1889 American Cup

The 1889 American Cup was the fifth edition of the soccer tournament organized by the American Football Association. The Fall River Rovers won their second consecutive title by defeating the Newark Caledonians in the final.

1889 American Cup

Tournament details
Country	United States
Teams	15
Final positions
Champions	Fall River Rovers (2nd title)
Runner-up	Newark Caledonians
Tournament statistics
Matches played	17
Goals scored	73 (4.29 per match)
← 1888 1890 →

Participants

Newcomers to the tournament were the Paterson Rangers and Trenton Rovers. Absent was the Ansonia team while New York was defunct and the Kearny Rangers had amalgamated with ONT.

Ad for Rovers vs. O.N.T. match

State	City	Team
Massachusetts	Fall River	East Ends
		Olympics
		Rover F.C.
New Jersey	Paterson	Paterson F.B.C.
		Paterson Rangers
	Newark	Almas
		Clark O.N.T.
		Caledonian Club
		Tiffany Rovers
	Trenton	Trenton F.B.C.
		Trenton Rovers
New York	New York	Amateur League
		Thistles
Rhode Island	Pawtucket	Free Wanderers
	Providence	Providence Athletics

First round

The Fall River Olympics drew a first round bye. The first game between the Almas and Paterson was not completed due to the ball bursting early in the second half. Paterson refused to continue so Alma claimed the contest. However, after a meeting of the delegates it was decided that the game should be replayed because the game had started without a referee in the first place. Clark ONT was awarded their replay match as a result of Trenton Rovers failure to appear.

Paterson Rangers v Amateur League

	Paterson Rangers	w/o	Amateur League	Paterson, NJ
		[1][2]

Trenton v Thistle

October 20, 1888	Trenton	1–3	Thistle	Trenton, NJ
		[3]

Providence v Pawtucket

October 20, 1888	Providence	0–5	Pawtucket	Providence, RI
		[4]	Mullarkey 1', Lennox 35', Sandilands	Stadium: Eagle street grounds Attendance: 1000
Note: Providence: GK Bailey, DF G.Clegg, McDonald, MF Davina, Cook, Start, FW Thorney, Cook, Axon, Brennan, Healabourn. Pawtucket: GK Watmouth, DF H.Stuart, A.Love, MF J.Dalton, F.Finn, D.Smith, FW Hardy, Mullarkey, Murray, Sandilands, Fd.Lennox.

Trenton Rovers v O.N.T.

October 20, 1888	Trenton Rovers	0-0	O.N.T.	Trenton, NJ
		[5][6]		Stadium: East State Street grounds

Fall River Rovers v East Ends

October 27, 1888	Fall River Rovers	7-0	East Ends	Fall River, MA
	15' 20' 25' 30' 35' 40' 120'	[7]		Attendance: 800 Referee: Chapleau (Olympics)
Note: Rovers: GK D.Shea, FB R.Harwood, F.Bradley, HB B.Fagan, H.Waring, J.Buckley, RW R.Bell, F.Cornell, LW, C.Duff, Wild, C Duff East Ends: GK Ratcliffe, FB Woodcock, Harrington, HB Coupe, A.Bell, Foley, RW Farrell, Tobin, LW Buckley, Whitaker, C Beattie

Caledonians v Tiffany Rovers

October 27, 1888	Caledonians	4-4	Tiffany Rovers	ONT grounds
3:30 PM		[8][9]

Alma v Paterson

October 27, 1888	Alma	2-1	Paterson	Shooting Park
		[10]

replays

ONT v Trenton Rovers

	ONT	w/o	Trenton Rovers	Newark, NJ
		[11][12]

Alma v Paterson

November 6, 1888	Alma	3-0	Paterson	Shooting Park
3:30 PM	Walter Taylor 60' 120' J.Gray 120'	[13]		Attendance: 300 Referee: Henry Holden
Note: Alma- G F.Farrow, DF G.Wright, Ely Morton, MF Frank Britchford, J.Hood, Robert Paterson, RW Walter Taylor, J.Curtin, LW H.Shaw, P.Brennan, C J.Gray(c) Paterson- G Isaac Sutton, FB John W.Smallwood, George Henshall, HB Thomas Evans, William Jones, James Henshall(c), RW William McDonald, Samuel Alberson, LW Thomas Turner, Samuel Saunders, C J.W.Warburton

Caledonians v Tiffany Rovers

November 24, 1888	Caledonians	4-1	Tiffany Rovers	ONT grounds
3:00 PM	Hendry , J.Heron W.Barr	[14]	M.Downs	Referee: A.Craig
Note: Caledonian- GK J.Thompson, DF J.Byrne, D.Gloak, MF W.Barr, R.McDonald, W.Hood, FW R.McWilliams, T.Hendry, R.Barr, W.Thornton, J.Heron. Tiffany- GK W.Healy, DF T.Crann, M.Flannery, MF D.McCune, E.Hinkley, J.Singleton, FW J.Jeffs, M.Downs, A.Hinkley, T.Flynn, J.Norton.

Second round

Pawtucket and Thistles drew a second round bye.

Fall River Rovers v Olympics

November 24, 1888	Fall River Rovers	4-0	Olympics	Fall River, MA
3:10 PM	Bruckshaw 30' Cornell 60' Bell 61' Bruckshaw 66'	[15]		Stadium: Rovers’ grounds Attendance: 2500 Referee: H.Ball (RI Assoc. Pres.)
Note: Rovers: GK Shea, DF Harwood, Fagan, MF Bradley, Waring, Lonsdale, FW Bell, Bruckshaw, Buckley, Bell, Cornell. Olympics: GK Brackell, DF Williamson, Lee, MF Tomlinson, Pilling, Brown, FW Hoctor, Corbet, Taylor, Ingham, Randall.

Alma v Caledonian

December 8, 1888	Alma	0-3	Caledonian	Shooting Park
		[16]	McCormack Barr Williamson	Referee: P.Hughes
Note: Alma: GK F.Farrow, DF E.Morton, G.Wright, MF J.Britchford, J.Hood, R.Patterson, FW J.Gray, P.Brennan, H.Shaw, Walter Taylor, J.Smith. Caledonian: GK J.Thompson, DF G.Gloak, J.Brown, MF W.Barr, R.McDonald, W.Stalker, FW R.McWilliams, T.Hendry, J.McCormack, J.Williamson, R.Barr.

Paterson Rangers v O.N.T.

December 22, 1888	Paterson Rangers	1-4	O.N.T.	Paterson, NJ
		[17]		Stadium: Olympic grounds

Third round

ONT drew a bye.

Thistle v Caledonian

December 25, 1888	Thistle	4-5	Caledonian	ONT grounds
10:30 AM	Barber , Jamieson ,	[18]	McWilliams R.Barr J.Hendry McCormack ,	Referee: W.Turner(Paterson Rovers)
Note: Thistle- G Cameron, FB Russell, Patrick, HB Bailey, Harley, Kirk, RW Scott, Jameson, LW Walker, Barber, C Wind Caledonian- G Thompson, FB Brown, Gloak, HB Barr, McDonald, Head, RW McWilliams, Hendry, LW R.Barr, Williamson, C McCormack

Pawtucket v Fall Rivers Rovers

January 12, 1889	Pawtucket	1-2	Fall Rivers Rovers	Pawtucket, R.I.
3:00 PM	60' Mullarkey	[19]	Cornell 5' Bell 32'	Stadium: Dexter Street grounds Attendance: 6000 Referee: Eli Morton (Almas)
Note: Pawtucket: GK James Hardy(c), FB Harry Stuart, Alexander Love, HB James Dalton, Frank Finn, David Smith LW William Mullarkey, M.Murray, RW Robert Sandilands, Edward Lennox, C John Stuart. Rovers: GK Dennis Shay, FB Richard Harwood, Bernard Fagan(c), HB Frank Bradley, Henry Waring, Richard Lonsdale, RW Robert Bell, Thomas Bruckshaw, LW Joseph Buckley, Charles Duff, C Frank Cornell.

Semifinal

Caledonians drew a bye.

Fall River Rovers v O.N.T.

March 2, 1889	Fall River Rovers	7-0	O.N.T.	Fall River, MA
3:45 PM	Bell 15', 51', Bruckshaw 17' Cornell Duff Buckley	[20]		Stadium: Rovers’ ground Attendance: 3000 Referee: P.S. Morgan (Providence)
Note: Rovers: GK D.Shay, FB R.Harwood, B.Fagan, HB F.Bradley, H.Waring, R.Lonsdale, RW R.Bell, T.Bruckshaw, LW J.Buckley, C.Duff, C F.Cornell O.N.T.: GK P.Hughes, FB Line, E.Walker, HB Pallishaw, Jos.Swithumby, Alsop, RW Connelly, Fisher, LW John Swithumby, McAuley, C Campbell

