Dec. 28, 1907 – J&P Coats 2:0 Fore River, New England League series at Pawtucket, R.I.

“Ford” scored both goals and 17-year-old Tommy “Whitey” Fleming (listed at right outside forward) played one of his first matches for Fore River.

“It was a pretty game to watch, the English style of shoot passing being pitted against the Coats’ aggressive, Americanized style of play. The ground was too heavy to allow the Bay State eleven to use its tricky play to much advantage, and the superior weight of the Coats team told.”

Fleming resided briefly in Quincy, Mass., working at the Fore River Shipyard, in 1907-08, then returned to Scotland to play for Morton FC in Greenock. (There were strong connections between the shipyards).

In 1914, Fleming returned to the U.S., winning four National Challenge Cup (U.S. Open Cup) titles with Bethlehem Steel. Fleming played for the Philadelphia Field Club, which won the inaugural American Soccer League title in 1921-22, then moved to J&P Coats, which won the 1922-23 ASL championship. Fleming moved to the Boston Wonder Workers for their initial season in 1924, winning the 1928 ASL championship. Fleming settled in Quincy, coaching the Quincy High School team to at least one New England title (1931), and was named to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY