Babcock & Wilcox (soccer)
Babcock & Wilcox was a U.S. soccer team which had its origins as the Babcock & Wilcox company team of Bayonne, New Jersey. It spent five seasons in the National Association Football League and finished as runner up in the 1918 American Cup.
History
They were members of the New Jersey State Amateur Foot Ball League for the 1912-13 season. In 1914 they took part in the National Challenge Cup when Brooklyn Celtic eliminated them 5-0 in the second round.[1] In 1915, Babcock & Wilcox joined the professional National Association Football League. While it regularly went deep in cup competitions, it never finished higher than third in league play. After finishing at the bottom of the standings in the 1918-1919 season, the team withdrew from the NAFBL. After a year out of the league, Babcock & Wilcox returned for the 1920-1921 season. However, the NAFBL folded at the end of the season when several teams joined the newly established American Soccer League. Babcock & Wilcox continued to play in New Jersey leagues until at least 1932 when it won its fifth New Jersey State Cup.[2] In its early years, Andrew Brown, future president of the United States Football Association, worked for the Babcock & Wilcox company, helping to manage the team.[3]
Year-by-year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | American Cup | National Challenge Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913/14 | ? | ? | ? | Third round |
| 1914/15 | ? | ? | Second round | Fourth Round |
| 1915/16 | NAFBL | 3rd | Semifinals | Third round |
| 1916/17 | NAFBL | 3rd | Semifinals | First round |
| 1917/18 | NAFBL | 6th | Final | First round |
| 1918/19 | NAFBL | 6th | Quarterfinal | First round |
| 1919/20 | ? | ? | ? | Final |
| 1920/21 | NAFBL | 6th | Fourth round | First round |
Honors
- Runner Up (1): 1918
New Jersey State Challenge Cup
- Winner (5): 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1932