A BC Soccer History Series Report Takes on the World! BC All-Star Games versus Visiting Professional Teams

Before professional soccer became fully established in BC in 1974, visits of touring international professional teams to play exhibition games against local amateur or semi-pro all-star teams were a highlight of the annual soccer calendar in BC. The games up to the 1950s were often part of a tour of (and sometimes the USA) arranged nationally by the Dominion of Canada Football Association (Canada Soccer), initially representative teams of professional players from British associations. Later visits were touring professional clubs from the UK, continental Europe and globally. The first visitors were the English amateur club the Corinthians in 1911, followed by a professional Scottish FA team under the Third Lanark club banner in 1921. Visitors in early years typically played four games, two in and two on . The local all-star teams were variously the BC All-Stars, Island All-Stars or Vancouver Mainland area teams. The competition was tough – the BC teams lost all 30 games against visiting professionals before 1939. Newspaper reports often positioned the local teams as playing valiantly, with the visitors’ skill being a pleasure for the crowd (which reached up to 8,500) to witness. At those times, some local BC players were the equal of professionals, choosing to play at home rather than overseas for then-limited professional wages. Visiting teams were of varying strengths of players. Popular in coverage at the time was discussion of how each visiting team compared with predecessors. On the basis of scores, candidates for the best visiting team before World War 2 would include the 1926 English FA (combined score: 22-3 in four games), the 1927 Scottish FA (24- 3 in four games), Glasgow Rangers in 1930 (15-2 in two games) and the 1931 English FA (26-4 in four games). In three games in 1954, Glasgow Rangers scored 19 goals without reply. BC’s landmark first victory against professional visitors came in 1951, the Victoria All-Stars beating Fulham 1-0, when “Winger Ab Travis drove the ball into the net with his left foot”. Other victories later that decade included the BC All-Stars defeating Tottenham Hotspur in 1957 and West Bromwich Albion in 1959. In nearly 100 years, local BC teams have played 106 games against touring professionals, winning 13 and drawing seven.

Author: Roger Barnes April 2019 This report covering 141 games was inspired by finding research of Dave Fryatt of 77 such games from 1949 to 1973 in the BC Soccer archives. That record was extended by adding another 64 games found between 1911 and 1939, since 1973 and some missing games on Vancouver Island, mostly through original research of newspaper archives and information from Colin Jose’s ‘The Story of ’. The photograph is by Stuart Thomson from the City of Vancouver Archives. The report may have errors and omissions. If you have information that would improve it please contact Roger Barnes at 604-803-2956 or [email protected] BC Soccer has programs for only a few of St. Andrews vs. Glasgow Rangers. June 7, 1930 these games. Please contact us at Athletic Park (Fifth Ave. and Hemlock), Vancouver [email protected] if you have such programs you could lend for scanning.

