New England Soccer Today

OTD: Marksmen & Coats Battle in Frigid Football Tilt

Photo credit: American Soccer League 1921-1931: The Golden Years of American Soccer

With Saturday’s Revolution match against Orlando City postponed due to blustery conditions in Foxboro, we look back at an equally frigid match that occurred 89 years ago today on Mar. 11, 1928.

Amid temperatures that hovered in the 20s at Marks Stadium in North Tiverton, R.I, the Fall River Marksmen and J & P Coats (Pawtucket, R.I.) played an epic match that featured five goals.

NORTH TIVERTON, R.I. – Harold Brittan and Percy Barlow each tallied twice in a wild match that the Marksmen emerged victorious from by taking a 3-2 win over the Threadmen at Sam Marks Stadium on Saturday.

Brittan’s two goals, combined with a tally from Jimmy Kelly, helped steer Fall River to its fourth straight win of the 1927-28 ASL season. Barlow, one of the Pawtucket selection’s top scorers, did his part to keep the guests in match, but in the end, Coats dropped its third straight in the process, and remained winless in its last seven.

In the wake of the southeastern New England showdown, Fall River bolstered its playoff hopes by improving to 15-12-6 while Coats’ disastrous campaign continued as they dropped to 7-24-9.

According to the National Weather Service archives, the average temperature on matchday in Fall River – which is right next door to North Tiverton – was 28 degrees.

Fall River is set to face Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, Pa. the following weekend while J & P Coats return to Pawtucket to host the New York Nationals.

Leave a Reply