The Rangers on the Pitch
The US Open Cup, our national championship in soccer, began in of all places Pawtucket. The event is thought to be one of the oldest on-going tournaments in the world. It all began here at P.J. Coates Field on Lonsdale Avenue in 1913. Four times teams (1934, 1935, 1941, 1942) from Pawtucket reached the finals including a win in 1941. J. & P. Coats was an American soccer club team of the J. & P. Coats Company (a thread-making company of Paisley, Scotland) based in Pawtucket founded in 1900. The club won the Rhode Island Soccer League in 1914 and was an inaugural member of both the semi-pro Southern New England Soccer League and the professional American Soccer League. After the first half of the 1928-29 season, the team ran into financial trouble and was bought by new management. The new owners renamed the team the Pawtucket Rangers. In June of 1931, when the champions of Scotland, Ireland, the Glasgow Celtics, invaded the Cycledrome in Providence to face off against the Rangers on the pitch, the Providence Journal described the upcoming Ranger's game as "the greatest soccer attraction ever brought to Rhode Island". The Celtics came in smarting after losing to the New York Yankees and Fall River F.C. in their previous two setbacks on their American tour. In the much anticipated match, the Rangers trampled the Celts 3-1 in a rough affair that resulted in fist fights on the field.
US soccer historian David Wangerin, wrote of this game: "That the opposition in Providence were an American League team from Pawtucket nicknamed the Rangers may have been coincidental, but according to the New York Herald-Tribune, police "were called to clear the field in the second half when Sam Kennedy, of Pawtucket, and Willie Cook, of Celtic, engaged in a fight after Kennedy had been fouled. Hundreds of the 4,000 spectators rushed upon the field, delaying the game." Inspired by an early goal, the Rangers claimed a 3-1 win, the last defeat the tourists would suffer." The Celtic team required a police escort for their safe exit from the ground after the game. The 1941 season would be a memorable one for the Pawtucket Rangers. They were defending American Soccer League champions. They beat the German-Hungarians of Brooklyn to advance to the East-West playoff for the U.S. Open Cup title. This was the third time a Pawtucket team had reached the final. They lost to Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C. of St. Louis in 1934 and St. Louis Central Breweries in 1935. In May the Rangers met the Detroit Chryslers at Coates Field in the first game of a home and home total goals playoff series. The Rangers downed the Chryslers 4-2 making the aggregate score 8-5 in favor of Pawtucket. Detroit took an early 3-0 lead in the second match before the Ranger's Valentine scored evening the total aggregate at 5-5. After forcing the game into overtime, Valentine hit McEwan with a pass after seven minutes of play splitting the defense making a goal from close in. The Rangers made sure of victory with two more quick goals to make the the total score 8-5 and the US Open Cup Championship. They earned the Dewar Trophy, presented to the United States Football Association in 1912. They returned the next year to defend the title but were upended by Pittsburgh Gallatin of Pennsylvania losing by 2-1 and 4-2 scores respectively in the final.
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