The Kop commemorates Bill Shankly on October 3 1981. A young Liverpool fan holds aloft a homemade banner declaring ‘Shankly Lives Forever’ as he pays tribute to the much loved former manager who died on September 29 1981.
SOCCER FOOT BALL IN PHILADELPHIA. By Oliver Hemingway, Philadelphia, Pa. The Allied American Foot Ball Association of Philadelphia again proved during the season of 1913-1914 that amateur soccer can be run and played better than by professionals, in and around Philadelphia. The association had a membership of thirty-five clubs, some of which only organized after the playing season had started. These clubs became affiliated members.
The season was an eventful one. First and foremost was the fact that one of the allied members, Bethlehem, won the American Foot Ball Association Cup, the first time that any allied club played in that competition. Its tie games caused replays, which completely upset the Allied schedule, and it was necessary to close the season with two first division games unplayed. Bethlehem had to compete seven times to win the last three games in the cup competition.
In the various cup competitions, in which the Allied teams took part. I have already mentioned the American Cup contest which was won by the Bethlehem. I will now take up the National Cup competition, which was conducted by the United States Foot Ball Association. Five clubs from the Allied entered, namely. Kensington. Bethlehem, Disston. West Philadelphia and Peabody. In the first round Bethlehem defeated Disston, 7-0, at Bethlehem, while Kensington won by forfeit from Tacony, owing to a misunderstanding, Taconv playing an American Cup game the same date. West Philadelphia and Peabody drew byes. In the second round, West Philadelphia defeated Kensington, 4-0 ; Bethlehem traveled to Braddock in Western Pennsylvania and won out in extra time ; Peabody defeated Wissinoming of the Pennsylvania League, 3-0, after a drawn game. 1-1.
The third round found three Allied clubs still left in the race. Bethlehem met its Waterloo at Brooklyn, losing by a penalty goal to nothing. West Philadelphia went to New Bedford, Mass., and played in a downpour of rain, the New Bedford men proving victorious. Peabody was drawn at home with the St. George F.C. of New York. The Saints made the trip to Philadelphia, but the weather was so bad that the referee refused to allow the game to be played and the St. George F.C. forfeited as it could not get a team together to make the second trip. This left Peabody the only allied club to reach the fourth round, and by a peculiar coincidence, it was drawn against New Bedford, the team that knocked out West Philadelphia in the third round. The game was drawn to be played in Philadelphia, but for a consideration, Peabody agreed to stage the game in New Bedford, on March 28. It was well contested, but the Peabody players failed to take advantage of their opportunities and New Bedford qualified for the semi-final.
The Allied Amateur Cup competition, which is run by the Allied Association, drew eighteen entries. All of the byes were given in the first round, only two games being necessary to bring the number clown to sixteen clubs. The draw brought Reading and Allegheny together, the former winning, 9-0, and Kensington defeated Atlantic, 10-3.
The results of the second round were as follows : Manchester Unity 2, Audubon 0, after a drawn game ; Philadelphia Electric 5. Reading 2 ; Putnam 4, Smith ; Bethlehem 9, Centenary ; West Philadelphia 11. Windsor 0. The surprise of the series was the Wanderers defeat of Peabody, 7-1. This game was played on a snow-covered field. Linwood Hibernians defeated Fairhill, 3-1, and Kensington sprung a little surprise by defeating Falls, 2-1. The third round resulted as follows : Philadelphia Electrics 5, Manchester Unity 1 : Bethlehem 3, Putnam ; West Philadelphia 3, Wanderers, 2 ; Linwood Hibernians 6. Kensington 1. In the semi-final. West Philadelphia defeated Linwood Hibernians, 2-1, and the Philadelphia Electrics forfeited to Bethlehem. The date for the final game was fixed for May 3, but Bethlehem was ordered to replay its American Cup game on May 4. and Bethlehem was granted its request to postpone the Allied Cup game. When the contest was rescheduled, West Philadelphia refused to play, claiming that the game should not have been postponed from May 3. Bethlehem was finally declared the winner by forfeit. _____________________________________________________
AMERICAN LEAGUE OF ASSOCIATION FOOT BALL CLUBS.
By E. M. Jones Philadelphia, Pa
The American League of Association Foot Ball clubs concluded its second successful season, with the championship going to the Philadelphia Electrics, better known locally as the “Live Wires.” who went through the season without a single defeat. The runner-up was the strong Cardington A.C., from Delaware County, former champion of the Allied American Foot Ball Association of Philadelphia. It was closely trailed by the Boys’ Club, last year’s champion ; Victor Athletics, a newly organized club ; Rangers Field Club, composed chiefly of Scottish-American players ; Frankford Boys’ Club, champion of the United League last season, and Whitehall Rovers, runners-up of the United League for 1912-13, who had been advanced into the senior league. Won, Lost. Drawn. For. Against. Points. _____________________________________________________
UNITED LEAGUE OF ASSOCIATION FOOT BALL CLUBS.
