History of Canadian Soccer      
 1876-1940                       

by Colin Jose                    
 

    BRITISH COLUMBIA 

Home Page
  Colin Jose

  Welcome

Canada
 
Canada - National 
 
Great Teams
  Canadian Tours
     Overseas

 
British Tours in Canada

Provinces
  Alberta
 
British Columbia
    History
    British Columbia
      Football Association

    Province Cup
    Mainland Cup
    McBride Shield
    Westminster Royals
       1927-1928

    Westminster Royals
       1928-1929

Pacific Coast Lgue
  Manitoba
 
Newfoundland
  Nova Scotia
  Ontario
  Quebec
  Saskatchewan

Contact Info

Pacific Coast Soccer League

The Saga of the PCSL

Today’s Pacific Coast Soccer League began operating in 1995 and in 2010 enters its 16th year of operation. However, the PCSL has known several incarnations in its fractured and tumultuous history beginning in 1908 when a league was formed including teams from the Lower Mainland, the Island and Washington State. The following is a time line of the various editions of the league.

1908 – Pacific Coast Association Football League.
On July 27, 1908 the Vancouver Daily Province reported that “The Pacific Coast Association Football League was organized at a meeting in Victoria on Saturday. Con Jones, of this city, is the first president of the new league and Will Ellis, secretary-treasurer. R. Heindmarch of Ladysmith is vice president.”
The Pacific Coast Association Football League included teams from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Ladysmith and Seattle, in Washington State. Play began in September of 1908 and ended in February 1909 with Nanaimo winning the league championship.
The 1909 annual meeting was held in Seattle, Washington on March 7, at which time it was decided that the league would not operate during the following winter but would resume play in the summer of 1910.
In January of 1910, the name of the league was changed to the British Columbia Professional Association Football League, with soccer following lacrosse by going professional. On March 25, 1910 the first game in the new league was played. The first professional soccer game to be played in Canada took place at Recreation Park in Vancouver between two Vancouver teams the Rovers and the Callies with the Callies winning 3-0. However, the professional league, which involved just these two clubs, appears to have collapsed after one short season.

1925 – Pacific Coast Inter-City League
On June 15, 1925 the Vancouver Sun, reported that. “Soccer football history was made at Nanaimo Saturday night when the Pacific Coast Inter-City League came into being, with ten of the strongest teams in the province combining. Nanaimo City, Nanaimo G.W.V.A., Ladysmith, Cumberland, Victoria, St. Andrews, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Varsity and St. Saviours were the teams which formed themselves into a separate association last night and pledged themselves to begin the season in September to play during October and November and February and March. December and January will be dropped on accaount of climatic conditions.”
Officers elected were C.G. Callin (Ladysmith) president, Edwin Dickenson of North Vancouver vice president, Tommy Christie, secretary-treasurer. Mainland members of the new executive are Thomas Fawkes, president of the L.M.F.A. and Bob Wilkinson of New Westminster. Island members are Coupland and Thornycroft.”
The new league was officially recognized at the annual meeting of the BCFA on July 25, 1925. The Pacific Coast Inter-City League commenced play on Labor Day 1925 with a game between North Vancouver and Nanaimo City.
During the 1925-26 and 1926-27 seasons the clubs in the PCL played a knock out competition for the McDonald Cup in addition to their regular league schedule. The cup was donated to the league by the Robert McDonald Jewelry Company of Vancouver at a meeting held in Nanaimo on October 23, 1925. The first winners in the spring of 1926 were Ladysmith F.C. who defeated Vancouver St. Saviours in the two game final by an aggregate score of 5-4. The same two teams met in the 1927 final and Ladysmith won again by an aggregate score 3-1. The Ladysmith line up in the second game was Orr - Smart, Thomson - Halliman, Halliday, Heaps - Rafter, Jackson, Tuffy Davies, Dan Kulai and Strang.

 


©
2010 by Colin Jose

... Continue to PCSL (page 2)

Previous         [ 1 ]  [ 2 ]      Next


Home / Canada - National / Great Teams / Canadian Tours Overseas
British Tours in Canada / Provinces / Contact Info