Mark's Stadium is a former
soccerAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stadiumA modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of
Fall River MarksmenFall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
, one of the era’s most successful soccer teams. It is one of the earliest examples of a
soccer-specific stadiumSoccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After the demise of the Marksmen, the stadium was used as a home ground by other local teams, most notably
Fall River F.C.Fall River Football Club, also referred to as Fall River Field Club, was the name used by two United States soccer clubs, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both played in the American Soccer League during the early 1930s. The name is often used incorrectly to refer to Fall River Marksmen, another...
and
Ponta Delgada S.C.Ponta Delgada Soccer Club, also referred to as Fall River Ponta Delgada, was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. The club was formed by members of the city’s Portuguese community and shared its name with Ponta Delgada, the capital city of the Azores, an autonomous...
.
History
In 1922
Sam MarkSam Mark is a former United States soccer club owner. During the 1920s and early 1930s he was the owner of Fall River Marksmen, one of the era’s most successful teams. Mark’s continued to own the team after it relocated and became the New York Yankees and then New Bedford Whalers. He also briefly...
took over
Fall River UnitedFall River United was a name used by two United States soccer clubs, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both teams played in the American Soccer League, one during the 1921-22 season and other during the 1933-34 season.-Fall River United I:...
of the
American Soccer LeagueThe American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
and renamed them
Fall River MarksmenFall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
. Mark was willing to invest in the club and one of his first moves was to build the team its own stadium. He located it in North Tiverton, Rhode Island, just over the
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
border from
Fall RiverFall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. This enabled the Marksmen to circumvent the Massachusetts
Blue LawA blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s and play on a Sunday. Although used primarily for soccer, Mark’s also operated a semi-professional
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team and the stadium’s design was decidedly baseball-friendly. This included an L-shaped stand which was placed behind one of the corner-flags. The stadium also incorporated a small dirt track for auto racing up until the eary 1950s which somewhat reduced the size of the soccer pitch.
The
1925 National Challenge CupThe 1924–25 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.-History:...
final and the first Lewis Cup final were both held at the stadium. Although a crowd of only 1,000 turned up to see
Shawsheen IndiansShawsheen Indians were an United States soccer club based in Andover, Massachusetts during the early 1920s.-History:The Shawsheen Football Club, known by its nickname The Indians, was founded by George Park and played in the New Bedford Industrial Soccer League in the early 1920s...
defeat Canadian Club of Chicago 3-0 in the Challenge Cup on April 19, a capacity crowd of 15,000 saw
Boston Wonder WorkersThe Boston Soccer Club was a member of the American Soccer League. They were renamed the Boston Bears for the Fall 1929 ASL season.In 1925, the ASL and the St. Louis Soccer League boycotted the National Challenge Cup, now known as the U.S. Open Cup. The "Wonder Workers", as they were dubbed, had...
defeat
Fall River MarksmenFall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
2-1 in the Lewis Cup. In subsequent seasons the stadium regularly hosted prestige friendlies between the Marksmen and visiting teams such as
RangersRangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, an
Italian League XIThe winner was Torino F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:...
and
KilmarnockKilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
.
In 1931, after
Sam MarkSam Mark is a former United States soccer club owner. During the 1920s and early 1930s he was the owner of Fall River Marksmen, one of the era’s most successful teams. Mark’s continued to own the team after it relocated and became the New York Yankees and then New Bedford Whalers. He also briefly...
relocated
Fall River MarksmenFall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
to
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and renamed them the
New York YankeesNew York Yankees were a New York soccer team that played briefly in the American Soccer League. They were formed following the merger of Fall River Marksmen and New York Soccer Club. Although the Yankees survived only a short time, they beat Celtic in a prestige friendly and effectively won the...
, he made the stadium available to anybody willing to place a team there. A group of
Fall RiverFall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
businessmen, led by an ex-Marksmen player
Harold Brittan, bought
Providence Gold BugsThe Providence Clamdiggers was a member of the American Soccer League. They were renamed the Providence Gold Bugs before the spring half of the 1928/29 season...
and moved them to Mark's Stadium where they played as
Fall River F.C.Fall River Football Club, also referred to as Fall River Field Club, was the name used by two United States soccer clubs, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Both played in the American Soccer League during the early 1930s. The name is often used incorrectly to refer to Fall River Marksmen, another...
. During their brief stay the new tenants beat both
Vélez SérsfieldClub Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
and
CelticCeltic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in prestige friendlies. In the 1940s and 1950s
Ponta Delgada S.C.Ponta Delgada Soccer Club, also referred to as Fall River Ponta Delgada, was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. The club was formed by members of the city’s Portuguese community and shared its name with Ponta Delgada, the capital city of the Azores, an autonomous...
also played some home games at the stadium.
Notable Games
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