American Soccer League
The Metropolitan Division of the American Soccer League split into two divisions, the American and the National. The addition of Philadelphia Passon brought the league to ten teams. A playoff tournament was added to determine league champion. There was quite a bit of change in team fortunes this season. In a repeat of the 1935 season, the defending champion New York Americans fell from first to worst, while Brooklyn Hispano went from worst to winning the American Division with the best record in the league. St. Mary’s Celtic also improved substantially, winning the National Division. Baltimore Canton and Kearny Scots continued their strong play, taking second place in their respective divisions.
In the playoffs, Kearny Scots and Paterson Caledonian dispatched their opponents easily in the first round, Kearny advanced in the semi-finals, defeating Paterson 3-2, while Brooklyn Hispano defeated St. Mary’s Celtics in two games 4-3 and 3-2, leading up to the two-game championship series, which they won with a 5-3 win and a 3-3 draw. Charley Ernst of Baltimore was top goal scorer with 25. In the New England Division, Providence won the division easily over Lusitania Recreation, with the Boston Celtics coming in 3rd.
Final American Soccer League Standings, 1936-37
Before the season, Baltimore became Baltimore S.C. Philadelphia
Passon was added. Two months into the season, Newark Germans
were taken over by Paterson Caledonian and moved.
G W T L GF GA PTS
National Division
Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic 22 11 4 7 26
Kearny Scots 22 8 8 6 24
Paterson Caledonian 22 9 3 10 21
Philadelphia Passon 22 6 5 11 17
New York Americans 22 4 7 11 15
American Division
Brooklyn Hispano 22 14 2 6 30
Baltimore S.C. 22 12 3 7 27
Philadelphia German American 22 8 8 6 24
Kearny Irish 22 8 4 10 20
New York Brookhattan 22 5 6 11 16
First round: Kearny Scots defeated Baltimore 3-1
Paterson defeated Philadelphia Passon, 6-2
Semi-Finals: Brooklyn Hispano defeated Brooklyn St. Mary's, 4-3, 3-2
Kearny Scots defeated Paterson 3-2
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kearny Scots defeated Brooklyn Hispano 5-3, 3-3.
LEADING SCORER: Charlie Ernst, Baltimore S. C. (25 goals)
- New England Division -
{as of 5/24/1937}
GP W T L PTS
Providence 11 9 0 2 20
Lusitania Recreation 11 7 4 0 14
Boston Celtics 10 5 4 1 11
Swedish-Americans 9 5 4 0 10
Thornon Vics 11 3 4 4 10
Moores 8 2 5 1 5
Pawtucket 8 2 6 0 4
Fall River Americans 11 1 8 2 4
St.Michaels (standings unknown)
St. Louis Soccer League
By this season, the St. Louis League was definitely in decline, with the familiar teams of years past long gone. Burke Undertakers repeated as league champions, with lotus and Optimists fighting it out for second place, Lotus winning that spot by a point. Lotus’s “Red” Fleming won the scoring title with 8 goals.
1936-37 SLSL Final League standings
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Burke Undertakers 9 6 2 1 17 14 13
Lotus 9 4 4 1 17 16 9
Optimists 9 2 3 4 12 13 8
Town Criers 9 2 5 2 14 19 6
Champion: Burke Undertakers
Municipal League Champion: Stag Beer
Leading scorers: G
"Red" Fleming, Lotus 8
L. Menendez, Burke 6
Bob Corbett, Lotus 5
Ed Flynn, Optimists 5
H. Diaz, Burke 3
J. Garcia, Burke 3
A. Garcia, Burke 3
J. Worden, Lotus 3
Bart Connors, Optimists 3
Walsh, Town Criers 3
Amateur League & Cup Champions
New York State Senior Challenge Cup: Gjoa
New York State Qualifying Cup: Belfast United
German-American Soccer League (New York): D. F. C. Newark (Major Division); South German (Premier Division)
Metropolitan League (New York): Hakoah (Premier Division); Shamrock Rovers (1st Division); Metropolitan Cup: Swedish
New Jersey State Challenge Cup: W. W. Kirby
West Penn Challenge Cup: Heidelberg
Keystone League (Pittsburgh): Heidelberg
Rowland Cup (Maryland State Open): Stonewall
Stewart Cup (MD): Lincoln
Peel Cup (Illinois State): Sparta
National Soccer League of Chicago: (not available)
California Senior Challenge Cup: Rovers
John O. Bellis Perpetual Trophy: Rovers
National Team
In 1937, a team of American Soccer players unofficially represented the United States in a three game series against Mexico in September. They played Mexico three times, losing all three games by a wide margin. The USA was also represented in an unofficial soccer competition at the Pan-American games. The Trenton Highlanders, winners of the National Amateur Cup, represented the US in a three-way tournament which included the Winnipeg Irish of Canada and Argentina, represented by a national selection of amateur players. Argentina won the contest convincingly, defeating the US 9-1 and Canada 8-1. The US played for 2nd place against Winnipeg and lost 3-2.
