The Detroit times., 1911-09-25
NEW GROUNDS FOR
SOCCER LEAGUE
PLANNED
Promoters Want Permanent Accom-.
modations for Four or Five Teams
at 0nce-Stock Company Is
Proposed for League.
Soccer Is Gaining Strong Hold in
the United States as an
Amateur Sport.

A committee of the Michigan State
Association Football league has taken
under adyisement a proposition TO or
ganize a stock company and purchase
a playing field and an extensive line
OF equipment for use in their favorite
game, association of soccer football.
According to the plans OF the lead
ers OF the league, a sufficient tract OF
grassy land to accommodate several
matches at the same time easily acces-
sible by street car will be bought and
in addition TO fitting up the ground it.
self 70 playing purposes, a club house
and grandstand will be built.
The final object that the promoters
OF the proposition have In mind is to
transform the soccer league into an
athletic association similar to that OF
the Irish-American Athletic club or
New York. While preserving soccer
as the principal game and real object
OF the association, other athletic
sports will not be neglected IL the men
pushing the proposition have their
way.
There are $50 members OF the league
now and II is proposed to tax each OF
them a sufficient amount TO buy the
kind Of grounds and outfit that Is
needed. Each soccer field must be at
least 100 yards long by so yards wide
and accommodations for at least four
teams are needed. A lot at the inter
section OF Fort-st. and River Rouge
has been proposed as IL fulfills most OF
the requirements.
Upon this land II Is planned to erect
a modern clubhouse, with showers.
lockers and all other necessary equip
ment and. II possible, an up-to-date
gymnasium. A grandstand will be built
for the accommodation OF the specta-
toro and a running track laid out cir
cling the field. The plant as planned
would be among the very best In the
state.
III the committee In whose hands the
matter new rests receive encourage
ment so that they deem II wise to go
ahead with the project. IL will assure
Detroit OF great boom In amateur
soccer. At present the soccer teams
play on any field available that they
can rent for day. this lack of a per-
manent ground being a severe handi-
cap.
The officials OF the league are
Richard Jackson, Jr., honorary presi-
dent: Hugh Jennings. honorary vice.
president; III. Batter, president; George
Healey, vice-president: Paul Reid,
treasurer; r. Bone. secretary; and G.
O'Keefe. recording secretary.
This move OF these Detroit men Is
simply step In the advance that Soc
Ger has made all over the United
States recently. There has been a
marked increase In the popularity OF
the game here, the most notable
strides being in its adoption by the
universities and schools. For several
seasons the eastern universities have
competed In championship series
and each year has seen the game I'm
prove I'm skill, while great interest
has been displayed by the students.
Yale. Harvard, Cornell. Princeton,
and Pennsylvania have teams,
and by this time are beginning
to play pretty good football. although
still some distance behind the league
teams Of the biggest cities. There Is
no doubt the athletic committees OF
the eastern universities realize that
soccer football is great game for the
general run OF students.
Last season Chicago and Illinois
met In the first intercollegiate soccer
game played I'm the west, and accord
Ing to all reports the game has come
to stay at both institutions. Purdue
has taken up the game. Wisconsin is
playing II noficially, and a number OF
other schools throughout the middle
west are In line.
Many minor schools have adopted
the sport. and In New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, st. Louis. Chicago
and other cities has been taken up by
the public and parochial schools.
These will be the feeders for the
teams OF the future
In the west the game has been
planted long time at st. Louis and
Chicago. but In the last few years De-
troit. Cleveland, Cincinnati. Kansas
City, Milwaukee. Denver, ST. Paul and
Minneapolis have taken Il up and Il IL
g,owing steadily In all OF these cities.
From st. Louis to Chicago the state OF
Illinois is dotted with soccer clubs.
while In many OF the mining cities OF