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1885 American Cup

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1885 American Cup
Harry Holden with the trophy
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
DatesOctober 25, 1884 – April 25, 1885
Teams6
Final positions
ChampionsClark O.N.T. (1st title)
Runner-upNew York
Tournament statistics
Matches played6
Goals scored20 (3.33 per match)
1886 →

The 1885 American Cup was the inaugural edition of this tournament staged by the American Football Association. Clark O.N.T. was the champion.

History

[edit]

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.[1] 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 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,[2] was described as having "a neat design in silver and gold appropriate figures of foot ballists being engraved on it".[3] Clark ONT became the first winners of the trophy along with the purse of $150.

Participants

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Clark ONT, established in 1883,[4] played at their association ground in the rear of the Kearny Mills. They wore crimson jerseys, white knickerbockers, and crimson stockings. Paterson wore blue and white striped jerseys, white knickerbockers, and blue stockings.[2] The Domestics, also having blue and white for colors, were composed of employees of the Domestic Manufacturing Company and played at their counterparts baseball ground at Williams Hill. However, in March 1885 the Domestic company no longer allowed the baseball club to use that name so they simply became the Newark baseball club and their field also became Newark baseball grounds aka Emmett street grounds. The Kearny Rangers were a football and cricket club established in 1883 with navy shirts and white shorts. The participants hailing from three different cities were as follows:

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

Venues

[edit]
New Jersey
O.N.T. Grounds
1885 American Cup is located in New Jersey
O.N.T. Grounds
O.N.T. Grounds
Domestic Grounds
Domestic Grounds
Olympic Grounds
Olympic Grounds
Capacity:
Domestic Grounds
Capacity:
Olympic Grounds
Capacity:

First round

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The draw for the first round was reported in newspapers on October 1, 1884, after being conducted by the clubs' secretaries at Paterson.

October 25, 1884 Clark O.N.T. 2–0 Domestic Kearny, New Jersey
3:00 PM McGurk
Spillane
[5] Stadium: O.N.T. AA Grounds
Referee: James Lennox
Note: ONT: GK J. Douglas, DF A. Kenworthy, E. Sargent, MF Joe Swithemby, James Howarth, T. Smith, FW J. Spillane, J. Mitchell, Jack Swithemby, James McGurk, William Clark Jr.(c)
Domestic: GK W. Hollenbeck, DF J. Corby, F. Ward, MF C. Riker, L. Conklin, FW C. Fairchild, R.O'Toole, H.Chadwick(c), T. Bock, T. Butchford, J.Utter.
November 1, 1884 Kearny Rangers 3–2 Caledonian Thistle Newark, New Jersey
4:00 PM Stadium: Domestic Baseball Grounds
November 1, 1884 New York 5–0 Paterson Hoboken, New Jersey
[6]

Second round

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The secretaries of the remaining three teams met on November 8 in East Newark to make the second round draw which resulted in the Rangers being pitted against New York on Thanksgiving Day with the winner to meet ONT in the final round.

November 27, 1884 Kearney Rangers 0–4 New York Newark, New Jersey
2:30 PM [7] Stadium: Domestic Baseball Grounds
Note: Kearny Rangers: GK D. Ferguson, DF W. Hood, D. Morris, MF John Hood, James Lennox(c), FW R. Raeburn, J. Hill, A. Bolton, H. Ashley, W. Taylor, J.Milner.

Final round

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The final was played in the snow on Valentine's Day. ONT emerged victorious by a score of 2–1, however captain Mitchell of New York entered a protest indicating that some of the ONT players were not members of the club and that the goal posts were not regulation size. The AFA ordered the game replayed at Paterson.

February 14, 1885 Clark O.N.T. 2–1 New York Newark, New Jersey
3:00 PM Jack Swithemby 15'
McGurck 40'
[8] D. Sinclair 80' Stadium: Emmet Street Grounds
Referee: James Lennox
Note: O.N.T.: GK Patrick Hughes, FB Harry Holden, J. Donnelly, HB Joe Swithemby, James Howarth, T. Smith, FW P. Garron, William Thornton, Jack Swithemby(c), Joseph Swarbrick, James McGurk.
New York: GK T. Walker, DF A. Johnston, F. Marsterton, MF W. Sinclair, J. Gold, FW A.Mitchell(c), A. Young, J. Lowe, J. Grant, D. Sinclair, D.McNeil.

replay

[edit]
April 25, 1885 Clark O.N.T. 1-0 New York Paterson, NJ
4:00 PM Swithemby 44' [9][10][11] Stadium: Olympic grounds
Clark O.N.T.
New York



Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • Replay if game ends in a draw

American Cup Bracket

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Home teams listed on top of bracket

First Round Second Round Finals
         
New Jersey Clark O.N.T. 2
New Jersey Domestics 0
New Jersey Clark O.N.T.
bye
 
 
New Jersey Clark O.N.T. 2-1[a]
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 1-0
New Jersey Kearny Rangers 3
New Jersey Caledonian Thistle 2
New Jersey Kearny Rangers 0
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 4
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 5
New Jersey Paterson F.B.C. 0
Notes
  1. ^ replay after New York protested first match

Champions

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American Football Association
Challenge Cup
First Title

References

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  1. ^ "Foot Ball". (October 1, 1884). Newark Daily Advertiser, p.4 col.2
  2. ^ a b "Football for a cup" (PDF). Newark Evening News. October 1, 1884. p.5, col. 1. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Foot Ball season" (PDF). Newark Evening News. October 17, 1884. p.1, col. 7. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  4. ^ McCabe, Tom (May 27, 2015). "Loose threads". Society for American Soccer History. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "The Season’s Sports". (October 27, 1884). Newark Daily Advertiser, p.4 col.1
  6. ^ "Local Matters". Paterson Daily Press. November 3, 1884. p.3 col.5-6. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "Thanksgiving Sports". (November 28, 1884). Newark Daily Advertiser, p.3 col.1
  8. ^ "Football In The Snow". The Sun. New York, NY. February 15, 1885. Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Sports And Pastimes" (PDF). Newark Evening News. April 27, 1885. p.1 col.5. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  10. ^ "The O.N.T.'s Take The Cup". Paterson Daily Press. April 27, 1885. p.2 col.5. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "Football Champions". Newark Sunday Call. April 26, 1885. p.1 col.4. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

Sources

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