Feb. 12, 1928 – The story of Barney Battles

On this day in 1928, the Providence Clamdiggers and Boston Wonder Workers played to a 0-0 draw. In the first half, former Chelsea FC center forward Bill Finlayson hit the post and Boston’s Bobby Blair, the American Soccer League’s second-leading scorer (38 goals) the previous season, missed an open net . The Boston Globe story notes Providence goalkeeper Joe Kennaway, who would go on to play for Celtic FC, “fell prone in the mud,” but Blair “hurried his boot and as a result shot clear over the bar.” Blair “rocked the upright with a fine drive” late in the game. In the final two minutes, Boston’s Johnny Ballantyne (Partick Thistle, Queen’s Park Rangers) and Providence’s Jimmy Bardell were ejected for fighting.

The Boston lineup included Barney Battles Jr., who would go on to score three goals as Boston took a 4-2 win over the New Bedford Whalers in the ASL title game at Battery Park in New Bedford June 16, 1928. Battles’ father played for Celtic and the Scotland national team, dying of pneumonia at age 30, before the birth of his son. Battles moved with his mother and sister to the U.S. as a teenager, playing for the Boston Celtics team at the Sullivan Square field in Charlestown. Battles was 19 years old when he started for the U.S. national team in a 1-0 loss to Canada in 1925. Battles was signed by Hearts after Boston’s 2-2 draw with Glasgow Rangers at Fenway Park June 18, 1928. Battles went on to play for Scotland’s national team and set a still-standing club record with 44 goals for Hearts in the 1930-31 season.

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