Jan. 23, 1926 – New Bedford Whalers 2×3 Boston Wonder Workers

Jan. 23, 1926 – New Bedford Whalers 2×3 Boston Wonder Workers

Boston moved into second place in the ASL as Johnny Ballantyne, Bobby Blair, Bill Westwater score. Blair went on to total 36 goals in 33 games. Stevens and Mike McLeavy converted for the Whalers, Stevens going on to lead the league with 44 goals in 39 games. Many of the players in this match had been high-level performers in Scotland, Ballantyne causing controversy by “jumping” his contract with Partick Thistle to move to Boston in 1924. Ballantyne returned to Partick Thistle from 1929-35 and played for Queens Park Rangers in 1935.

Ballantyne’s goal in this game was “accidently” knocked in by Shaw, according to The Boston Globe account.

That would be former QPR and Celtic FC goalkeeper Charlie Shaw, playing the final season of a spectacular career, joining the Whalers as player-coach at age 40. Shaw had captained Celtic FC from 1916-24 and set a record with 1,287 consecutive shutout minutes in all competitions during the 1913-14 season. Shaw, listed at 5 feet 6 inches, was often described as “agile” and “fearless” in goal. Shaw died of pneumonia in New York in 1938 and is buried in Fort Lee, N.J.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY