Paterson True Blues

Paterson True Blues
Full namePaterson True Blues Football Club
Founded1887
Dissolvedc. 1915 (1915)
GroundNew York City
LeagueNAFL
1914–159th (withdrew)

Paterson True Blues was a professional U.S. soccer team founded in 1887 and disestablished after 1915. The True Blues, based out of Paterson, New Jersey, are best known as one of the dominant soccer teams of its era and one of the first U.S. soccer dynasties.

History

In the late 19th century, the northern New Jersey area of Paterson, Kearny and Newark began producing dozens of talented teams which drew their rosters from the region's textile mills,[1] the True Blues themselves were born in 1887. Their first near success came in the 1894 American Football Association’s American Cup.[2]

That year, Paterson went to the final before falling to the Fall River Olympics. Paterson won its first Cup title in 1896[3] under coach John Watt, their second in 1909,[4] while the third was in 1913 with coach John Hall. In 1897, Paterson joined the National Association Football League, the top professional league in the U.S. at the time.

Team of Paterson of 1913

Paterson immediately established itself as the best in the league, taking the championship in its first season.[5] Paterson won its second league title the next season,[6] but around the start of the 20th century, soccer in the U.S. went into a brief decline. As a result, both the NAFBL and the American Cup were suspended. The Cup resumed play in 1906[7] and the NAFBL the same year.[8]

They rejoined the NAFBL and remained in the league until 1915.[9] In December 1913, Paterson traveled to St. Louis to match up against the best of the St. Louis Soccer League.[10]

They fell in their first game against an SLSL All Star team before defeated Columbian Athletic Club and tying St. Leo's, the city’s dominant team.[11] After finishing the 1914-1915 NAFBL season at the bottom of the standings with an 0-14-2 record, Paterson withdrew from the league.

Year-by-year

Year League League
Pos. 		American Cup
1892–93 ? ? First Round
1893–94 ? ? Final
1894–95 ? ? Semifinal
1895–96 ? ? Champion
1896–97 ? ? Final
1897–98 NAFL 1st (Champion) DNE
1898–99 NAFL 1st (Champion) N/A
1899–00 ? [n 1] ? N/A
1900–01 ? ? N/A
1901–02 ? ? N/A
1902–03 ? ? N/A
1903–04 ? ? N/A
1904–05 ? [n 1] ? N/A
1905–06 ? ? Final
1906–07 NAFL 3rd Semifinals
1907–08 NAFL 4th Final
1908–09 NAFL 4th Champion
1909–10 NAFL 5th Semifinal
1910–11 NAFL 6th Quarterfinals
1911–12 NAFL 3rd First Round
1912–13 NAFL 2nd Champion
1913–14 NAFL 8th Quarterfinal
1914–15 NAFL 9th First round
Notes
  1. ^ a b The NAFL did not organise championships from 1899 to 1906.

Honors

References

  1. ^ Reck, Gregory G. (2015). American soccer : history, culture, class. Jefferson, North Carolina: Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7864-9628-0.
  2. ^ "Football". Fall River Daily Evening News. April 23, 1894. p.1 col.6. Retrieved August 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "True Blues Champions". Paterson Daily Press. April 20, 1896. p.1 col.4. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "American Cup Was Taken To Paterson". The Newark Star. May 3, 1909. p.7 col.3–5. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Paterson get the Pennant". Passaic Daily News. March 14, 1898. p. 2. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "The Unlucky Thirteen". The News. May 5, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "New Football League". Newark Evening News. February 12, 1906. p. 10. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  8. ^ "Socker League Launched". Passaic Daily News. August 16, 1906. p. 6. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "B. & W. Soccer Team Preparing Already". The Evening Times and Bayonne Daily Times. July 13, 1915. p. 5. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Paterson True Blues Beaten at St. Louis". The Jersey Journal. December 26, 1913. p. 7. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "U.S. Soccer History – 1913". Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
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