New-York tribune., 1918-09-30
Draft Hits National Soccer
Champions-Rcplacements
From St. Louis
By c. A. Lovett

AS the new season Of association
football approaches it is fairly plain
that the national champions, Bcthle-
hem +. c.. representing the North
Pennsylvania Steel plant. should have
little difficulty in defending their title
and retaining the priced National Chal-
lengc Cup, now resting in the Bcthlc-
hem clubs trophy room for the fourth
time in six seasons
The long arm Of the military draft
now is reaching into the shipyards and
munitions plants and the great Bcthle-
hem machine Of the past several sea-
sons no longer is intact. Tommy Muir
ray. the great right halfback of the
steel workers, and James Murphy, of the
Bethlehem forward line, hive been
called into the army. With them also
has gone Neil Clarke, star OF the
Schwah eleven in the days gone by but
who was a member of the Babcoc} G.
Wilcox Club. of Bayonne, n. j., last
year. Clarke, who also was member
OF tho first American international
soccer team that scored successive tr-
umphs in Norway and Sweden in the
summer of 1916, no sooner rejoned the
Bethlehem outfit month or so ago
than he was called for military service.
While Murray, Murphy and Clarke
were employed by firm doing highly
essential war work, they were not in
dispcnsablc TO the industry in their
occupations with the Bethlehem Steel
Company, Others OF the Bethlehem
squad arc in the same boat. but tho
mainstays of the famous kicking ma
chine arc exempt from military service
and Will defend the cham pionship won
back from the Fall River Rovcrs on
the field of the old Federal League bali
park at Harrison, N. J., last May
Sign ST. Louis Stars
The bethlehem soccer manager. Will
lam Sheridan, who was lghtweicht
wrestling champion of Scotland for
some years, was quick to fill the gaps
caused by the passing of Murphy and
Murray from tho Schwab athletic corral
Dixie Brannigan, star Of the famous
st. Leos, Of st. Louis. and Dick Ian
caster, last year member of tho Ben
Mlllers, champions of the st. Louis
professional league. were signed
promptly and have been working out
with the squad since their arrival at
Bethlehem some weeks ago
Lancaster and Brannigan add to the
st. Louis complexion of the title hold
crs of the kicking sport Harry J.
Ratican, who was drafted from the
Mound City professional ranks two sea-
sons ago, was the individual star of the
country in 1917 and 1918. He led the
$4,000 footballers of the United States
in goal scoring with nearly 40 tallies
and his record is the more remarkable
since his total was compiled against
the strongest teams in the land. The
trio of Missourians are practically the
only American born members of the
Bethlehem outfit, the majority of the
regulars being high priced stars drawn
from the soccer elite of England and
Scotand-and more particularly Scot
land. The fact that most of the Bethle-
hens are subjects of Great Britain
makes it seem more probable that the
balance of the team left from last sea
son will remain intact during 1918
and 1919.
What stern competition Bethlehem
VIII encounter IN proving again its
right TO the first honors Of American
scccordom must come from the scores
Of new clubs forming to represent shin
Yards on either coast aud along tho
Great Lakes and from war industries
musfrooming forth here and there in
land
War Work Teams Strong
a number of able soccer leaders have
been retained by the service managers