Fabri Salcedo
Encyclopedia
Fabriciano “Fabri” Salcedo (May 28, 1914 in Santander, Cantabria
, Spain
– August 25, 1985 in Rochelle Park, New Jersey
) was a U.S. soccer forward
. Salcedo spent thirteen seasons in the American Soccer League
, leading the league in scoring three of those seasons, one season in the St. Louis Soccer League
and part of one season in the National Soccer League of Chicago
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
club Brooklyn Hispano
.
, another great American player. In his first season, Salcedo scored eleven goals, putting him sixth on the league’s scoring list. This led to his selection to the U.S. national team for an unofficial game with Scotland
on May 19, 1935. In 1937, Hispano went to the ASL title game, only to fall to the Kearny Scots
.
, a future Hall of Famer. In the 1938-1939 season, Manhattan Beer played in the St. Louis Soccer League
which had invited several Chicago teams to join the league. Manhattan finished second in the league standings.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1939.html The team also went to the U.S. Open Cup final before falling to Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic
.
In September 1939, Salcedo signed with the Kearny Scots
(ASL). He played one game, against Hispano. However, Hispano disputed Salcedo’s signing with the Scots, claiming they still owned his rights in the ASL. The US Football Association agreed with Hispano and nullified Salcedo’s contract with the Scots. Salcedo returned to Manhattan Beer for the start of the 1939-1940 St. Louis Soccer League season. However, he then jumped to the Danish-Americans of the National Soccer League of Chicago
. He played only briefly with the Danish-Americans before moving back east to sign with Hispano.
He was married with two children, a daughter, Diane, and a son, Henry who married eliline Mandeville of ordell NJ. Who gave birth to Craig MAnndeville of Simon and shustuer.
He was posthumously inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 2005.
1943, 1948
Open Cup titles
1943, 1944
Leading goal scorer
1937-1938, 1940–1941, 1945–1946
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
– August 25, 1985 in Rochelle Park, New Jersey
Rochelle Park, New Jersey
Rochelle Park is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 5,530....
) was a U.S. soccer forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. Salcedo spent thirteen seasons in the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
, leading the league in scoring three of those seasons, one season in the St. Louis Soccer League
St. Louis Soccer League
The St. Louis Soccer League was a soccer league based in St. Louis, Missouri, that existed from 1907 to 1938. At its founding, it was the only fully professional soccer league in the United States.-History:...
and part of one season in the National Soccer League of Chicago
National Soccer League of Chicago
The National Soccer League of Chicago, formed by the merger of the Chicago Soccer League and International Soccer Football League of Chicago in 1928, is a semi-professional U.S...
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Early career
Salcedo was born in Spain and played with several youth teams before moving to the United States in May 1929. He played with a string of amateur clubs playing in city leagues, including Segura F.C. (Metropolitan League of New York City), Madrid F.C. and Portuguese Victoria F.C. (Westchester County League). When Portuguese Victoria won the 1934 league title, Salcedo came to the attention of Duncan Othen, coach of the American Soccer LeagueAmerican Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
club Brooklyn Hispano
Brooklyn Hispano
The Brooklyn Hispano was an American soccer club based in Brooklyn, New York that was an inaugural member of the reformed American Soccer League. The club was named the Brooklyn Giants for the 1942/43 season only....
.
Brooklyn Hispano
In 1934, Salcedo signed with Hispano and would play most of his career with the Brooklyn team, beginning as a center forward before moving to right forward. While with Hispano, Salcedo would play with Walter BahrWalter Bahr
Walter Alfred Bahr is a retired American soccer player, considered one of the greatest ever in his country. He was the long-time captain of the U.S. national team and played in the 1950 FIFA World Cup when the U.S...
, another great American player. In his first season, Salcedo scored eleven goals, putting him sixth on the league’s scoring list. This led to his selection to the U.S. national team for an unofficial game with Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on May 19, 1935. In 1937, Hispano went to the ASL title game, only to fall to the Kearny Scots
Kearny Scots
The Kearny Scots are an American soccer club based in Kearny, New Jersey. The Scots have played in both the National Association Football League and the second American Soccer League. When not members of those leagues, the Scots competed in lower level city leagues...
.
Chicago
On September 9, 1938, Chicago Manhattan Beer purchased Salcedo’s contract for $500. In Chicago, he joined Billy GonsalvesBilly Gonsalves
Adelino William Gonsalves was an American soccer player, sometimes described as the "Babe Ruth of American Soccer". He spent over 25 years playing in various American professional leagues and was a member of the U.S...
, a future Hall of Famer. In the 1938-1939 season, Manhattan Beer played in the St. Louis Soccer League
St. Louis Soccer League
The St. Louis Soccer League was a soccer league based in St. Louis, Missouri, that existed from 1907 to 1938. At its founding, it was the only fully professional soccer league in the United States.-History:...
which had invited several Chicago teams to join the league. Manhattan finished second in the league standings.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1939.html The team also went to the U.S. Open Cup final before falling to Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic
Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic
Brooklyn Celtic was a name used by at least two U.S. soccer teams. The first was an early twentieth century amateur team which was formed in August 1910 and dominated the New York Amateur Association Football League from 1912 to 1917. The second was a member of the professional American Soccer...
.
In September 1939, Salcedo signed with the Kearny Scots
Kearny Scots
The Kearny Scots are an American soccer club based in Kearny, New Jersey. The Scots have played in both the National Association Football League and the second American Soccer League. When not members of those leagues, the Scots competed in lower level city leagues...
(ASL). He played one game, against Hispano. However, Hispano disputed Salcedo’s signing with the Scots, claiming they still owned his rights in the ASL. The US Football Association agreed with Hispano and nullified Salcedo’s contract with the Scots. Salcedo returned to Manhattan Beer for the start of the 1939-1940 St. Louis Soccer League season. However, he then jumped to the Danish-Americans of the National Soccer League of Chicago
National Soccer League of Chicago
The National Soccer League of Chicago, formed by the merger of the Chicago Soccer League and International Soccer Football League of Chicago in 1928, is a semi-professional U.S...
. He played only briefly with the Danish-Americans before moving back east to sign with Hispano.
Brooklyn Hispano
Beginning in 1939, Salcedo would play the next eight seasons with Hispano. While Salcedo is best known for his goal scoring exploits, he did play part of one game in the fall of 1941 in goal. That season, he dropped to ninth in the end of year goals list after missing part of the season with a leg injury. Hispano won its only league title in 1942-1943. It also took the U.S. Open Cup giving Salcedo and his team mates a “double”. Hispano repeated as Open Cup champions the next year. At the start of the 1947-1948 season, Hispano released Salcedo and he signed with the Philadelphia Americans. That season, Salcedo won his last championship as the Americans took the ASL title.Non-soccer career
The low salaries paid by soccer teams during this era was not enough to live on. Consequently, Salcedo and his team mates had non-playing jobs in addition to their soccer careers. Salcedo worked a variety of manual labor jobs. When he moved to Chicago Manhattan Beer in 1938, he worked in the Manhattan Beer brewery. After returning to Brooklyn in 1939, he was hired by Federal Shipyard and Drydock where he became a machinist in 1940. In 1946, he left Federal to join the Engineering & Research Division of the ITT Continental Baking Company. He retired in 1979.He was married with two children, a daughter, Diane, and a son, Henry who married eliline Mandeville of ordell NJ. Who gave birth to Craig MAnndeville of Simon and shustuer.
He was posthumously inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
in 2005.
Honors
League titles1943, 1948
Open Cup titles
1943, 1944
Leading goal scorer
1937-1938, 1940–1941, 1945–1946