Record of BC All-Star Games versus Visiting Professional Teams

The focus of this report is games between visiting professional teams and local amateur or semi-pro British Columbia teams, mostly All-Stars. It does not include national team or Vancouver 86ers/Whitecaps professional team games. All games are male, no similar female games being known of. In some years, the visitors' games also included games against other international visiting teams, which are shown in italics. In total, 141 such games have been recorded over the last 110 years, including 106 between BC and touring professionals. Score Year Date Stadium BC All-Stars Visitors BC-Vis 1911 Aug 29 Recreation Park Vancouver All-Stars Corinthians (Eng. Amateur) 1-5 Aug 31 Ladysmith /Ladysmith All-Stars Corinthians 2-2 Sep 02 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Corinthians 2-4 Sep 04 Recreation Park, Van Vancouver All-Stars Corinthians 1-4 1921 Jun 18 Brockton Point Vancouver All-Stars Third Lanark (Scottish FA) 0-3 Jun 20 Nanaimo Nanaimo All-Stars Third Lanark (Scottish FA) 0-4 Jun 22 Stadium, Victoria Victoria All-Stars Third Lanark (Scottish FA) 1-4 Jun 23 Con Jones Park, Van BC All-Stars Third Lanark (Scottish FA) 0-3 1924 Aug 18 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Up-Island All-Stars Corinthians (Eng., Amateur ) 2-1 Aug 20 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Corinthians 0-2 Aug 22 Con Jones Park Vancouver All-Stars Corinthians 1-1 Aug 23 Con Jones Park, Van Canada All-Stars Corinthians 1-2 1926 Jun 16 Athletic Park, Van Vancouver All-Stars English FA 1-5 Jun-19 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Up-Island All-Stars English FA 0-3 Jun 23 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars English FA 1-5 Jun 26 Athletic Park, Van Pacific Coast League All-Stars English FA 1-9 1927 Jun -16 Athletic Park, Van Vancouver All-Stars Scottish FA 2-9 Jun -18 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Up-Island All-Stars Scottish FA 0-5 Jun 22 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Scottish FA 1-4 Jun 25 Athletic Park, Van BC All-Stars Scottish FA 0-6 1929 Jun 15 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Up-Island All-Stars Welsh FA 0-3 Jun 17 Athletic Park, Van Lower Mainland All-Stars Welsh FA 0-8 Jun 19 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Welsh FA 0-1 Jun 22 Athletic Park, Van Westminster Royals Welsh FA 1-2 1930 Jun 7 Athletic Park, Van St Andrews Glasgow Rangers 1-7 Jun 9 Royal Athletic Park Vic West Glasgow Rangers 1-8 1931 Jun 17 Athletic Park, Van Vancouver All-Stars English FA 1-7 Jun 20 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Nanaimo City English FA 2-8 Jun 24 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars English FA 0-7 Jun 27 Athletic Park, Van Vancouver All-Stars English FA 1-4 1935 May 31 Royal Athletic Park Island All-Stars Scottish FA 0-5 Jun 1 Con Jones Park Vancouver All-Stars Scottish FA 0-1 1937 Jun 12 Con Jones Park Vancouver All-Stars Charlton Athletic 2-3 Jun 15 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Charlton Athletic 0-4 1938 May 7 Con Jones Park Mainland All-Stars Isl’n Corinth’s (Eng., Amateur) 2-2 May 9 Nanaimo Upper island All-Stars Islington Corinthians 3-2 May 11 Royal Athletic Park Lower Island All-Stars Islington Corinthians 3-6 May 12 Con Jones Park Mainland All-Stars Islington Corinthians 3-0 1939 Jun 3 Central Spt Gd, Nanaimo Upper island All-Stars Scottish FA 2-4 Jun 5 Con Jones Park Vancouver All-Stars Scottish FA 1-4 Jun 7 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Scottish FA 0-6 Jun 10 Con Jones Park Vancouver All-Stars Scottish FA 2-3

Year Date Stadium BC All-Stars Visitors BC-Vis 1949 Jun 4 Callister Park, Van BC All-Stars Newcastle United 2-5 Jun 7 Callister Park BC All-Stars Newcastle United 1-8 1950 May 30 Callister Park BC All-Stars English FA 4-4 Jun 1 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars English FA 2-3 Jun 3 Callister Park BC All-Stars English FA 1-7 Jun 8 Callister Park BC All-Stars Atlas Club, Mexico 1-1 Jun 10 Callister Park BC All-Stars Atlas Club, Mexico 3-4 1951 Jun 5 Callister Park BC All-Stars Fulham 0-2 Jun 7 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Fulham 1-0 Jun 9 Callister Park BC All-Stars Fulham 0-2 Jun 16 Callister Park BC All-Stars AIK (Sweden) 3-2 1952 May 31 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur 2-9 Jun 2 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur 0-7 Jun 4 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur 2-8 1953 May 30 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars (Northern) Irish FA 1-3 Jun 2 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars (Northern) Irish FA 1-5 Jun 6 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars (Northern) Irish FA 3-2 Oct 12 Callister Park New Westminster Royals Chicago Falcons (Amateur) 5-0 1954 May 24 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Glasgow Rangers 0-9 May 26 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Glasgow Rangers 0-7 May 29 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Glasgow Rangers 0-3 1955 May 25 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Huddersfield Town 2-4 May 28 Callister Park BC Mainland All-Stars Huddersfield Town 1-4 1956 Jun 9 Empire Stadium, Van Everton Aberdeen 3-3 Jun 11 Callister Park BC All-Stars Aberdeen 2-2 Aug 11 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Moscow Lokomotiv 2-5 1957 Jun 1 Empire Stadium Glasgow Celtic Tottenham Hotspur 3-6 Jun 3 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 1958 May 31 Empire Stadium Manchester City Heart of Midlothian 2-5 Jun 2 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Heart of Midlothian 1-4 Jul 5 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Admira Wien (Austria) 4-2 1959 May 30 Empire Stadium Dundee West Bromwich Albion 1-7 Jun 1 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars West Bromwich Albion 3-2 Jun 29 Royal Athletic Park Victoria Evcoes Municipal FC (Lima, Peru) 1-5 Jul 1 Callister Park BC All-Stars Municipal FC (Lima, Peru) 5-3 1960 May 28 Empire Stadium Manchester United Heart of Midlothian 3-2 Jun 4 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Heart of Midlothian 2-2 Jun 6 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Heart of Midlothian 0-3 Aug 24 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Leningrad Zenit 3-2 1961 Jun 3 Empire Stadium Third Lanark Birmingham City 1-1 Jun 7 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Birmingham City 1-5 Jun 10 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Birmingham City 2-5 Jun 30 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars City 1-7 Aug 25 Empire Stadium Toronto City Real Madrid 1-5 1962 Jun 2 Empire Stadium Eintracht Sheffield United 1-4 Jun 4 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Sheffield United 0-1 Jun 6 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Sheffield United 2-2 1963 Jun 15 Empire Stadium Bangu of Brazil Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Jun 17 Royal Athletic Park Victoria All-Stars Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Jun 19 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4

