Peter Peel
Encyclopedia
Peter J. Peel was a three time president of the United States Football Association. He also managed the U.S. Olympic team at the 1924 Summer Olympics
and founded the Peel Cup
.
. He remained in Chicago, becoming an integral part of the city’s athletic scene. In 1909, he established the Peel Cup
, an annual cup competition to crown the Illinois
state champion. Peel intended this cup to have two purposes, one was to promote a high level of competition and also to raise money for a player benefit fund. The Peel Cup the longest running U.S. soccer cup until superseded in 1970 by the Illinois Governor’s Cup. Three years later, he established the Peel Shield which was awarded to the Cook County, Illinois
high school championship. In 1916, the Illinois State Soccer Football Association was formed, and Peter Peel was elected its first president. A year later, he was elected as the president of the United States Football Association. At the time, the term of office was limited to one year. Peel was re-elected in 1918 for a second term. Peel was elected for a third time in 1923, narrowly defeating Thomas Cahill
. In one of the more odd incidents in U.S. soccer administrative history, Peel terminated Cahill, who was the association’s first vice president, accusing Cahill of attacking him with a knife. According to Cahill, he was using a knife to peel a plug of tobacco when Peel became aggressive towards him. During this term in office, Peel oversaw the entry of the first official U.S. team to enter the Olympics. In 1924, Peel chose not to stand for re-election and declared bankruptcy soon after. However, he remained active in soccer affairs, primarily in Chicago, but also to a limited extent on the national level until his death.
He was elected as a builder to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 1951.
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
and founded the Peel Cup
Peel Cup
The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1970.-Origins:...
.
Biography
Peel grew up in Ireland, but in 1893 travelled to the United States to visit the Chicago World’s FairWorld's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. He remained in Chicago, becoming an integral part of the city’s athletic scene. In 1909, he established the Peel Cup
Peel Cup
The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1970.-Origins:...
, an annual cup competition to crown the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
state champion. Peel intended this cup to have two purposes, one was to promote a high level of competition and also to raise money for a player benefit fund. The Peel Cup the longest running U.S. soccer cup until superseded in 1970 by the Illinois Governor’s Cup. Three years later, he established the Peel Shield which was awarded to the Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
high school championship. In 1916, the Illinois State Soccer Football Association was formed, and Peter Peel was elected its first president. A year later, he was elected as the president of the United States Football Association. At the time, the term of office was limited to one year. Peel was re-elected in 1918 for a second term. Peel was elected for a third time in 1923, narrowly defeating Thomas Cahill
Thomas Cahill (soccer)
Thomas W. Cahill was an Irish American athlete, coach and businessman who was one of the founding fathers of soccer in the United States.-Early life:...
. In one of the more odd incidents in U.S. soccer administrative history, Peel terminated Cahill, who was the association’s first vice president, accusing Cahill of attacking him with a knife. According to Cahill, he was using a knife to peel a plug of tobacco when Peel became aggressive towards him. During this term in office, Peel oversaw the entry of the first official U.S. team to enter the Olympics. In 1924, Peel chose not to stand for re-election and declared bankruptcy soon after. However, he remained active in soccer affairs, primarily in Chicago, but also to a limited extent on the national level until his death.
He was elected as a builder to 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:...
in 1951.