CAFL 1913-14 season

Aug. 8, 2022 |  Categories:  CAFL  

The California Football Association held its annual meeting on August 16, 1913. Fifteen clubs and leagues were represented. The Coalinga District Football Association, consisting of three clubs was admitted. James P. Booth was re-elected president - a post he had occupied for the prior four years.

That same week the California Association Football League held its annual meeting. The Argonaut club of Alameda was admitted to membership bringing the total to 11 teams. C. Y. Williamson was elected president and Edgar Pomeroy elected vice president. When the league schedule was released at the end of August neither Stanford University nor the University of California were listed on the schedule. While both were formally members of the CAFL neither was included by the scheduling committee and the league took part without them. In January of 1914, members of the Stanford Cosmopolitan Club organized a soccer team under the direction of Harry Maloney, the Cardinal trainer. The team was made up of players from Indian, Japan, Hawaii and England.

The CAFL season began on Sunday, September 14, 1913 and was a much more tightly run affair compared to the prior few seasons. The Alameda Rangers reorganized as the Oakland Rangers F.C. The club played on the grounds at Grove and Carlton Streets in Berkeley. Alameda F.C. played at Lincoln Park in Alameda which they shared with the Barbarians while the Argonauts and Vampires played at Croll's grounds of that city. Burns Club and the Pastime Club shared Freeman's Park in Oakland. The Thistle and San Francisco clubs shared Ocean Shore grounds at 12th and Mission Streets in San Francisco.

During the CFA's regular meeting held on Friday, January 16, 1914, the association decided to defer action on whether or not to affiliate with the U.S.A. Football Association. The USAFA had been admitted to FIFA as a provisional member in August of 1913. The CFA held a special meeting on January 30 and by a unanimous vote decided to affiliate with the USAFA. This gave the CAFL the privilege to allow professional players to compete with and against amateurs in league matches according to the agreement between the league and the A.A.U.

The CAFL season was a neck-and-neck battle between the Pastimes and Thistle. The final Sunday on March 1 saw the two teams face off with the Pastimes ahead by a single point. The match ended with a 1-1 draw at Ocean Shore grounds giving the Pastimes their second straight league title. The Thistles got their revenge on April 5 by knocking the Pastimes out of the CFA cup semifinal. But the Vampires won the cup on April 26 by a 5-3 score over the Thistles at Freeman's Park.

On Saturday, March 7, Stanford University and University of California drew 2-2. That result gave Stanford the yearly intercollegiate championship between the two. That draw was also enough for Stanford to take permanent possession of the Williamson Cup by having the best record over three years.