American soccer writing, history & data.
The annual general meeting of the Milwaukee and District Association Football League was held on March 18, 1916 at the Blatz Hotel in Milwaukee. Because traveling expenses were such a hardship, the organization decided to reorganized and split into two leagues each with four club - one for Milwaukee teams and one for Kenosha and Racine teams.
The Kenosha and District Association Football League included three clubs from the old Milwaukee and District League (Horlick-Racine, Jeffery and MacWhyte) plus a new team from the Simmons Manufacturing Company. While the new Kenosha and District League would not formally start until September for a 1916-17 season, friendlies were played among the teams during the spring soccer season. Julius Boeke of the Horlick company was named president of the league.
The six-game KDAFL fall season would fun from Sunday, September 24, to Sunday November 26. A Wisconsin state cup would also be held for the first time during the fall season. All four KDAFL teams would take part in the competition for the Uihlein Trophy, a $350 cup donated by the Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee.
On October 29, in the semifinals, the Jeffery club would knock out a new South Milwaukee team (which included the pick of the Milwaukee league) and MacWhyte beat Horlick-Racine. The final was held at Horlick's field just west of the Wisconsin-Illinois League park in Racine. The MacWhytes defeated Jeffery 3-1 to win the inaugural Wisconsin state cup.
The spring league season would begin on Sunday, April 1, 1917. The league was renamed as the Lake Shore Association Football League. In what had been a fairly close race between the Horlicks and MacWhytes, the latter club was deducted two points for playing an ineligible player and two more for failing to play Simmons. Those rulings practically put MacWhyte out of the race which was easily won by Horlick-Racine.
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