When the @sabres.com wear red and black, you’re supposed to watch on a TV from that era, right?

The first piece of memorabilia I’ve been able to find for any of the early 1900s Rochester soccer teams I’ve been researching. A pin from the German Americans. They entered US Open Cup (then National Challenge Cup) qualifying yearly for decades, but never successfully qualified.

1908-09 saw the largest publicized match yet (Babies Day) and a new tournament between Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls teams (Nehrbas Cup) flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-7-...

The first widely publicized and promoted soccer match in Rochester was an exhibition on August 14, 1909 between the McNaughton Rangers and the Independents. The Carnival of Sport raised $8,000 for a babies hospital, with 6,000 in attendance watching the Rangers win 2-1.

In 1912, Alfred E. Bliss was hired as coach of a high school for $3 a week. In 1913, the first year of the National Challenge Cup (US Open Cup), his paid job would end up overturning a win due to a Niagara protest, leading to a forfeit, and McNaughton Rangers knocked out of the tournament.

In 1912, a second league was formed in Rochester, to give playing time to reserves and more amateur players. This league also included two high school teams. It was won by the Y.M.C.A. Music Hall team (the YMCA fielded two teams).

114 years later I'm laughing at this calling off a soccer practice because they didn't have a ball

The oldest photo I've been able to find of a Rochester soccer team, Flower City of the Rochester District League, July 10, 1910.

Chapter 6, Fall 1907. Two seasons within 7 months, and the McNaughton Rangers won both. They're already a powerhouse. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-6-...

Chapter 5 - Spring 1907 saw the first official season of league soccer in Rochester, as the Rochester & District Association Football League began play and saw the MacNaughton Rangers its first champions. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-5-...

Chapter 4 of my history of Rochester soccer. George MacNaughton was probably the most important figure in the formation of the sport in this city, and the first league was finally formed.. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-4-...

What's most notable about this Memorial Day 1906 match was not even mentioned in this article. Eight of the players on the Thistles were brothers. Each of the brothers scored a goal.

December 24, 1906. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, talking about Santa Claus delivering soccer ball on that night.

The first (unofficial) soccer championship in Rochester was to be played Christmas Day of 1896. Churchville Thistles sent Rochester AFC a telegram saying “Do not come. Too much snow. Cannot play.” Churchville announced Rochester refused to play because they feared the cold. I love this story.

Chapter 3 of my history of Rochester soccer, dealing with 1901-1905. Not much about Rochester itself, but about how the Pan-American Exposition and a tour by the English team Corinthians led to its eventual resurgence here flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-3-...

Chapter 3 of my history of soccer in Rochester, New York. There was talk of a league forming, and instead it nearly disappeared for years. 1897-1905 flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-2-...

I'm trying to write a book on the history of soccer in Rochester, New York. I previously posted the Introduction. Here is Chapter 1, covering its earliest mentioned, up through its first "season" in 1896/7. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-1-...

Halfway there collecting Rhinos team photos.

I started writing a book on Rochester's local soccer history. Here's the Introduction. It's not much in the way of history (yet) but hopefully it's interesting enough to someone besides me. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/introducti...

Results of the first season of the Rochester and District League (now called RDSL, which has been going continuously since this season in 1907). It appears impossible to find all results, but McNaughton Rangers were deserved undefeated champions.

The newest earliest photo I've been able to find of Rochester soccer players. This one is even more important because it includes: 1) The first name of the players (rather than initial) 2) The cities the players came from 3) The name of the trophy Also, finally I found McNaughton's first name

1919 National Challenge Cup (@thecup.us) playing on Thanksgiving.

From the earliest refence I found (1919) to the most recent (1978), amateur teams in the Rochester/Buffalo area competed annually for the Northwestern Challenge Cup for at least 60 years. I think this tournament needs to be brought back. I also wonder whatever happened to the actual trophy.

A telegram sent December 25, 1896, cancelling that day's Championship match between the Rochester and Irondequoit Association Foot-ball Clubs. The first Championship in Rochester "socker". These were the only two teams in the city and it would have been their 5th meeting of the year.

The first mention of a soccer club being formed in Rochester. April 8, 1896

There goes my Friday night plans. Now I’m gonna sit down and read @protagonistsoccer.bsky.social’s fanzine. We need more fanzines.

I’ve barely come across any old Rochester soccer photos, this is the oldest one I’ve found featuring gameplay. January 11, 1931 National Challenge Cup (currently US Open Cup). Rochester Celtic lose 3-2 in the 87th to Fore River FC

This day 96 years ago in @thecup.us (qualifying) history… Rangers had long been a Rochester powerhouse, while German AC were relatively new. It was the same in the other pairing where longtime Rochester contender the Kaypees met relatively new Lackawanna (Buffalo) side Hispanos.

Dammit @ianherbert95.bsky.social and @roversfanzine.bsky.social. Stop posting interviews in French. You forget that your 3 American readers aren’t taught languages other than American.

Someone figured out a way to sleep behind my VHS

I write too many words recapping Flower City Union’s 2025 season and tease their potential future based on publicly available information flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/state-of-t...

@thecup.us Any chance you’d have who the 1996 Jaguars GM/president/whatever they called it was? Trying to find it for a project and you’re the only one who might possibly have that info.

Surely Blackburn has an indoor training pitch they can finish this game on…

I found the worst goal call ever. English play by play before and after this, but I literally don’t understand a single word in this video.

Season's over, but the beer is still great.

As powerful and relevant now as it was when it ran in all Marvel comics in December 1968.

Busy soccer weekend. #RBNY hosts Messi, but to the northwest there’s big soccer in Rochester, NY. Flower City Union hosts Michigan Rangers FC in the #NPSL Midwest Region Final. A win almost certainly secures a 2026 #USOpenCup spot. (Credit: @sandimas1988.bsky.social) @flowercityunion.bsky.social

Flower City Union won their first ever “home” playoff game in extra time tonight.

The results for Flower City 1872 weren’t great, but it was a memorable season. Here I am being way too verbose in my overall thoughts about it: flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/growing-pa...

With 1 game still to go, and only 1 draw and 1 loss, Flower City Union are NPSL Great Lakes Division champions flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/flower-cit...

After 10 games against Pittsburgh clubs (Steel City and Riveters), neither Flower City Union nor 1872 has ever won. I’m getting tired of that 4.5 hour drive… flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/another-pi...

When Flower City Union and RNY FC Academy met, both times the home team won 2-1. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/rny-gets-t...

Wherein the referee of the last two Flower City matches defends his poor calls: flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/my-view-re...

When they force me to keep stats but don’t want to pay me, I give my real thoughts.

A draw that felt like a loss. Another game where terrible refereeing decisions directly led to opposing goals: flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/referee-sp...

Across the last two seasons, Flower City Union has now outscored Niagara 1812 by 20-1 in their four meetings flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/fcus-lowes...

Flower City Union/1872 teams have now played Steel City teams 7 times in the last 3 seasons, but have yet to win. Here’s a recap of last night’s loss: flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/flower-cit...

4 straight wins to start the season and Flower City Union is in 7th place overall in NPSL. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/niagara-fa...

Despite being the better team for all but 14 minutes, it was those 14 minutes that led to Flower City 1872’s loss in Cleveland. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/1872s-unev...

Here are all 9 times Flower City Union/1872 have scored in stoppage time. Almeida’s goal this weekend was the first time the Union ever scored the winner in stoppage time.