The Rise of the ASL
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From the WSBN Show - The Rise of the American Soccer League, Narrated by Morgan Freeman
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The ASL's darkest hour came in the so called "Soccer War" with the United States Soccer Federation. The Dispute arose over the American Cup, then called the Challenge Cup. The Challenge cup came into conflict with the ASL Season and forced the teams participating to make long, hot bus rides to far off stadiums. It didn't help that the USSF took 33.3% of the Gate Fees, lowering the pay of the players and creating a financial burden. The league owners finally snapped and announced their intent to boycott the 1924 Cup. They managed to come to an agreement with the USSF and got the Federation's cut down to 10%*. But resentment still lingered and in 1928 another boycott erupted. When three ASL teams joined anyway they were expelled from the League. The USSF appealed to FIFA who effectively declared the ASL an outlaw league**. But the ASL had a reputation, a reputation as a league with high pay and high performance and managed to maintain itself fairly well. Attendance remained high and the ASL remained only second to Major League Baseball in popularity. Attempts to bankroll a competitor league collapsed*** and the USSF and FIFA soon agreed to a deal in time for the second half of the 1929 season. The USSF would keep its cut of the Challenge Cup but move it to the offseason, the ASL would readmit the suspended teams and participate in the challenge cup. American soccer was back on track.
…
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From On the Mark: America's
First Soccer Dynasty by Jeramy Crotcher
…The 1928-1929 ASL Season was the 4th title in 6 seasons for the the Fall River Marksmen and marked the first recognition of the 20's Fall River Dynasty. The power of the early Marksmen can be attributed to three factors. The first is Sam Mark, who took over the ailing Fall River United in 1922. A basketball and baseball enthusiast Mark had no real love for soccer but saw its profitability. He bought the team and immediately began improving it. He moved to a soccer specific stadium across the state line in Rhode Island, enabling the team to play on Sundays. He then flooded money into the team and build up a solid roster. The team's formidable attack was spearheaded by Harold Brittan, an Englishman who had played solidly for Bethlehem and Philadelphia before. He was at the top of his form during his time with the rebranded Marksmen and led the team in goals, he was the second factor. The third was the Marksmen's stoic back line. It was initially led by Goalkeeper Findlay Kerr who posted 14 clean sheets in the 27 game season. But the defenders would form the basis of the team in the coming years.
…
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From the PBS Documentary Series The Great Depression
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The depression effected sports heavily, none greater then the American Soccer League. Many teams folded as revenues went down, people just didn't have the money to pay. Even the powerful Marksmen faced monetary problems****. But in a way the Great Depression helped Soccer in America. You don't need much to play soccer, just something to kick and something to mark the goals. So the depression turned some Americans from sports like Gridiron Football, and turned some to soccer. But the depression still hurt the Soccer Leagues hard, for a time it looked like the ASL, weakened by its fight with the USSF, might even collapse. But it persevered…
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NOTESNOTESNOTES:
*: POD, IOTL it was only 15%
**: FIFA's habit of meddling with national federations is as old as FIFA itself
***: IOTL one was formed, they eventually remerged but the split crippled the ASL.
****: IOTL Mark packed up shop and moved to New York, ITTL, he hold out a little while longer.
For those of you who remember my short lived TL The Miracle Men on Montevideo you can consider this a conceptual reboot.
NEXT UP: La Primera Copa del Mundo
_______________________________
From the WSBN Show - The Rise of the American Soccer League, Narrated by Morgan Freeman
…
The ASL's darkest hour came in the so called "Soccer War" with the United States Soccer Federation. The Dispute arose over the American Cup, then called the Challenge Cup. The Challenge cup came into conflict with the ASL Season and forced the teams participating to make long, hot bus rides to far off stadiums. It didn't help that the USSF took 33.3% of the Gate Fees, lowering the pay of the players and creating a financial burden. The league owners finally snapped and announced their intent to boycott the 1924 Cup. They managed to come to an agreement with the USSF and got the Federation's cut down to 10%*. But resentment still lingered and in 1928 another boycott erupted. When three ASL teams joined anyway they were expelled from the League. The USSF appealed to FIFA who effectively declared the ASL an outlaw league**. But the ASL had a reputation, a reputation as a league with high pay and high performance and managed to maintain itself fairly well. Attendance remained high and the ASL remained only second to Major League Baseball in popularity. Attempts to bankroll a competitor league collapsed*** and the USSF and FIFA soon agreed to a deal in time for the second half of the 1929 season. The USSF would keep its cut of the Challenge Cup but move it to the offseason, the ASL would readmit the suspended teams and participate in the challenge cup. American soccer was back on track.
…
_______________________________
From On the Mark: America's
First Soccer Dynasty by Jeramy Crotcher
…The 1928-1929 ASL Season was the 4th title in 6 seasons for the the Fall River Marksmen and marked the first recognition of the 20's Fall River Dynasty. The power of the early Marksmen can be attributed to three factors. The first is Sam Mark, who took over the ailing Fall River United in 1922. A basketball and baseball enthusiast Mark had no real love for soccer but saw its profitability. He bought the team and immediately began improving it. He moved to a soccer specific stadium across the state line in Rhode Island, enabling the team to play on Sundays. He then flooded money into the team and build up a solid roster. The team's formidable attack was spearheaded by Harold Brittan, an Englishman who had played solidly for Bethlehem and Philadelphia before. He was at the top of his form during his time with the rebranded Marksmen and led the team in goals, he was the second factor. The third was the Marksmen's stoic back line. It was initially led by Goalkeeper Findlay Kerr who posted 14 clean sheets in the 27 game season. But the defenders would form the basis of the team in the coming years.
…
_______________________________
From the PBS Documentary Series The Great Depression
…
The depression effected sports heavily, none greater then the American Soccer League. Many teams folded as revenues went down, people just didn't have the money to pay. Even the powerful Marksmen faced monetary problems****. But in a way the Great Depression helped Soccer in America. You don't need much to play soccer, just something to kick and something to mark the goals. So the depression turned some Americans from sports like Gridiron Football, and turned some to soccer. But the depression still hurt the Soccer Leagues hard, for a time it looked like the ASL, weakened by its fight with the USSF, might even collapse. But it persevered…
_______________________________
NOTESNOTESNOTES:
*: POD, IOTL it was only 15%
**: FIFA's habit of meddling with national federations is as old as FIFA itself
***: IOTL one was formed, they eventually remerged but the split crippled the ASL.
****: IOTL Mark packed up shop and moved to New York, ITTL, he hold out a little while longer.
For those of you who remember my short lived TL The Miracle Men on Montevideo you can consider this a conceptual reboot.
NEXT UP: La Primera Copa del Mundo
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