Thomas Cahill (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas W. Cahill was an Irish American
athlete, coach and businessman who was one of the founding fathers of soccer in the United States
.
, but moved to St. Louis, Missouri
in 1871. He attended St. Louis University and built a reputation as one of the pre-eminent amateur athletes in the country. Originally favoring running
and baseball
, he became interested in soccer after witnessing a game involving a team visiting from Toronto
.
and settled in Newark, New Jersey
in 1910. It was there that he decided to establish a national governing body for soccer. He traveled to Stockholm
in 1912 to attend the FIFA
annual congress with the intention of gaining recognition for the American Amateur Football Association, a group he co-founded. This attempt failed, though he ultimately achieved his goal when he formed the United States Football Association, which would later become the United States Soccer Federation
. He served three separate terms as the Executive Secretary of the USFA; 1913-1921, 1923-1924 and a final term in 1928. In 1921 Cahill was instrumental in forming the American Soccer League
, which was the first serious attempt to establish a professional league in the United States. He served as the organization's secretary in its early years.
, taking a team for a tour of Scandinavia
.
in 1950. He died the next year in South Orange, New Jersey
.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
athlete, coach and businessman who was one of the founding fathers of soccer in the United States
Soccer in the United States
Soccer, fully known as association football,See the articles Football and Names for association football#North America for more detailed explanations of the differing names for soccer. has long been a popular sport in the United States...
.
Early life
Thomas Cahill was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, but moved to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1871. He attended St. Louis University and built a reputation as one of the pre-eminent amateur athletes in the country. Originally favoring running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, he became interested in soccer after witnessing a game involving a team visiting from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Establishing soccer in the United States
Cahill returned to the East CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and settled in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 1910. It was there that he decided to establish a national governing body for soccer. He traveled to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1912 to attend the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
annual congress with the intention of gaining recognition for the American Amateur Football Association, a group he co-founded. This attempt failed, though he ultimately achieved his goal when he formed the United States Football Association, which would later become the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
. He served three separate terms as the Executive Secretary of the USFA; 1913-1921, 1923-1924 and a final term in 1928. In 1921 Cahill was instrumental in forming 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...
, which was the first serious attempt to establish a professional league in the United States. He served as the organization's secretary in its early years.
National team coach
In 1916 he became the first coach of the United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, taking a team for a tour of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
Later life
Cahill was enshrined in the National Soccer Hall of FameNational 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 1950. He died the next year in South Orange, New Jersey
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
.
Works
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1914-15, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 21 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1915-16, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 21 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1916-17, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 23 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1917-18, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 17 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1918-19, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 13 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1921-22, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 16 MB)
- Spalding's Official "Soccer" Football Guide 1922-23, American Sports Publishing (PDF, 20 MB)