National Team Results, 1937:
1937 Totals: 0W, 0D, 3L
Sep 26 37 L 1-5 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico
Nemchik
Sep 19 37 L 3-7 Mexico 22,000 Mexico City, Mexico
McEwan, Nemchik, (O.g.)
Sep 12 37 L 2-7 Mexico 21,000 Mexico City, Mexico
Rae, McEwan
Jul 16 37 L 2-3 Canada +Dallas, TX, USA
International Tours
Charlton Athletic of England: May 30, 1937 through June 27, 1937. Results: 5 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses.
Roster: Bertram, Boulter, Cann, Ford, Green, Hobbis, Jobling, Oakes, Robinson, Shreeve, Stephenson, Tadman, Tann, Turner, Welsh, Wilkinson, Williams. Manager: James Seed
5/30/37 Charlton 1, American League Stars 1 (at New York City) 6/2/37 Charlton 2, West Penn Stars 0 (at Pittsburgh) 6/5/37 Charlton 4, Michigan Stars 0 (at Detroit) 6/6/37 Charlton 4, Illinois Stars 1 (at Chicago) 6/26/37 Charlton 7, East Penn Stars 0 (at Philadelphia) 6/27/37 Charlton 4, U. S. S. F. A. 0 (at New York City)
Barcelona of Spain: September 6, 1937 through September 21, 1937
Results: 4 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses.
Roster: Argemi, Babot, Balmana, Bardina, Escola, Garcia, Gual, Heros, Iborro, Muddock, Pages, Pedrol, Rafa, Urquiaga, Zabalo
9/6/37 Barcelona 4, Brooklyn Hispano 2 (at Brooklyn) 9/12/37 Barcelona 4, Hispano-St. Mary's Celtic 3 (at Brooklyn) 9/19/37 Barcelona 2, American League Stars 0 (at Brooklyn) 9/21/37 Barcelona 3, Jewish All-Stars 0 9at New York City)
The College Game
Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association Champion: (No Award)
Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Soccer League: Princeton Middle Atlantic States Athletic Conference: Swarthmore New England Intercollegiate Soccer League: Springfield California Intercollegiate Soccer Conference Champion: California
College All-American Squad, 1937:
- Middle Atlantic District -
G - Brunhouse, Swarthmore
RF - Johnson, Princeton
LF - Whittier, Haverford
RH - Faust, Pennsylvania
CH - Fletcher, Princeton
LH - Evans, Haverford
OR - Darling, Cornell
IR - Sylvester, Princeton
CF - White, Swarthmore
IL - Taylor, Haverford
OL - Richardson, Princeton
- New England District -
G - Beiber, Springfield
RF - Deardon, Brown
LF - Raleigh, Yale
RH - Jacobson, Harvard
CH - Jackson, Brown
LH - Keefe, Yale
OR - Johanson, Harvard
IR - Carter, Yale
CF - Munro, Springfield
IL - Motley, Harvard
OL - Mayer, Springfield
Other Action
1937 National Challenge Cup Final: The New York Americans played the St. Louis Shamrocks in a two-leg series on April 11 and 18. The Americans lost the first game 1-0, but won the second game 4-1 to take the series on goals aggregate.
1937 National Amateur Cup Final: On April 18, Trenton Highlander defeated Pittsburgh Castle Shannon 1-0.
National Junior Cup Champion: Hatikvoh F.C., Brooklyn.
1937 Pan-American Games (unofficial): The United States (represented by the Trenton Highlanders) lost to Winnipeg (representing Canada) 3-2 to finish in 3rd place of 3 teams.