The season of 1913-1914 was a most successful one, and the league has every reason to congratulate itself on the splendid results acquired. _____________________________________________________
BETHLEHEM F. C. OF BETHLEHEM, PENNA.
By H. W. Trend.
Soccer in Bethlehem during the 1913-1914 season was, without doubt, a great success and has come to stay. This was clearly shown by the response the people of Bethlehem gave the local team when they began to realize just what their champions were doing in putting the name of Bethlehem on the Soccer map, and the festivities that were showered upon the team after they won the American Foot Ball Association Cup and Triple Championship. namely : The American Foot Ball Association Cup, Philadelphia-Allied American League (first division), and Philadelphia-Allied Amateur Cup, clearly showed the feeling towards the champions by the public of Bethlehem.
Some Wales football fans are to boycott the Fifa World Cup in Qatar due to the host country’s stance on gay rights.
Wales qualified for the tournament for the first time in 64 years after winning their play-off final against Ukraine. However Tracy Brown, of Wales’ official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, said many members did not believe it was safe to travel to the Middle East in November. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable with prison sentences.
In the Senedd on Tuesday First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales should “not look the other way” from human rights concerns in Qatar.
Ms Brown, from the Rainbow Wall supporters’ group, said: “I, for one, won’t go.
"On one hand I’m stoked that we’ve got there, it’s been a long time coming.
"If it was anywhere else in the world I would be thinking I want to be there supporting.
"But I’m going to be sat at home watching us play, because I don’t feel safe to go.”
Equality campaign group Kick It Out previously announced the formation of a working group to look at inclusivity issues in Qatar.
Fatma Al-Nuaimi, communications executive director of Qatar’s supreme committee for organising the tournament, told BBC Sport: “It’s a tournament for everyone, a tournament of firsts, and a tournament where everyone will be welcome.”
But Ms Brown said that had not convinced her, or others, to change their mind.
“Just saying it’s safe while a competition is on doesn’t seem right,” she said.
“So Fifa said you’re safe to be yourself for the period of the World Cup, but when I leave there’s still an LGBTQ+ community who pretty much live in hiding.
"They’re not safe and I have to stand by my values.
"I want to go to a country where I feel safe and welcome all the time.”
At first minister’s questions in the Welsh Parliament Mark Drakeford said: “We should not look the other way from reservations that we would have as a nation from some of those human rights issues that we see there.”
He said Economy Minister Vaughan Gething raised human rights issues with Qatari authorities when he visited in May.
“We must ourselves make sure that those opportunities are not missed while the eyes of the world are on that country,” he added.
The decision by Fifa to host the World Cup in the country has been widely criticised, with Qatar’s wider record on human rights also under scrutiny.
Amnesty International have also been critical of Qatar’s record on gay rights, as well as its treatment of migrant workers.
Felix Jakens, head of campaigns at Amnesty International UK, said the organisation had “multiple concerns”.
“This is a time when footballers in our own country are finally coming out as gay, where there’s more acceptance around LGBT people’s participation,” he said.
“It’s shocking that the World Cup is being held in a country where being gay is criminalised.”
The Independent newspaper’s international editor, David Harding, worked as a journalist in Qatar for four years.
He said supporters who were planning to go to the World Cup would need to be prepared for a very different experience to previous international events.
“People will have to modify their behaviour. That is just a given, you’re going to a very strict, conservative, religious country,” he said.
Mr Harding said he was confident most LGBTQ+ supporters who chose to go to Qatar would not encounter serious problems, with authorities eager to avoid controversy.
“The LGBTQ community in Qatar are very angry at what Fifa and Qatari officials are doing,” he said.
“In effect, they’re saying for three weeks we’ll go easy, we won’t do anything, and then we’ll treat Qatari LGBTQ people as bad as we treat them all the time once the World Cup is over.
"There will be some crunch points, if people wave flags or start a protest. I think these sorts of things could lead to problems. The police will not take your side if they feel you are breaking the law”.
Ms Brown said she did not know of any LGBTQ+ supporters from the UK who planned to travel.
“Some of my friends are part of [England’s official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group] the Three Lions Pride Group and they are also having the exact same conversations,” she said.
“The vast majority of us wouldn’t feel safe.
"I feel like we’re missing out on a huge competition because we’re choosing to be our authentic selves.”(BBC)
“To celebrate Pride Month, our England team captains will wear rainbow armbands for our June internationals as we stand in allyship with LGBTQ+ communities around the world.” (England Football’s national teams)
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