The 1885 American Cup was the inaugural edition of this tournament staged by the American Football Association

American Football Association

American Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...

. Six teams contended for the first edition played in the 1884-85 season. Five of the teams were from New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 and one from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. 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 made the papers on the first of October in 1884 after being conducted by the clubs' secretaries at Paterson. The completion of the trophy was announced several days later which was put on exhibition in several places around Newark

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, Paterson

Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

 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". Clark ONT became the first winners of the trophy along with the purse of $150.

Participants

Clark ONT 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 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.
  Clark O.N.T.
  Clark O.N.T., was a U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Clark Thread Company. The team competed in the annual American Cup, winning the first three championships.-Name:...
  
  , Domestic, and Kearny Rangers.

First round

ONT: GK J.Douglas, DF A.Kenworthy, E.Sargent, MF Joe Swithemby, J.Howarth, T.Smith, FW J.Spillane, J.Mitchell, Jack Swithemby, J.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.
----

----

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 pit against New York on Thanksgiving Day with the winner to meet ONT in the final round.

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 Valentines Day. ONT emerged victorious by a difference of one goal 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.

ONT: GK P.Hughes, DF H.Holden, J.Donnelly, MF Joe Swithemby, J.Howarth, T.Smith, FW P.Garron, William Thornton, Jack Swithemby(c), J.Swarbrick, J.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

Sources

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