Influences brought by Thomas H. Cahill, Secretary of the American Soccer League and former secretary of the U. S. F. A., is believed in some quarters as the reason for the action of the American Soccer League clubs in withdrawal from the National Cup competition of the U. S. F. A. At least so it would seem by information gleaned from general gossip as to the action taken by the league executives at a recent meeting.
Even though Mr. Cahill is probably nursing a feeling embittered against the executives of the U. S. F. A., which is only natural after the manner in which he was deposed as secretary of this body, from an authoritative source comes an entirely different version of the doings at the league meeting and which emphatically denies that the action taken was due to any influence brought by Mr. Cahill, but rather the unanimous vote of the club managers for reasons that will benefit the league and the clubs as individuals.
The versions of a person closely associated with the activities of the American League and which is accepted as authoritative justifies the American League in its actions. Different excuses were advanced. Some of these cited the influence of Mr. Cahill as being at the bottom of it and in view of the fact that his cause was outvoted at Detroit recently at the annual meeting of the U. S. F. A., friends of the latter organization are convinced that he was the prime mover in the change of views regarding the National competition.
That the American League clubs were not entirely satisfied with the arrangements, most specifically in regards to the gate receipts of the cup games, was readily apparent by the talk heard around the circuit and emanating from interest of the various clubs. And that some action might be taken whereby the American League clubs would benefit by a more liberal distribution of the game receipts was intimated long before Mr. Cahill was disposed as National secretary. Therefore, the premature gossip around the circuit would more or less discredit the theory that Mr. Cahill was the prime mover in the action taken by the American League clubs.
It is heard authoritatively that Mr. Cahill had nothing to do with the American Soccer League decision to remain out of the cup. In the first place, the rules in connection with the operation are not to the liking of club owners who have invested heavily in professional talent and playing fields. Practically all of the cup rules were adopted before the advent of the first class elevens to the competition and these clubs with the experience of being fleeced in the distribution of the gates felt that the excavations by the National Cup competition are nothing short of a gouge. No attempt was made at the meeting of the Council to modify the gate percentage, which has helped to put so much money in the coffers of the U. S. F. A., and, despite the fact that the American Soccer League clubs are the cream of the U. S. F. A., none of them can bank on being exempt from the competition should they elect to take part. In accordance with a new rule, fourteen clubs will be exempted from the preliminary rounds. Clubs desirous of being exempted will have to file letters seeking such exemption and this includes the Fall River, Vesper Buicks and the Bethlehem club.
IT is within reason to expect that clubs such as are in the American Soccer League should be exempted without being obliged to file applications for this privilege. The play and result of games in which American Soccer League clubs opposed outsiders was convincing enough to remember when the new rules came up for discussion and it was surprising that council members are still closing their eyes to the different grades of soccer played nowadays.
Development in soccer in the last few years demand more intellectual reckoning on the part of the rulers and, if the organization does not wake up to the fact that there are three distinctive classes of soccer played, the game will continue in the background until there is some kind of an attempt to classify those grades. There also should be a distinctive organization, according to the view of this interested party in soccer to govern both the professional and the amateur players and it is forecast that this will become effective within the very near future. Soccer demands a classification of senior, junior and juvenile and if the soccer moguls are progressive enough to see the benefits of such classification they will benefit soccer more than it ever has by starting right in with the grading.
The American Soccer League, it is said, discussed the advisability of taking part in this season's competition long before they ever thought of making an application for direct affiliation with the U. S. F. A., and they concluded long ago that the clubs could make more headway by engaging only in their own league competition.
The versions conveyed in the above coming from a person closely associated with the league activities appears to be substantial in every detail and a valuable suggestion in regards to grading of sport into the classes or ranks referred to.