Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11
SOCCER MAKES
RAPID STRIDES
AS ]. 6. SPORT.
Many Believe Americans viii
Soon Hold Their Own Against
England's Best.

NEW YORK. Jan. 10.--Soccer
Y football has made such rapid
strides within the past year as
an American sport that its adherents
believe within a short time this coun-
try will be able to hold its own
against the Britons
Indeed, plans have been laid toward
sha ping some strong elevens for the
Olympic games OF 1916 in Berlin. As
preliminary try-ou the best aggre-
cations OF the country will take part
In a gigantic tournament at the ex-
position in San Francisco next year.
While soccer has been known to
this country for the past rs years. it
has gained prominence only within
the past decade. Naturally enough,
being at first strictly English game,
1t made its appearance around the
seaport towns. 1t was introduced by
the English and Scotch immigrants,
both here and in Canada. Naturally
the Canadians interested a number of
American border towns
Detroit was one of the very first
American cities to take to the sport
Away back In the early nineties a
team from Detroit entered the PENN
sular League, the first international
circuit, and in 1898 won the cham
pionship. Buffalo followed suit a few
years later, but as an institution the
game did not make an appearance in
Chicago-but a few hundred miles
west of Detroit-until ten years after
ward.
Play in Border Towns
In the early days. soccer football in
the United States was confined al
most exclusively TO the border towns
of the Canadian frontier, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and vari-
Gus spots OF New England. Around
1900 st. Louis became Interested and
promoted four club league. Tn the
Mound City the English game made
| rapid strides and soon the teams of
that locality were able to hold their
own against all sorts of opposition.
More than ten years ago the soccer
| game In the East and Middle West
| had taken such a hold that two cele-
brated amateur English teams-the
Corinthians and Pilgrims-decided to
take swing through the United
| States after subduing the best Cana
| wan Nediis. III ISuo, AT the POLO
| Grounds, crowd OF more than 4, 600
witnessed one OF these international
| combats.
| The English tours were more or
| less triumphal, but III several Ameri-
can cities the "bloomin' Yankees
made the Britishers hustle at top
| speed. A couple of years ago the
| Pilgrims paid second visit to this
| country and at Fall Rivera town
| which plays amateurs and profess
SIGNALS miNed-was actually beaten.
| 1t Is true that the Britons had A
very fine influence on association, or
soccer football IN this country. They
| let the more or less crude Americans.
who learn very fast, in on MANY
tricks and the finer points OF the
| game. But even more good resulted
from the reform wave that swept the
country shortly afterward against the
old style OF mass play In American
college football.
Substitute Soccer Game.
II will be remembered in those pre-
carious days OF our autumn college
! game large percentage OF American
colleges-Columbia among them
actually prohibited football as we
knew It, Many of the prepare tory
and public schools followed the lead
While the rules committees wers
frantically endeavoring TO hit upon
some effective means Of opening the
play, valuable time was lost Soccer
then got its real opportunity Many
OF the colleges and lesser schools
seized upon II as substitute.