The 1920s "Soccer War" That Destroyed Football in the U.S.A.

Save on Proton VPN by going to https://www.protonvpn.com/routenone - Stay safe online, support the channel, and watch your favourite streaming services wherever you are ... except space (sorry ISS crew members) Enjoyed this? Click here for more niche football history: How did Pelé End Up Playing For The U.S.A.? On April 11th 1926 one of the most successful Association Football clubs in the United States, Bethlehem Steel FC, would win their sixth National Challenge Cup title, defeating Ben Millers from St Louis Missouri, 7-2 in the final, in front of 18,000 fans at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, a then record attendance for American Soccer (Holroyd). Just 4 years later the club wouldn’t even exist, sucked into the vortex of teams that would perish courtesy of the footballing shitstorm that was The United States Soccer War. Contrary to popular belief, Association Football in the United States of American was popping off decades before Diana Ross and that penalty at World Cup 94, or David Beckham transformed himself into a walking American billboard. In the 1920s the United States experienced its very own Football Renaissance period, with the beautiful game quickly growing into one of the most popular sports in the country … before it ultimately went the way of Dianna Ross and that penalty. So, how did it all go completely wrong? Enter the United States Soccer War. A stubborn, administrative battle royale between the American Soccer League (ASL) and the United States Football Association. From illegal European transfer raids to outlaw leagues, rogue clubs, and an incredibly poorly-timed stock market crash, this is the story of how American soccer managed to accidentally destroy its own Golden Era. Route None would love your support. If you enjoy deep dives into football and uncovering the stories behind events from football history, don't forget to subscribe. Your support helps the channel grow. If you're feeling even more generous then you can support the channel for just 99p (or the equivalent in your local moolah) per month: @routenone OR if you're sick to death of subscriptions you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/routenone ______ SOURCES (Full Source List with URLs available at https://app.notion.com/p/Route-None-U...) David Wangerin, 2006, Soccer in a Football World: The Story of America's Forgotten Game David Litterer, "Social, economic, ethnic, and demographic influences on the growth of American Soccer”, US Soccer History 15th April 1894, “Football League Similar to Base Ball League Formed”, St. Paul Daily Globe, P. 5, Retrieved from Library of Congress Steve Holroyd, “The First Professional Soccer League In The United States: The American League Of Professional Football (1894)”, US Soccer History, David Litterer, "The History of Professional Soccer in New England”, US Soccer History Sophia Lodes, March 2024 "Playing Down a Man: Examining Why Soccer Failed in Boston” [Masters Thesis, Boston College] 24th March 1912, “United States Gets On Map In Soccer Game”, The New Haven union, P. 9, Retrieved from Library of Congress 5th April 1912, “Michigan Soccer Eleven Withdraw from A.F.A. And Join the A.A.F.A”, Newark evening star and Newark advertiser, P. 25, Retrieved from Library of Congress 8th February 1913, “Rival Soccer Bodies At Their Turning Points”, Newark evening star and Newark advertiser, P. 9, Retrieved from Library of Congress Ed Farnsworth, 28th December 2011, “Philly and the first USA international tour”, The Philly Soccer Page 4th September 1921, “Professional Soccer Facing Greatest Crisis of Its Career” New-York tribune, P. 14. Retrieved from the Library of Congress 18th September 1921, “Professional Soccer Foot Ball Is Ushered In With Eight Clubs From Five States In The League”, Omaha Daily Bee, P.19, Retrieved from the Library of Congress 9th December 1921, “Celts May Withdraw”, Evening Public Ledger, P. 26, Retrieved from the Library of Congress 26th January 1922, “Argument Advanced Against Pro Soccer”, Evening Public Ledger, P. 18, Retrieved from the Library of Congress 23rd October 1922, “Soccer Cup Replay Won By Wanderers”, The New York Herald, P. 13, Retrieved from the Library of Congress 24th January 1926, “Game Gains Devotees Quickly”, San Antonio light, Pt. 6 P. 4, Retrieved from Library of Congress Dan Creel, 26th June 2019, “The Many Versions of the Soccer Wars”, Protagonist Soccer July 20th 2019, “Football in North America: The Background”, The 1888 Letter Roger Allaway, 21st December 2022, “The American Menace”, US Soccer History Steve Holroyd, 2nd August 2012, “Haggis Wit Scots footballers in Philadelphia”, The Philly Soccer Page