1920 in Rochester soccer saw normalcy return after WWI. Until the game dubbed the "Battle of the Soccer Field" thanks to 400 fans entering the field to attack players that is. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-19...

Soccer teams and the Rochester & District League held meetings at Little Casino. A "restaurant and sample room" it was originally located at 16 Exchange Place and moved to Corinthian Street at some point before 1900. It was made a parking lot in 1935, and the last newspaper reference was in 1946.

When Rochester's veterans returned home from World War I, soccer returned as well. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-18...

Rochester's league and tournament were abandoned in 1918 due to too many players enlisting in World War I. Two would never come back. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-17...

When the United States entered WWI, Rochester teams were hit hard. They had to have a meeting whether to keep the league going for the remainder of 1917 flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-16...

Rochester City became the dominant team and the city had the second year of its tournament to raise money for WWI soldiers. The war wouldn't really impact the city yet, but it was lurking. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-15...

On this date 130 years ago the first soccer team in Rochester was formed.

The trophy the MacNaughton Rangers won in 1924-25 in the Rochester and District League still exists. Someone in the UK contacted my blog, he bought it years ago at a thrift store.

By 1915 World War I was heating up and it led to a new Cup competition in Rochester. This was also the final season of the Rochester Amateur Soccer League. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-14...

From 1912-1915, Rochester had also had the Rochester Amateur Soccer League (also called the Saturday Afternoon League). 18 teams played in that league during those 4 years, from high school teams to multiple factories to a national guard unit.

A timeline of Rochester and District League's soccer teams from its start in 1907 through 1915

In 1915, Rochester teams held a tournament to benefit the British war effort. The finals had film taken of the play. I assume it's long lost, but this would be an amazing find.

Continuing my history on soccer in Rochester, New York, here is 1914, where our entry into the National Challenge Cup was so short-lived it barely warranted a full paragraph. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-13...

Tonight is the 15 year anniversary of my brother getting banned for life from HSBC Arena youtu.be/o34HJxg-qdI

Fred Hancock was president of the Rochester Amateur Soccer League. When he left for WWI in Aug or Sept 1914, the league refused to accept his resignation. A year later this photo was published in a captured German trench. Sadly, I cannot find what happened to him after this.

In 1913-14 Blackburn Rovers paid a record price to bring in players to win the first division, so much so that it was reported in my small upstate New York city. Now, we can't even bring in players to save us from relegation from the second tier.

November 30, 1913 saw the first ever national match taking place with a Rochester team, as they played in the second round of the new National Challenge Cup (now known as the US Open Cup) flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-12...

1913 finally saw the McNaughton Rangers being unseated as the best team in Rochester, while American United were becoming a powerhouse in the Amateur League. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-11...

I learned the word “foozled” today.

Rochester now hosted two leagues, both having spring and fall competitions, along with a returning Cup competition. This is by far my longest one yet. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-10...

Chapter 9 of my extremely niche* book about the history of Rochester's early 1900s amateur soccer league. *extremely niche meaning basically just me flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/1911-the-s...

This one drained me. Two seasons and a Cup, across 3 cities, with inconsistent coverage in about 11 newspapers. As complete a record of 1910 as can be. flowercitysoccer.substack.com/p/chapter-8-...

No one brought a football and it took an hour to secure one, the referee quit in the first half after being insulted, and 6 goals ended up being scored. Quite the cup replay. Buffalo Uniteds 2-4 Rochester Independents, September 25, 1910, first round Nehrbas Cup

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