# 1884–85 American Cup

The 1885 American Cup was the inaugural edition of this tournament staged by the American Football Association. Clark O.N.T. was the champion.

## History

Six teams contended for the first edition played in the 1884–85 season. Five of the teams were from New Jersey and one from New York. The Association and the tournament itself were the result of the success the game had in the previous winter and fall and despite all the teams coming from a relatively limited area it was anticipated that the game would undoubtedly grow. The completion of the trophy was announced several days later. The trophy was exhibited in several places around Newark, Paterson and New York. The trophy, originally valued at $200, was described as having "a neat design in silver and gold appropriate figures of foot ballists being engraved on it". Clark ONT became the first winners of the trophy along with the purse of $150.

## Participants

Clark ONT, established in 1883, played at their association ground in the rear of the Kearny Mills. They wore crimson jerseys, white knickerbockers, and crimson stockings. Paterson wore blue and white striped jerseys, white knickerbockers, and blue stockings. The Domestics, also having blue and white for colors, were composed of employees of the Domestic Manufacturing Company and played at their counterparts baseball ground at Williams Hill. However, in March 1885 the Domestic company no longer allowed the baseball club to use that name so they simply became the Newark baseball club and their field also became Newark baseball grounds aka Emmett street grounds. The Kearny Rangers were a football and cricket club established in 1883 with navy shirts and white shorts. The participants hailing from three different cities were as follows:
| State | City | Team |
| New Jersey | Paterson | Caldonian Thistle Club |
| New Jersey | Paterson | Paterson F.B.C. |
| New Jersey | Newark | Clark O.N.T. |
| New Jersey | Newark | Domestic |
| New Jersey | Kearny | Kearny Rangers |
| New York | New York | New York F.B.C. |

## Venues

New Jersey :
| O.N.T. Grounds | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |
| Capacity: | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |
| Domestic Grounds | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |
| Capacity: | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |
| Olympic Grounds | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |
| Capacity: | O.N.T. GroundsDomestic GroundsOlympic GroundsHoboken |

## First round

The draw for the first round was reported in newspapers on October 1, 1884, after being conducted by the clubs' secretaries at Paterson.

## Second round

The secretaries of the remaining three teams met on November 8 in East Newark to make the second round draw which resulted in the Rangers being pitted against New York on Thanksgiving Day with the winner to meet ONT in the final round.

## Final round

The final was played in the snow on Valentine's Day. ONT emerged victorious by a score of 2–1, however captain Mitchell of New York entered a protest indicating that some of the ONT players were not members of the club and that the goal posts were not regulation size. The AFA ordered the game replayed at Paterson.

### replay

| Clark O.N.T. | New York |
* Match rules
* 90 minutes
* Replay if game ends in a draw

## American Cup Bracket

Home teams listed on top of bracket
| First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Finals | Finals |
| Clark O.N.T. | 2 | | | | |
| Domestics | 0 | | | | |
| Domestics | 0 | Clark O.N.T. | | | |
| | | bye | | | |
| | | | | Clark O.N.T. | 2-1 |
| | | | | New York F.B.C. | 1-0 |
| Kearny Rangers | 3 | | | | | New York F.B.C. | 1-0 |
| Caledonian Thistle | 2 | | | | |
| Caledonian Thistle | 2 | Kearny Rangers | 0 | | |
| | | New York F.B.C. | 4 | | |
| New York F.B.C. | 5 | New York F.B.C. | 4 | | |
| Paterson F.B.C. | 0 | | | | |

### Notes

* ↑ replay after New York protested first match

## Champions

* American Football Association Challenge Cup
* First Title