1885 American Cup

The 1885 American Cup was the inaugural edition of this tournament staged by the American Football Association. Six teams contended for the first edition played in the 1884–85 season. Five of the teams were from New Jersey and one from New York. The Association and the tournament itself were the result of the success the game had in the previous winter and fall and despite all the teams coming from a relatively limited area it was anticipated that the game would undoubtedly grow. The draw for the first round was reported in newspapers on October 1, 1884 after being conducted by the clubs' secretaries at Paterson. The completion of the trophy was announced several days later. The trophy was exhibited in several places around Newark, Paterson and New York. The trophy, originally valued at $200, was described as having "a neat design in silver and gold appropriate figures of foot ballists being engraved on it".[1] Clark ONT became the first winners of the trophy along with the purse of $150.

1885 American Cup
Harry Holden with the American Cup
CountryUnited States
Teams6
ChampionsClark O.N.T.
Runners-upNew York
Matches played6
Goals scored20 (3.33 per match)
1886 →

Participants

Clark ONT, established in 1883, played at their association ground in the rear of the Kearny Mills. They wore crimson jerseys, white knickerbockers, and crimson stockings. Paterson wore blue and white striped jerseys, white knickerbockers, and blue stockings. The Domestics, also having blue and white for colors, were composed of employees of the Domestic Manufacturing Company and played at their counterparts baseball ground at Williams Hill. However in March 1885 the Domestic company no longer allowed the baseball club to use that name so they simply became the Newark baseball club and their field also became Newark baseball grounds aka Emmett street grounds. The Kearny Rangers were a football and cricket club established in 1883 with navy shirts and white shorts. The participants hailing from three different cities were as follows:

  • New York — New York F.B.C.
  • Paterson — Caledonian Thistle Club and Paterson F.B.C.
  • Newark — Clark O.N.T., Domestic, and Kearny Rangers.

Venues
New Jersey
O.N.T. Grounds
1885 American Cup is located in New Jersey
O.N.T. Grounds
O.N.T. Grounds
Domestic Grounds
Domestic Grounds
Olympic Grounds
Olympic Grounds
Hoboken
Capacity:
Domestic Grounds
Capacity:
Olympic Grounds
Capacity:

First round
Clark O.N.T.2–0Domestic
McGurk (Swithemby)
Spillane (Swithemby)		 [2]
O.N.T. AA Grounds
Kearney, New Jersey
Referee: James Lennox

ONT: GK J. Douglas, DF A. Kenworthy, E. Sargent, MF Joe Swithemby, James Howarth, T. Smith, FW J. Spillane, J. Mitchell, Jack Swithemby, James McGurk, William Clark Jr.(c)
Domestic: GK W. Hollenbeck, DF J. Corby, F. Ward, MF C. Riker, L. Conklin, FW C. Fairchild, R.O'Toole, H.Chadwick(c), T. Bock, T. Butchford, J.Utter.

Kearny Rangers3–2Caledonian Thistle
Domestic Baseball Grounds
Newark, New Jersey
New York5–0Paterson
[3]

Second round

The secretaries of the remaining three teams met on November 8 in East Newark to make the second round draw which resulted in the Rangers being pitted against New York on Thanksgiving Day with the winner to meet ONT in the final round.

Kearney Rangers0–4New York
[4]
Domestic Baseball Grounds
Newark, New Jersey

Kearny Rangers: GK D. Ferguson, DF W. Hood, D. Morris, MF John Hood, James Lennox(c), FW R. Raeburn, J. Hill, A. Bolton, H. Ashley, W. Taylor, J.Milner.

Final round

The final was played in the snow on Valentine's Day. ONT emerged victorious by a score of 2-1, however captain Mitchell of New York entered a protest indicating that some of the ONT players were not members of the club and that the goal posts were not regulation size. The AFA ordered the game replayed at Paterson.

Clark O.N.T.2–1New York
15' Jack Swithemby
40' McGurck		 [5] 80' D. Sinclair
Emmet Street Grounds
Newark, New Jersey
Referee: James Lennox

O.N.T.: GK Patrick Hughes, FB Harry Holden, J. Donnelly, HB Joe Swithemby, James Howarth, T. Smith, FW P. Garron, William Thornton, Jack Swithemby(c), Joseph Swarbrick, James McGurk.
New York: GK T. Walker, DF A. Johnston, F. Marsterton, MF W. Sinclair, J. Gold, FW A.Mitchell(c), A. Young, J. Lowe, J. Grant, D. Sinclair, D.McNeil.

replay
Clark O.N.T. 1-0 New York
Swithemby 44' [6][7][8]
Olympic grounds, Paterson, NJ
Clark O.N.T.
New York



Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • Replay if game ends in a draw

American Cup Bracket

Home teams listed on top of bracket

First Round Second Round Finals
         
New Jersey Clark O.N.T. 2
New Jersey Domestics 0
New Jersey Clark O.N.T.
bye
 
 
New Jersey Clark O.N.T. 2-1*
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 1-0
New Jersey Kearny Rangers 3
New Jersey Caledonian Thistle 2
New Jersey Kearny Rangers 0
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 4
New York (state) New York F.B.C. 5
New Jersey Paterson F.B.C. 0

(*): replay after protested match

Champions
American Football Association Challenge Cup
First Title

References
  1. "The Foot Ball season". (October 17, 1884). Newark Evening News, p.1 col.7
  2. "The Season’s Sports". (October 27, 1884). Newark Daily Advertiser, p.4 col.1
  3. "Local Matters". (November 3, 1884). Paterson Daily Press, p.3 col.5-6
  4. "Thanksgiving Sports". (November 28, 1884). Newark Daily Advertiser, p.3 col.1
  5. "Football In The Snow". (February 15, 1885). The Sun, p.1 col.5
  6. "Sports And Pastimes". (April 27, 1885). Newark Evening News, p.1 col.5
  7. "The O.N.T.'s Take The Cup". (April 27, 1885). Paterson Daily Press, p.2 col.5
  8. "Football Champions". (April 26, 1885). The Sunday Call, p.1 col.4

Sources
  • National Police Gazette
  • New York Herald
  • New York Sun
  • Spirit of the Times
  • Morning Register
  • Daily Advertiser
  • Evening News
  • Sunday Call
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