Year Date Stadium BC All-Stars Visitors BC-Vis 1964 Jun 6 Empire Stadium Meidericher Liverpool 1-1 Jun 10 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Liverpool 0-2 Jul 5 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Red Star (Yugoslavia) 2-4 1965 May 9 Empire Stadium Blackpool Sheffield United 3-3 Jun 9 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Nottingham Forest 0-2 Jun 12 Empire Stadium Hibernian Nottingham Forest 2-1 Jun 16 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Hibernian 2-9 1966 Jun 4 Empire Stadium Glasgow Celtic Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Jun 8 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 1967 May 27 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Chelsea 2-5 May 30 Royal Athletic Park Victoria O'Keefes Chelsea 2-3 Jun 10 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars Scottish FA 1-4 1968 Jun 1 Empire Stadium Dunfermline Manchester City 0-0 1969 May 11 Empire Stadium Vancouver All-Stars West Bromwich Albion 0-2 May 14 Royal Athletic Park Victoria O'Keefes West Bromwich Albion 1-4 Jul 20 , Bby Vancouver Spartans Ipswich 1-5 Jul 22 Royal Athletic Park Victoria O'Keefes Ipswich 1-7 Jul 24 Swangard Stadium Vancouver Spartans Ipswich 2-1 Jul 27 Swangard Stadium Inter Bratislava Ipswich 0-3 Jul 29 Swangard Stadium Inter Bratislava Ipswich 1-2 1970 May 10 Caledonia Park, Nan Victoria Royals Newcastle United 0-3 May 16 Royal Athletic Park Victoria Royals Newcastle United 1-2 May 18 Swangard Stadium Vancouver Spartans Newcastle United 3-4 May 27 Swangard Stadium Vancouver Spartans Newcastle United 0-3 Jul 1 Swangard Stadium Vancouver Eintracht Vorsfelde (Germany, Amateur) 1-2 Jul 4 Swangard Stadium PCL All-Stars Vorsfelde 2-2 1971 Jul 6 Swangard Stadium Vancouver Spartans Sing Tao of Hong Kong 2-2 Jul 10 Royal Athletic Park Victoria Royals Sing Tao of Hong Kong 1-1 Jul 11 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Dinamo of Zagreb 5-4 Jul 30 Empire Stadium Hannover Santos of Brazil 1-3 1972 May 26 Empire Stadium Aberdeen Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Jul 7 Empire Stadium BC Premier League All-Stars Santos of Brazil 0-5 Aug 31 Empire Stadium BC Premier League All-Stars Dynamo of Moscow 0-2 1973 Jun 26 Empire Stadium BC All-Stars Cruzeiro of Brazil 0-2 1975 May 29 Empire Stadium BC League All-Stars Glasgow Rangers 0-4 1978 May 25 Royal Athletic Park VISL All-Stars (Vistas) Hibernians 0-9 1979 May 28 Royal Athletic Park VISL All-Stars (Vistas) Bristol City 3-8 Jun 14 Empire Stadium BC Selects FC Kaiserslautern ? 1985 Jun 5 Royal Athletic Park VISL All-Stars (Vistas) Dundee 1-2 Jun 5 BC Place Pacific Rim League All-Stars Glasgow Celtic 1-2 Jun 6 BC Place North Shore Colts Ajax (Amsterdam) 3-2 Jun 8 BC Place Pacific Rim League All-Stars Ajax (Amsterdam) 1-2 Jun 8 BC Place North Shore Colts Glasgow Celtic 2-1 1992 May 16 Royal Athletic Park Vancouver Island All-Stars Chelsea 1-2 May 18 Swangard Stadium Chelsea Dundee Utd 3-0 May 20 Royal Athletic Park Vancouver Island All-Stars Dundee Utd 2-1 2004 Jul 11 Coquitlam Town Vancouver Metro SL All-Stars Millwall 1-2 Jul 14 Royal Athletic Park PCSL All-Stars Heart of Midlothian 1-4 Jul 17 Swangard Stadium Millwall Heart of Midlothian 1-1 2014 Jul 21 University of Victoria Glasgow Rangers 1-2