Billy Gonsalves
Encyclopedia
Adelino William Gonsalves (sometimes spelt in the Portuguese form, Gonçalves) (August 10, 1908 in Portsmouth
, Rhode Island
– July 17, 1977 in Kearny
, New Jersey
) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth
of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of the U.S. squad at the FIFA World Cup
in 1930 and 1934. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
two years before his birth. Although born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
, Gonsalves grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts
. An excellent athlete, Gonsalves boxed and played both baseball
and soccer as a boy. When he was fourteen, Gonsalves began playing for Pioneer, a local amateur team. He then went on to play for Charlton Mill and Liberal. Gonsalves grew in prominence in the local leagues, gaining the nickname “Billy” from his fellow players. In 1926, he signed with Lusitania Recreation Club of East Cambridge, Massachusetts
. In 1927, Lusitania won both the Boston city and District League titles.
(ASL) signed Gonsalves. Nineteen years old at the time, Gonsalves joined a team which had taken second in the ASL the previous season and was stocked with talented international players. Finding it difficult to break into the starting lineup, Gonsalves did not play a game with Boston until Christmas Eve. However, given the chance, he grabbed it and scored a goal two minutes later. He went on to find the net six times in his next twenty games. That season the Wonder Workers also took the league title.
Gonsalves spent one more season with the Wonder Workers before moving to the Fall River Marksmen
of his hometown in 1929. From the time he joined the Marksmen until the team merged with the New York Soccer Club
in the summer of 1930 to form the New York Yankees
, Gonsalves played seventy-five games and scored forty-nine goals. Additionally, he was the team’s assists leader.
While playing with the Marksmen, Gonsalves formed a lethal striking partnership with another local player, Bert Patenaude
. The two led Fall River to the U.S. Open Cup title in 1930 and 1931. Overall, Gonslaves won the tournament a record eight times.
The onset of the Great Depression
and the Soccer Wars had taken a toll on the ASL and teams began to merge or fold. The Marksmen, one of the strongest ASL teams, had merged with the New York Soccer Club
to form the New York Yankees
in 1930. Then in 1931, the Yankees moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts
where the team took up the name of the defunct New Bedford Whalers
. In 1932, the team moved again, this time back to Fall River where it was known as Fall River F.C.
.
By this time the American Soccer League was collapsing and Gonsalves began looking for other playing opportunities. In 1933 Alex McNab
, a former team-mate who was coaching Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C.
of the St. Louis Soccer League
contacted Gonsalves and offered him a contract. Gonsalves took the opportunity and moved west. That year, Gonsalves added another Open Cup title to his resume, this time with his new team. Gonsalves spent the 1933-1934 season with Stix, Baer and Fuller, winning the league title. At the end of the season, he joined the U.S. national team for the 1934 FIFA World Cup
in Italy
.
On his return to St. Louis, Gonsalves found that McNab had moved to a new team, St. Louis Central Breweries F.C.. Gonsalves made the move as well and spent the 1934-1935 season with Central Breweries, winning the league title and the 1935 Open Cup. In 1935, Gonsalves moved again, this time to the St. Louis Shamrocks
. The Shamrocks went to both the 1936 and 1937 Open Cup championships, but lost both times. In October 1937, Gonsalves quit the Shamrocks and signed with St. Patrick's
. However, Shamrocks sued St. Patrick's and St. Patrick's settled out of court by agreeing to a player trade. Despite the agreement, Gonsalves decided not to play for either team and instead signed with Beltmars in the semi-professional second division St. Louis Municipal League. In February 1938, Gonsalves was back in the SLSL with South Side Radio
. He finished the season with the South Siders before moving to Chicago Manhattan Beer. Then in 1940, he moved back east, joining Healy F.C. of the National Soccer League of New York
, winning the 1941 league title. In 1941, he moved again, this time to the Kearny Scots
of the second American Soccer League
(ASL) which was created in 1933 following the collapse of the first ASL. Gonsalves spent only one season with the Scots before moving to Brooklyn Hispano
. Uncharacteristically for him, Gonsalves spent the next five seasons with Brooklyn. In his first season with Brooklyn, he scored eight goals in sixteen games. Brooklyn also won the U.S. Open in 1943 and 1944.
In 1947, Gonsalves left Hispano to play for the Newark Germans
of the lower division German American Soccer League
. In 1948, the team became known simply as Newark F.C. Gonsalves remained with the team until his retirement from playing professionally in 1952.
