Bethlehem Globe
Thursday, August 17, 1922
A Swing Along Athletic Row

Why Harp on Soccer?
Included in the mail directed to this department comes a query with the single sentence, "Why harp on soccer" signed by "sports follower." How often has this same query been directed tot he enthusiasts of t his branch of sport? It is pure and simple that the followers who have taken the trouble familiarize themselves with the rudiments of the game find this all-year round sport excellent recreation, particularly in the winter months when all other sports activities are confined indoors. As a rule the majority who accept soccer with ill favor and usually have the most to say to its detriment are those who have probably never witnessed a game and certainly have not learned the rules of the sport. Like any other sport, baseball for instance, the game would be devoid of its interest and its thrills if the fans were not familiar with the rules governing the sport. Bethlehem for years past has been recognized as the mother bed for the development of soccer in this section and while years ago it was heralded as one of the most enjoyable outdoor sports, interest in recent years has somewhat lagged. Not so in the surrounding territory, Easton, Allentown and many smaller towns where soccer was virtually first introduced on an extensive scale last season and immediately gained great popularity with the sporting inclined in those cities. It is hard to swallow the extensive development in neighboring cities when it is realized that the sport was practically first introduced in Bethlehem. "Why harp on soccer" one may well ask and readily solve the problem by reviewing the game as a big league sport of years back. For the enlightenment of those who may probably have suffered a lapse of memory or not taken the trouble to familiarize themselves with the laurels garnered by the local representatives in this field of sport, let it be recalled that Bethlehem was undisputed as possessing the strongest aggregation in the country and for years presented a team that brought back to the Steel City more and greater honors than any other athletic aggregation sporting the colors of a local representative. To present a team of equal if not greater merit than the championship aggregation of years ago is the plan of those who previously fostered the sport and in hopes of making their efforts worth while and showing appreciation by loyal cooperation is but one of the many reason of "Why harp on soccer."


1922-1923
Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club