Oct. 21, 1924 – Boston SC unbeaten: ‘Remarkable Team Play of Woodsies Pleases Fans’

The Boston SC team started its inaugural season with a 7W-0L-4T record, going on to finish fourth place behind the Fall River Marksmen, Bethlehem Steel and the Brooklyn Wanderers in the American Soccer League standings. Boston’s first nickname was “Woodsies,” after team president G.A.G. Wood, then changed to Wonder Workers.

“We spent a lot of money getting these players because we realized that the best would be none too good for Boston,” Wood told the Boston Globe’s George M. Collins. “And so far Paterson, Abel, McMillan, McArthur, Muirhead, Hamill, McIntyre, McNab, J. Ballantyne, W. Ballantyne, Stevens, Fleming, Battles and Grant have come through.”

Boston did not lose a home game (13-0-1) until a 1-0 decision against Brooklyn on Jan. 1, 1925.

The Wonder Workers won the 1925 Lewis Cup and U.S. Professional Cup, then captured the 1927-28 ASL title. But the team declined after losing its home stadium, the Walpole Street Grounds, in 1929. (The New England Revolution, also lacking a Boston stadium, had a 7W-0L-4D record in their best start to a season in 2005).

Most of the Boston players were imported from Scotland (Northern Ireland’s Mickey Hamill was among the exceptions, having played for Manchester City and Manchester United). Boston also found exceptional local talent, bringing in Barney Battles (b. Oct. 12, 1905), who would go on to play for the U.S. national team and holds the single-season Hearts scoring record with 44 goals; Werner “Scotty” Nilsen, who played for the U.S. in 1934 World Cup; Billy Gonsalves (b. Aug. 10, 1908), a starter for the U.S. in the 1930 and ’34 World Cups).

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY