6.7.15

National Challenge Cup Winners 1930-32



A look at the winners of the United States' National Challenge Cup in the early 1930s reveals the following interesting sequence:

1930
The Fall River Marksmen of the Atlantic Coast League defeated Bruell Insurance of Cleveland over 2 legs.  At New York Polo Grounds (30.03.30) Marksmen won  7-2. Jimmy McAuley (3),Werner Nilsen (3) and Alex McNab were the scorers. Luna Park, Cleveland hosted the second leg on 06.04.30- , Marksmen winning  2-1, with goals by McNab and Bob McAuley.



1931
Fall River Marksmen don't appear in the league tables for the 1931 season, as the club had relocated to New York and had become the New York Yankees. However, for the National Challenge Cup they played under the name of Fall River Marksmen, having entered the tournament before the move to New York.
In the final the Marksmen/Yankees faced Chicago Bricklayers.
The 1st leg at the Polo Grounds (05.04.31) finished 6-2, Bert Patenaude scoring 5 goals and Bill McPherson 1.  
Bizarrely the rules of the contest meant that a 1-1 draw in the 2nd match (played at Chicago's Mills Stadium 12.04.31) meant that a 3rd match was required.  (Billy Gonsalves scored the Fall River goal). 
The deciding game at Sparta Stadium ,Chicago, was played on 19.04.31. Alex McNab had broken his arm in a midweek friendly and Fall River played the entire match with 10 men , winning 2-0 with goals from Patenaude and Gordon Burness.




1932
The New York Yankees relocated after just one season, becoming The New Bedford Whalers. Under their new guise they again reached the final of the National Challenge Cup, where they defeated Stix, Baer & Fuller of St. Louis.
Both games were played at Sportsman's Park, St. Louis. On 26.03.32  the result was a 3-3 draw (some discrepancies exist over the identities of the scorers). The following week Whalers won 5-2.White, Nilsen, Gonsalves, McPherson and Florie scored the goals.


Marksmen 1930
1st leg
2nd leg
Johnny Reder
Johnny Reder
Bob McAuley
Charlie McGill
McArthur
Bob McAuley
Bill McPherson
Bill McPherson
Priestley
Priestley
Bobby Ballantyne
Bobby Ballantyne
Alex McNab
Alex McNab
Billy Gonsalves
Billy Gonsalves
Werner Nilsen (Gavin)
Werner Nilsen
Jimmy McAuley
Bert Patenaude
James Tec White
James Tec White

Marksmen (New York Yankees) 1931
1st leg
2nd leg
3rd leg
Johnny Reder
unchanged
Johnny Reder
Charlie McGill
Charlie McGill
Augusto John Rebello
Augusto John Rebello
Bill McPherson
Bill McPherson
Johnny Caldwell
Johnny Caldwell
Bobby Ballantyne
Bobby Ballantyne
Alex McNab

Werner Nilsen
James Tec White
Bert Patenaude
Bert Patenaude
Billy Gonsalves
Billy Gonsalves
James Tec White
Gordon Burness

New Bedford Whalers 1932
1st leg
2nd leg
Watson
unchanged
Augusto John Rebello
McMillen
Johnny Caldwell
Montgomerie
Bill McPherson
Tom Florie
Billy Gonsalves
Werner Nilsen
James Tec White
Alex McNab



Some players of note:-
Johnny Reder
 Born in Poland, Reder also played baseball for Boston Red Sox.

Bob McAuley

Born in Glasgow, raised in Montreal. McAuley later played for Glasgow rangers, Chelsea and Cardiff City and won 2 caps for Scotland in 1931.

Bill McPherson

Began his career with his hometown club Greenock Morton and joined Beith before emigrating to the USA,

Bobby Ballantyne

Another Glasweigian , he later returned to Scotland and played for Aberdeen and St Johnstone.

Alex McNab

Another nastive of Greenock who played for Greenock Morton. Represented scotland twice in 1921. Went to the states in 1924 

Werner “Scotty” Nilsen

In a team of many Scots it was Norweigian Nilsen who was known as Scotty. He moved to the USA as a 19 year old. Represented the USA at the 1934 World Cup. Was also a male model!



Billy Gonsalves

Adelino Gonçalves was born in Rhode Island, his parents were from Madeira . Played for the USA in the 1930 and 1934 World Cups. His  professional career spanned 25 years.

Jimmy McAuley

An Irishman who had played for Ards before moving to the USA where he first played for Philedelphia Celtic. 

James Tec White

Another Scotsman, White played for Albion Rovers, Maidstone united and motherwell before Sam Mark persuaded him to join Fall River Marksmaen.

Charlie McGill

McGill had previously played for Third Lanark. 

Bert Patenaude

A native of Fall River, he played for the USA at the 1930 World Cup. 

Tom Florie

Played for the USA in the 1930 and 1934 World Cups.