 col.6-7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Newark Wins". Daily True American. Trenton, New Jersey. October 26, 1885. p.3 col.2. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
^ "City News Notes" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 2, 1885. p.1 col.8. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
^ "Sports For All". Newark Sunday Call. November 1, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Football". Newark Sunday Call. November 8, 1885. p.1 col.6. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Good Kickers From Newark" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 16, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
^ "Sports And Pastimes". Newark Sunday Call. November 15, 1885. p.1 col.5. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "Canada's Good Kickers" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 27, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
^ "Winter Sports". Newark Sunday Call. December 13, 1885. p.3 col.5. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
^ "City News Notes" (PDF). Newark Evening News. December 14, 1885. p.1 col.8. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
^ "Football Games". New York Times. April 4, 1886. p.4 col.2. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Sporting Matters". (April 4, 1885). The Sunday Call, p.1 col.6

Sources

National Police Gazette
New York Herald
The New York Sun
Spirit of the Times
Morning Register
Daily Advertiser
Evening News
Sunday Call

[1] "October Pastimes". Newark Sunday Call. October 25, 1885. p.1 col.6-7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[2] "Newark Wins". Daily True American. Trenton, New Jersey. October 26, 1885. p.3 col.2. Retrieved July 25, 2024.

[3] "City News Notes" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 2, 1885. p.1 col.8. Retrieved July 10, 2024.

[4] "Sports For All". Newark Sunday Call. November 1, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[5] "Football". Newark Sunday Call. November 8, 1885. p.1 col.6. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[6] "Good Kickers From Newark" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 16, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved July 10, 2024.

[7] "Sports And Pastimes". Newark Sunday Call. November 15, 1885. p.1 col.5. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[8] "Canada's Good Kickers" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 27, 1885. p.1 col.7. Retrieved July 10, 2024.

[9] "Winter Sports". Newark Sunday Call. December 13, 1885. p.3 col.5. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[10] "City News Notes" (PDF). Newark Evening News. December 14, 1885. p.1 col.8. Retrieved July 10, 2024.

[11] "Football Games". New York Times. April 4, 1886. p.4 col.2. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "Sporting Matters". (April 4, 1885). The Sunday Call, p.1 col.6

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