The Globe-Times -- Bethlehem
May 19, 1927
STEEL SOCCER TEAM WINS ON PERCENTAGE
Bethlehem Had Least Number of Points Scored Against It During Season.
2 OTHERS HIGHER IN SCORES

 For the first time in the history of soccer in this country, or any other country for that matter of fact, has a league championship been decided on a percentage basis instead of the total number of points collected during the seasons. That is what happened in the American Soccer League, which closed for the season with the games played last Sunday afternoon. This is the first year that a championship has been awarded on the percentage basis and is very likely to be duplicated again next year.

Bethlehem the Winner.

Bethlehem Steel F. C. is the undisputed champion, with a total of 66 poitns for its complete schedule of forty-four games, twenty-nine of which were won, eight drawn and seven lost. Boston is next in line, topping Fall River in third palce by a very scant margin. New Bedford and New York Giants are next in order. The annual meeting of the league will be held in New York probably during the first week in June.

Betlehem had the league lead well sewed up in points as well as percentage and had clinched the title several weeks before the close of the competition. The other premier soccer honors went to Fall River and Boston, the former as National champion and Boston champion of the American Cup competition.

The close of the league campaign finds Davy Brown, of the New York Giants, leading the rest for the individual scoring honors. Brown's total for the season was 53. Next in order is R. Blair, of Boston, iwth 39 and nady Stevens, of New Bedford a close third with 38 goals.

Bethlehem has three players listed among the twenty highest scorers in the league. Tom Gillespie, with 33 goals and fourth in the twenty, notched the most tallies for the Steelmen. Archie Stark was next high with a total of 24 while Johnny Jaap managed to break into the picture with a total of 15 goals. Among the twenty high scorers, the name of McConnell, a new player recently signed by Bethlehem, is included. McConnnell finished the season with a total of 14 goals. He started the season with Springfield and when the latter club disbanded was signed by Sam Fletcher for the Providence team. It was from the latter club that Bethlehem arranged for the transfer.

The final league standing, together with the high scorers in the circuit, follows:
             

-- Goals --
 

P.

W.

D.

L.

Pts.

P.C.

For

Agst.

Bethlehem

44

29

8

7

66

.750

114

52

Boston

44

25

7

12

57

.648

90

59

Fall River

44

24

8

12

56

.636

98

72

New Bedford

44

24

6

14

54

.611

124

72

N. Y. Giants

44

21

7

16

49

.557

120

102

Indiana Flooring

43

19

9

15

47

.547

77

81

Brooklyn

44

18

6

20

42

.447

83

96

Providence

43

15

10

18

40

.465

73

96

J & P Coats

44

11

14

19

36

.409

48

72

Newark

44

13

6

25

32

.364

54

91

Philadelphia

44

11

4

29

26

.295

64

123

Springfield

44

7

7

30

21

.239

45

74

Leading Goal Scorers.

D. Brown

N. Y. Giants

53

R. Blair

Boston

39

A. Stevens

New Bedford

38

T. Gillespie

Bethlehem

33

W. Patterson

New Bedford-Fall River-Springfield

31

J. Nelson

Brooklyn

28

A. Stark

Bethlehem

24

D. Campbell

Fall River

20

E. McLaine

Providence

20

R. Rock

Fall River-Coats-Phila

20

M. McLeavy

New Bedford

19

T. White

Newark

19

J. Best

New Bedford

18

J. Ballantyne

Boston

17

J. White

Fall River

17

J. Jaap

Bethlehem

15

M. Grunwald

Giants

14

A. Maxwell

New Bedford

14

R. Millar

Indiana Flooring

14

J. McConnell

Providence-Springfield

14

1926-1927
Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club 1