Bill McPherson

William McPherson (September 22, 1897 – July 1976) was a Scottish-American soccer wing half. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the American Soccer League. He also spent time in the St. Louis Soccer League, winning a total of five league titles and seven National Challenge Cups during his career.

For other people with the same name, see Bill McPherson (disambiguation).
Bill McPherson
Personal information
Full name William McPherson
Date of birth (1897-09-22)September 22, 1897
Place of birth Greenock, Scotland
Date of death July 1976 (aged 79)
Position(s) Wing Half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1919–1920 Greenock Morton
1922–1923 Beith
1923–1930 Fall River Marksmen 331 (53)
1931 → New York Yankees 17 (0)
1931–1932 → New Bedford Whalers
1932–1934 Stix, Baer and Fuller
1934– Pawtucket Rangers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

His record of 370 matches in the U.S. top-flight league stood until being broken by Steve Ralston in 2007.[1]

Playing career

Scotland

Born in Greenock, McPherson signed with Greenock Morton of the Scottish Football League in 1919. In 1922, he began the season with Beith F.C. before leaving Scotland for the United States.

American Soccer League

When he arrived, he signed with the Fall River Marksmen of the American Soccer League seeing time in only four games at the end of the 1922-1923 season. He spent most of ten seasons with the Marksmen, winning six league titles and three National Challenge Cups (1924, 1927, 1930). In 1931, the Marksmen merged with the New York Soccer Club to form the New York Yankees. He remained with the renamed team for the spring 1931 season. That summer, McPherson won his fourth Challenge Cup with the Yankees. In the summer of 1931, the Yankees merged with the Fall River F.C. to form the New Bedford Whalers. Once again McPherson remained with the renamed club, winning the 1932 National Challenge Cup over Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C. of the St. Louis Soccer League (SLSL).[2]

St. Louis Soccer League

By this time the ASL was on its last legs and Alex McNab left the team to sign with SBF. When he arrived in St. Louis, he induced several of his ex-teammates, including McPherson, to join him. They did so and immediately took SBF to two league and two National Cup championships.

American Soccer League II

In 1934, McPherson moved back east to sign with the Pawtucket Rangers who were now competing in the second American Soccer League, the first having collapsed in 1933. In 1935, McPherson went to yet another National Cup final, but this time his team failed to take home the title. The Rangers were defeated in three games (7-6 aggregate) by the St. Louis Central Breweries F.C. who featured several of his former teammates from Stix, Baer and Fuller F.C.[3]

References
  1. Goff, Steven (November 14, 2007). "Ralston on Cusp of Title, Share of History". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  2. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921-1931 (Hardback). The Scarecrow Press. (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4).
  3. U.S. Open Cup at RSSSF Archived 2010-12-24 at WebCite
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