| Full name | New Bedford Whalers |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 |
| Dissolved | 1933 |
| Chairman |  Sam Mark: 1931–1932 |
| League | SNESL: 1914–1918 American Soccer League: 1924–1932 →International Soccer League: 1926 →Eastern Soccer League: 1929 |
New Bedford Whalers was the name of three Americansoccer teams based inNew Bedford, Massachusetts. The first Whalers played in theSouthern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. The second Whalers played in theAmerican Soccer League between 1924 and 1931 before merging intoFall River F.C. The third Whalers were then formed when Fall River merged withNew York Yankees. They played in the ASL between 1931 and 1932.
Founded in September 1913, the first Whalers originally played asNew Bedford F.C. and played in theSouthern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. Immediately after their founding, they entered the1913–14 National Challenge Cup. They went to the semifinals, falling to eventual champions,Brooklyn Field Club. They first played used the Whalers name in 1915. This team finished as league champions in both 1915 and 1917. Other teams in the league includedFall River Rovers.[1] Of the five men who founded the club, John Fernley later became the president of theUSFA and is in theNational Soccer Hall of Fame. New Bedford was noted as having three full kits, a home, away and third kit.[2]
In 1924 a second New Bedford Whalers, formed by former members ofFall River Rovers, joined theAmerican Soccer League.[3] In both1926 and1928 they finished as runners-up in the league and quickly developed a rivalry withFall River F.C.[4] In 1926 the second Whalers won their only major trophy when they defeatedNew York Giants 5–4 in a two-game series to win the Lewis Cup. 1926 also saw the Whalers play in the one-off1926 International Soccer League season which featured teams from both theUnited States andCanada.[5] In 1929 the ASL and theUS Football Association became involved in a power struggle, sometimes referred to as theSoccer Wars. This resulted in the emergence of a rivalEastern Soccer League, organized by the USFA. The Whalers began the year in the ASL but subsequently joined the ESL. However, after just 8 games they rejoined the ASL.[6] On their return they finished as ASL runners-up in both theSpring 1930 andFall 1930 seasons. However theGreat Depression severely effected the teams support and they failed to complete theSpring 1931 season. On April 19, 1931 they merged intoFall River F.C.[7]
The third Whalers were actually a successor club ofFall River F.C. Like the second Whalers, the 'Marksmen' had also suffered because of theGreat Depression and for theSpring 1931 season their owner,Sam Mark, relocated them toNew York where they merged withNew York Soccer Club, previously known as theNew York Giants, and became theNew York Yankees. However the relocation to New York was not a financial success and for theFall 1931 season, Mark relocated his team again. This time they merged withFall River F.C. and revived the New Bedford Whalers name. The third Whalers were theAmerican Soccer League champions for the Fall 1931 andSpring 1932 seasons and won the1932 National Challenge Cup but then folded during theFall 1932 season[4][8][9]
| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | National Challenge Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914–15 | N/A | SNESL | Champion | No playoff | Last 16 |
| 1915–16 | N/A | SNESL | ? | No playoff | Quarter finals |
| 1916–17 | N/A | SNESL | Champion | No playoff | Last 32 |
| 1917–18 | N/A | SNESL | ? | No playoff | First round |
| 1924–25 | 1 | ASL | 5th | No playoff | did not enter |
| 1925–26 | 1 | ASL | 2nd | No playoff | Second round |
| 1926 | N/A | ISL | 3rd | No playoff | N/A |
| 1926–27 | 1 | ASL | 4th | No playoff' | Quarterfinals |
| 1927–28 | 1 | ASL | 3rd (1st half); 1st (2nd half) | Final | First round |
| 1928–29 | N/A | ASL | 5th (1st half); 8th (2nd half) | N/A | N/A |
| 1928–29 | 1 | ESL | 6th | No playoff | N/A |
| Spring 1930 | 1 | ACL/ASL | 2nd | No playoff | Second round |
| Fall 1930 | 1 | ASL | 2nd | No playoff | ? |
| Spring 1931 | 1 | ASL | 8th | N/A | First round |
| Fall 1931 | 1 | ASL | 2nd | Final | N/A |
| Spring 1932 | 1 | ASL | Champion | No playoff | Winners |
| Fall 1932 | 1 | ASL | 8th | No playoff | N/A |
Harold Brittan: 1926New Bedford Whalers I
New Bedford Whalers II
New Bedford Whalers III
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