Oct. 7 (1919)

Tom Cahill, the executive secretary and primary founder of the U.S. Football Association (today’s U.S. Soccer Federation), announces a European tour for a team of mostly St. Louis players in 1920. Cahill has just returned to New York with a team of players mostly from Bethlehem Steel, including St. Louis native and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Harry Ratican. The team had played 12 games in Sweden and Denmark. Cahill, who lived in St. Louis from 1871-1910, had profoundly influenced St. Louis soccer as a manager and promoter during his last 20 years in St. Louis. Eager to arrange a European tour for his beloved soccer players from St. Louis, he negotiates the 1920 tour while in Europe with Bethlehem Steel. The 1920 touring team will be called St. Louis Club and will be comprised of 12 players from St. Louis and six from the East. They will play 14 matches in Sweden from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, 1920. St. Louis Club will be the first St. Louis team to travel internationally. St. Louis Club will win seven, tie five and lose two on the trip. Hap Marre of the Ben Millers, the 1920 National Challenge Cup champions, will lead St. Louis Club with nine goals during the tour.” NOTE: Oct. 1, 2023, marked the one-year anniversary of daily St. Louis soccer history highlights on this website. Starting on Oct. 1, additional highlights will be posted as needed. Therefore, there will be some days with no posted historical highlights. However, all past historical posts are archived on this website at “Today’s Soccer History.”