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History of Canadian Soccer
by Colin Jose
BRITISH COLUMBIA |
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Canada
Provinces |
British Columbia: The Early Years This format was tried again in 1931 when B.C. was beaten 41 by the English Football Association team. On that occasion, B.C. was represented by Harold Singleton Bill Constable, Tommy McKibbin Murray West, Dickie Stobbart, and Alcock George Stephen, Preston, Bill Findler, Dave Turner and Jack dEasum. Then in 1935, when the Scots once again came calling, with some of the greatest names in the history of the game in the lineup, they struggled to beat B.C. 10. That B.C. team was: Stan Stronge Fred Easley, Don Cowan Murray West, Dot McPherson, Jimmy Gemmill Billy McNeil, Trevor Harvey, Ray Watchorn, Jimmy Spencer and Johnny McKay. It was a similar story in 1939 when the Scots beat B.C. 31. The B.C. team on that day was Stan Stronge Don Cowan, Tommy McKibbin Murray West, Trevor Harvey, Jimmy Gemmill Jack Johnson, Johnny McKay, Hap Smith, Jim Spencer, Norman Mcleod. In 1924, Canada sent a team to tour Australia for three months in the Canadian summer and the Australian winter. Among the B.C. players making the trip were goalkeeper Henry Mosher (UBC), George Anderson (Ladysmith), Dickie Stobbart (Nanaimo), Jack Armstrong (Vancouver St. Andrews) and Harry Chapman (Ladysmith). The party was led by James Adam from Victoria, while Don Morrison from Ladysmith was the trainer. Three years later, Canada returned to the South Pacific to tour New Zealand. Once again, B.C. was well represented in the touring party that included Stan Tait and Ernie Edmonds of Nanaimo, Jack Monaghan of Vancouver Woodfibre, and Don Archibald of Vancouver North Shore. The party also included Dave Turner, then playing in Toronto for Ulster United, but later to make a name for himself with Westminster Royals. James Adam once again led the party. While the governing body of soccer in B.C. remained outside of the DCFA, no club team from B.C. was able to enter the competition for the national championship. But when B.C. teams could enter in 1921, Ladysmith went all the way to the final before being beaten by Toronto Scottish in Toronto. In those early days, the power in B.C. soccer seemed to rest with the teams on the Island, and particularly teams from the mining towns of Nanaimo, Ladysmith and Cumberland. Nanaimo Wanderers won the national championship in 1923, but lost in the final in 1925. One year later, Canadian Collieries from Cumberland were losing finalists, but only after four games had been played. Nanaimo made its third appearance in the final in 1927, and won the trophy for the second time. So in seven years during the 1920s, teams from Vancouver Island reached the final four times. That all changed at the end of the 19271928 season when the great Westminster Royals team won the title. The Royals won again in the 19291930, 19301931 and 19351936 seasons, followed by Johnston National Storage from Vancouver in 19361937, North Shore in 19371938 and Radials in 19381939, before the outbreak of war interrupted the 19391940 competition. So between 1921, when B.C. teams first entered the national championship, and 1939, they were in the final in 13 years out of the 19 and winners on nine occasions. On the provincial level, an unofficial B.C. championship was played in 1896 and won by Victoria Wanderers, but the official B.C. championship did not begin until 1911 when B.C. Premier Eugene McBride presented a shield for competition. The first competition was won by Victoria West who beat Vancouver Athletic Club. The McBride Shield was replaced in 1922 by the Province Cup, presented by B.C. Lieutenant Governor Walter Cameron Nichol. Nichol was also the publisher of the Province newspaper. However, before that, in 1915, B.C. Premier William John Bowser presented the huge Mainland Cup for competition on the Lower Mainland. At the end of the decade in 1939, B.C. once again sent an All-Star team to California. The occasion was the California Worlds Fair. B.C. swept the three-game series against the San Francisco All-Stars, winning 82, 51 and 42.
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