According to Steve Holroyd, in a professional career spanning twenty-five years, “Gonsalves was also the consummate gentleman on the pitch: legend has it he was never cautioned or ejected from any match for rough play or ungentlemanly conduct.”
, including the first two FIFA World Cup
s in 1930
and 1934
. He scored one goal for the US.
Gonsalves was part of the inaugural induction class into the United States National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 1950.
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
– July 17, 1977 in Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, 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...
) was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of the U.S. squad at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in 1930 and 1934. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Youth
Gonsalves was one of seven children born to Augustine and Rose Gonsalves. His parents had immigrated from PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
two years before his birth. Although born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
, Gonsalves grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. An excellent athlete, Gonsalves boxed and played both baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and soccer as a boy. When he was fourteen, Gonsalves began playing for Pioneer, a local amateur team. He then went on to play for Charlton Mill and Liberal. Gonsalves grew in prominence in the local leagues, gaining the nickname “Billy” from his fellow players. In 1926, he signed with Lusitania Recreation Club of East Cambridge, Massachusetts
East Cambridge, Massachusetts
East Cambridge is a neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Referred to as Area 1, East Cambridge is bounded by the Charles River on the East, the Somerville border on the North, Broadway and Main Street on the South, and the railroad tracks on the West...
. In 1927, Lusitania won both the Boston city and District League titles.
Professional career
In 1927, Boston Soccer Club of 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...
(ASL) signed Gonsalves. Nineteen years old at the time, Gonsalves joined a team which had taken second in the ASL the previous season and was stocked with talented international players. Finding it difficult to break into the starting lineup, Gonsalves did not play a game with Boston until Christmas Eve. However, given the chance, he grabbed it and scored a goal two minutes later. He went on to find the net six times in his next twenty games. That season the Wonder Workers also took the league title.
Gonsalves spent one more season with the Wonder Workers before moving to the Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
of his hometown in 1929. From the time he joined the Marksmen until the team merged with the New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that, in 1930, played briefly in the American Soccer League. Between 1923 and 1930 they had been known as the New York Giants. In 1930 they merged with the Fall River Marksmen to become the New York Yankees. Then in 1931 this club absorbed...
in the summer of 1930 to form the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (soccer)
New York Yankees were a New York soccer team that played briefly in the American Soccer League. They were formed following the merger of Fall River Marksmen and New York Soccer Club. Although the Yankees survived only a short time, they beat Celtic in a prestige friendly and effectively won the...
, Gonsalves played seventy-five games and scored forty-nine goals. Additionally, he was the team’s assists leader.
While playing with the Marksmen, Gonsalves formed a lethal striking partnership with another local player, Bert Patenaude
Bert Patenaude
Bertrand "Bert" Arthur Patenaude was an American soccer player. Although earlier disputed, he is now officially credited by FIFA as the scorer of the first hat-trick in World Cup history. He is a member of the United States Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club career:...
. The two led Fall River to the U.S. Open Cup title in 1930 and 1931. Overall, Gonslaves won the tournament a record eight times.
The onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Soccer Wars had taken a toll on the ASL and teams began to merge or fold. The Marksmen, one of the strongest ASL teams, had merged with the New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club
New York Soccer Club was the name of a New York soccer team that, in 1930, played briefly in the American Soccer League. Between 1923 and 1930 they had been known as the New York Giants. In 1930 they merged with the Fall River Marksmen to become the New York Yankees. Then in 1931 this club absorbed...
to form the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (soccer)
New York Yankees were a New York soccer team that played briefly in the American Soccer League. They were formed following the merger of Fall River Marksmen and New York Soccer Club. Although the Yankees survived only a short time, they beat Celtic in a prestige friendly and effectively won the...
in 1930. Then in 1931, the Yankees moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
where the team took up the name of the defunct New Bedford Whalers
New Bedford Whalers
New Bedford Whalers was the name of three United States soccer teams based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The first Whalers played in the Southern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. The second Whalers played in the American Soccer League between 1924 and 1931 before merging into Fall...
. In 1932, the team moved again, this time back to Fall River where it was known as Fall River F.C.
Fall River F.C.
Fall River Football Club, also referred to as Fall River Field Club, was the name used by two United States soccer clubs, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both played in the American Soccer League during the early 1930s. The name is often used incorrectly to refer to Fall River Marksmen, another...
.
By this time the American Soccer League was collapsing and Gonsalves began looking for other playing opportunities. In 1933 Alex McNab
Alex McNab
Alex "Alec" McNab was a Scottish-U.S. soccer player and coach. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the United States. In the U.S., he won six consecutive U.S. Open Cups with teams from both the American Soccer League and St. Louis Soccer League...
