1925 National Challenge Cup
Encyclopedia
The 1924–25 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
.
and St. Louis Soccer League
had won the previous several Challenge Cups, but dissatisfaction with the financial arrangements led the two leagues to boycott this year’s cup. While the United States Football Association gained its operating income from annual dues by member teams, most of its income came from its annual challenge cup. On the other hand, the owner’s of the top professional teams saw the challenge cup as a money losing competition as they were forced to play obscure amateur teams which tended to have smaller crowds and therefore gate receipts. After USFA took its cut, the amount distributed to the teams frequently did not cover the travel expenses. Therefore, the SLSL proposed, and the ASL agreed to, the creation of an American Professional Soccer Championship. That game series took place in April 1925 at University Field in St. Louis, Missouri
. Over the three games, the Boston Soccer Club defeated the Ben Millers
in front of an average crowd of over 10,000 spectators per game. In contrast, the National Challenge Cup final between the Shawsheen Indians
and Chicago Canadian Club
, played at the usually high drawing Mark's Stadium
, saw only 2,500 spectators, down from the 18,000 who watched the 1924 final
. At a May 1925 meeting, USFA agreed to reduce their percentage of the gate receipts from 33.3% to 15%. This diffused the ASL and SLSL hostility to the challenge cup leading to their re-entering the competition for 1926.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
.
History
Teams from the American Soccer LeagueAmerican Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
and St. Louis Soccer League
St. Louis Soccer League
The St. Louis Soccer League was a soccer league based in St. Louis, Missouri, that existed from 1907 to 1938. At its founding, it was the only fully professional soccer league in the United States.-History:...
had won the previous several Challenge Cups, but dissatisfaction with the financial arrangements led the two leagues to boycott this year’s cup. While the United States Football Association gained its operating income from annual dues by member teams, most of its income came from its annual challenge cup. On the other hand, the owner’s of the top professional teams saw the challenge cup as a money losing competition as they were forced to play obscure amateur teams which tended to have smaller crowds and therefore gate receipts. After USFA took its cut, the amount distributed to the teams frequently did not cover the travel expenses. Therefore, the SLSL proposed, and the ASL agreed to, the creation of an American Professional Soccer Championship. That game series took place in April 1925 at University Field in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Over the three games, the Boston Soccer Club defeated the Ben Millers
Ben Millers
Ben Millers was a U.S. soccer club sponsored by the Ben W. Miller Hat Company of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1913, it entered the St. Louis Soccer League two years later, winning seven league titles and one National Challenge Cup before its disbandment in 1935.-History:In 1913, Ben Millers...
in front of an average crowd of over 10,000 spectators per game. In contrast, the National Challenge Cup final between the Shawsheen Indians
Shawsheen Indians
Shawsheen Indians were an United States soccer club based in Andover, Massachusetts during the early 1920s.-History:The Shawsheen Football Club, known by its nickname The Indians, was founded by George Park and played in the New Bedford Industrial Soccer League in the early 1920s...
and Chicago Canadian Club
Chicago Canadian Club
Chicago Canadian Club was a U.S. soccer team from the early twentieth century. In 1923, it played in the Chicago Major Soccer League. In 1925, it finished runner up to the Shawsheen Indians in the National Challenge Cup and in 1926, it was eliminated from the National Challenge Cup in the...
, played at the usually high drawing Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium
Mark's Stadium is a former soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River Marksmen, one of the era’s most successful soccer teams. It is one of the earliest examples of a soccer-specific stadium in the United States...
, saw only 2,500 spectators, down from the 18,000 who watched the 1924 final
1924 National Challenge Cup
The 1923–24 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.-Open Cup Bracket:Home teams listed on top of bracket: replay after tied match...
. At a May 1925 meeting, USFA agreed to reduce their percentage of the gate receipts from 33.3% to 15%. This diffused the ASL and SLSL hostility to the challenge cup leading to their re-entering the competition for 1926.