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Fall River

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 Fall River is a city in Bristol CountyMassachusetts, associated with the textile industry. In 1880 the population was 48,961. The American Soccer History Archives list no fewer than 30 Association  football teams being formed in Fall River during the period 1882-87. Many of these appear to be 'works' teams.


1882-83
Fall River East Ends
Fall River Old Roads
Fall River North Ends

1883-84
Fall River Bowenville Globes
Fall River County St. Rovers
Fall River Flint Mills
Fall River Rovers

1884-85
Fall River Barnaby Mills
Fall River Canonicuts
Fall River King Phillips
Fall River Lindsay St. Rovers
Fall River Main Streets 
Fall River Mechanics
Fall River Merry Boys
Fall River Osbornes
Fall River Parks
Fall River St Patricks

1885-86
Fall River Chace St. Rovers
Fall River Rangers

1886-87
Fall River Allarounds
Fall River Chelseas
Fall River Harrisons
Fall River McLaughlins
Fall River Pilgrims
Fall River Pleasant St. Rovers
Fall River Pleasant Views
Fall River Shrove Wanderers
Fall River Tower St. Rangers
Fall River Tremonts
Fall River Wamsuttas
Fall River Weetamoes


Between 1888 and 1892 teams from Fall River won the American Cup five times in succession.

American Cup Winners:
1888
Fall River Rovers

1889
Fall River Rovers

1890
Fall River Olympics

1891
Fall River East Ends

1892
Fall River East Ends



Rovers 

1896
Fall River Olympics - American Cup Finalists

1909
Fall River Rovers - New England League Winners
Rovers played 2 matches against the Pilgrims (England) tourists- drawing 1-1 and winning 2-1.

1910
Fall River Rovers - Eastern Soccer League I Winners

1916
Fall River Rovers- National Challenge Cup Finalists
Rovers’ Tommy Swords captained the USA in their first ever international.




















Swords


1917
Fall River Rovers- National Challenge Cup Winners, Times Cup Winners

1918
Fall River Rovers - National Challenge Cup Finalists

1921
Fall River Rovers dissolved
Fall River United founded
Fall River United draw 2-2 with Third Lanark (Scotland)

1922
United become Marksmen



Marksmen

Sam Mark took over the ownership of Fall River United in 1922 and named them the Marksmen. He was also behind the construction of the Mark's Stadium, one of the first 'Soccer specific' stadiums in the USA. This venue was in North Tiverton, Rhode Island, as Massachusetts law prohibited the playing of  commercial sports on Sundays.
The Marksmen featured former Chelsea player Harold Brittan; Scottish born goalkeeper Lindy Kerr; James White, Tommy Martin ( both ex Motherwell), Bill McPherson (Beith) and Charlie McGill (Third Lanark).
Brittan

1924
Fall River Marksmen - American Soccer League I Winners, National Challenge Cup Winners

1925
Fall River Marksmen - American Soccer League I Winners

1926
Fall River Marksmen - American Soccer League I Winners
Marksmen beat the touring Sparta Prague 3-2.

1927
Fall River Marksmen - National Challenge Cup Winners

1928
Marksmen played 2 touring sides. They defeated Brazil’s Palestra Italia 4-2 but lost 3-0 to Glasgow Rangers.
Fall River Powers Hudson Essex shared the National Amateur Cup following a drawn final.

1929
Fall River Marksmen - American Soccer League I Winners



1930
Fall River Marksmen - Atlantic Coast League Winners, American Soccer League Winners, National Challenge Cup Winners.
Fall River Rafferty - National Amateur Challenge Cup Winners




 Billy Gonsalves and Bert Patenaude  of the Marksmen were leading figures in the USA World Cup Squad in 1930,

The Marksmen played 2 Scottish touring teams in 1930: Kilmarnock were beaten 3-0 whilst Glasgow Rangers enjoyed 3-2 and 6-1 wins. 


The club also undertook a tour of Central Europe:


20.08.30
Slavia Prague
2
2
Fall River Marksmen
Prague
23.08.30
Wiener A.C.
6
0
Fall River Marksmen
Vienna
24.08.30
Austria Vienna
1
3
Fall River Marksmen
Vienna
28.08.30
Slavia Prague
4
0
Fall River Marksmen
Prague
30.08.30
SK Bratislava
0
3
Fall River Marksmen
Bratislava
31.08.30
Ferencvaros
6
2
Fall River Marksmen
Budapest

In 1931 The Marksmen relocated to New York City, merged with New York Football Club and became New York Yankees (although they still played Cup matches as Fall River Marksmen).

1931
Fall River Football Club ( #1) - National Challenge Cup Winners
Fall River F.C.( #1) 5- Verez Sarsfield (Argentina) 2

The Yankees in turn moved to New Bedford where they merged with Fall River F.C (#1) to become the New Bedford Whalers. 

New Fall River based clubs emerged in the 1930s. In 1932 Fall River Football Club  (#2) won the 'fall' edition of the American Soccer League.
In the following seasons the New England Division of the American Soccer League featured Fall River Rovers and Fall River United.
The Fall River All-Americans reached the National Amateur Challenge Cup Final in 1935.
In 1937 Fall River Americans played in  the New England Division of the American Soccer League

The 1930s  also saw the development of another Fall River club that would go on to great success (but outside our chosen era)- the amateur Ponta Delgada Soccer Club, based in the city's Portuguese community. 


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