, a former team-mate who was coaching Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C.
Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C.
Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C. was a U.S. soccer club which played in the St. Louis Soccer League from 1931 to 1934. The team was known as Hellrungs from 1929 to 1931, St. Louis Central Breweries F.C. from 1934 to 1935 and St. Louis Shamrocks from 1935 to 1938. During its short existence, it won two...
of the 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:...
contacted Gonsalves and offered him a contract. Gonsalves took the opportunity and moved west. That year, Gonsalves added another Open Cup title to his resume, this time with his new team. Gonsalves spent the 1933-1934 season with Stix, Baer and Fuller, winning the league title. At the end of the season, he joined the U.S. national team for the 1934 FIFA World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
On his return to St. Louis, Gonsalves found that McNab had moved to a new team, St. Louis Central Breweries F.C.. Gonsalves made the move as well and spent the 1934-1935 season with Central Breweries, winning the league title and the 1935 Open Cup. In 1935, Gonsalves moved again, this time to the St. Louis Shamrocks
St. Louis Shamrocks (1935-1938)
St. Louis Shamrocks was an American soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They competed in the St. Louis Association Football League, winning two championships....
. The Shamrocks went to both the 1936 and 1937 Open Cup championships, but lost both times. In October 1937, Gonsalves quit the Shamrocks and signed with St. Patrick's
St. Patrick's
St. Patrick's or Saint Patrick's may refer to:*Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland**Saint Patrick's Day, named after the saint**St. Patrick's Blue, the saint's colour*St...
. However, Shamrocks sued St. Patrick's and St. Patrick's settled out of court by agreeing to a player trade. Despite the agreement, Gonsalves decided not to play for either team and instead signed with Beltmars in the semi-professional second division St. Louis Municipal League. In February 1938, Gonsalves was back in the SLSL with South Side Radio
South Side Radio
South Side Radio was a U.S. soccer team in St. Louis, Missouri which spent one season, 1937-1938, in the St. Louis Soccer League.-History:South Side Radio, also known as the South Siders, spent most of its existence in the lower St. Louis leagues and divisions. In 1929, it won the Municipal...
. He finished the season with the South Siders before moving to Chicago Manhattan Beer. Then in 1940, he moved back east, joining Healy F.C. of the National Soccer League of New York
National Soccer League of New York
The National Soccer League of New York was an amateur U.S. soccer league which served as a lower division for the de facto first division American Soccer League from the 1920s into the 1950s...
, winning the 1941 league title. In 1941, he moved again, this time to the Kearny Scots
Kearny Scots
The Kearny Scots are an American soccer club based in Kearny, New Jersey. The Scots have played in both the National Association Football League and the second American Soccer League. When not members of those leagues, the Scots competed in lower level city leagues...
of the second American Soccer League
American 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...
(ASL) which was created in 1933 following the collapse of the first ASL. Gonsalves spent only one season with the Scots before moving to Brooklyn Hispano
Brooklyn Hispano
The Brooklyn Hispano was an American soccer club based in Brooklyn, New York that was an inaugural member of the reformed American Soccer League. The club was named the Brooklyn Giants for the 1942/43 season only....
. Uncharacteristically for him, Gonsalves spent the next five seasons with Brooklyn. In his first season with Brooklyn, he scored eight goals in sixteen games. Brooklyn also won the U.S. Open in 1943 and 1944.
In 1947, Gonsalves left Hispano to play for the Newark Germans
Newark Germans
Newark Germans was an American soccer club based in Newark, New Jersey that was an inaugural member of the reformed American Soccer League.Two months into the 1936/37 season the team was taken over and became Paterson Caledonian.-Year-by-year:...
of the lower division German American Soccer League
German American Soccer League
The German American Soccer League is the previous name of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, a semi-professional and amateur soccer league which was founded in 1923. The league competes primarily in the New York metropolitan area and northern New Jersey.-History:In 1923, five teams, S.C. New York,...
. In 1948, the team became known simply as Newark F.C. Gonsalves remained with the team until his retirement from playing professionally in 1952.
According to Steve Holroyd, in a professional career spanning twenty-five years, “Gonsalves was also the consummate gentleman on the pitch: legend has it he was never cautioned or ejected from any match for rough play or ungentlemanly conduct.”
National team
Gonsalves played six times for the United StatesUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, including the first two FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s in 1930
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
and 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
. He scored one goal for the US.
Gonsalves was part of the inaugural induction class into the United States National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
in 1950.