Final

Caledonian v Rovers

April 13, 1889	Caledonian	0–4	Rovers	Newark, NJ
4:00 PM		[21][22]	Buckley 12' Bradley 1H' 63' Bell	Stadium: O.N.T. grounds Attendance: 700 Referee: Mr. Craig (New York)

Caledonian

Rovers

GK J. Thompson FB J. Brown FB D. Gloak HB W. Barr HB R. McDonald HB William Head LW T. Hendry LW R. McWilliams C J. McCormack RW J. Williamson RW T. Morgan

GK Dennis Shay FB Richard Harwood FB Bernard Fagan (c) HB Frank Bradley HB Henry Waring HB Richard Lonsdale LW Joseph Buckley LW Charles Duff C Frank Cornell RW Robert Bell RW Thomas Bruckshaw Manager: Frank Miller

Match rules 90 minutes Replay if game ends in a draw

American Cup bracket

First Round

Second Round

Third Round

Semifinals

Finals

Newark Almas

2-3[a]

Paterson

1-0

Newark Almas

0

Caldonians

3

Newark Caldonians

4–4

Tiffany Rovers

4–1

Newark Caldonians

5

Thistles

4

Trenton

1

Thistles

3

Thistles

bye

Newark Caldonians

bye

Newark Caldonians

0

Fall River Rovers

4

Povidence Athletics

0

Pawtucket Free Wanderers

5

Pawtucket Free Wanderers

bye

Pawtucket Free Wanders

1

Fall River Rovers

2

Fall River Rovers

7

Fall River East Ends

0

Fall River Rovers

4

Fall River Olympics

0

Fall River Olympics

bye

Fall River Rovers

7

Clark ONT

0

Paterson Rangers

w/o

Amateur League

Paterson Rangers

1

Clark ONT

4

Clark ONT

w/o[b]

Trenton Rovers

Clark ONT

bye

Notes;

1. First game not completed due to ball bursting
2. First game ended 0–0, Trenton Rovers did not show up for Replay

Champions

American Football Association Challenge Cup
Rover F.C.
Second Title

References

1. "American Football Association". The New York Times. October 31, 1888. p.8 col.5. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
2. "Current Sporting Gossip". (November 5, 1888). Daily Guardian, p.3 col.3
3. "Games Of Football And Lacrosse". New York Daily Tribune. October 21, 1888. p.4 col.2. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
4. "Local News". The Olneyville Times. October 27, 1888. p.3 col.2. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
5. "American Football Association". The New York Times. October 31, 1888. p.8 col.5. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
6. "Football News". (October 31, 1888). The Sun, p.6 col.4
7. "Football". Daily Evening News. Fall River, Massachusetts. October 29, 1888. p.2 col.2. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
8. "American Football Association". The New York Times. October 31, 1888. p.8 col.5. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
9. "The Football Tournament". Newark Sunday Call. October 28, 1888. p.1 col.7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
10. "Notes About Sports" (PDF). Newark Evening News. October 29, 1888. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
11. "Football Men Busy". Newark Sunday Call. November 4, 1888. p.1 col.4. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
12. "Too Rainy Football". Newark Sunday Call. November 11, 1888. p.1 col.7. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
13. "Election Day Sports" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 7, 1888. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
14. "Notes About Sports" (PDF). Newark Evening News. November 26, 1888. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
15. "Football". Daily Evening News. Fall River, Massachusetts. November 26, 1888. p.2 col.2. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
16. "About Many Sports" (PDF). Newark Evening News. December 10, 1888. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
17. "Local Brevities". (December 24, 1888). Paterson Daily Guardian, p.3 col.1
18. "Foot Ball Games" (PDF). Newark Evening News. December 26, 1888. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
19. "Rovers Vanquish Free Wanderers At Football". (January 14, 1889). Pawtucket Evening Times, p.1 col.4
20. "O.N.T.'s Fail To Score". Fall River Globe. March 4, 1889. p.4 col.4-5. Retrieved July 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Notes About Sports" (PDF). Newark Evening News. April 15, 1889. p.3 col.1. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
22. "Football Champions". Newark Sunday Call. April 14, 1889. p.1 col.8. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

Sources

• Outing
• National Police Gazette
• New York Herald
• New York Times
• Spirit of the Times
• Trenton Times
• Fall River Herald
• Daily Advertiser
• Evening News
• Sunday Call