(From the Monthly Progress in 2005)
In 1922, a group of men started a soccer team under the name “Banater”. The team soon was affiliated with the Football Association of Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association”. The first field was around the corner from our club at Second and Norris Streets. The field was a baseball field for the Stetson Hat Co. Since the Stetson team only played baseball, the field was available for the soccer season.
Soccer in those days was only played in the fall and winter, not like today when soccer is played year round. The next field was located on the north side of Olney Avenue between Rising Sun Avenue and Front Street. In those days the players bought their uniforms and paid the referee fees. They also lined the field before each game using a tin can for lining with lime and a bucket to hold the lime.
In 1930, the young men of the Sports Section, as it was called under the Banater Maennerchor Club, changed their name to German Hungarian Sport Club. During this time there were two teams. The first division team was in the Pennsylvania League and won the championship during this time. The Sport Club rented a field on the south side of Rising Sun Avenue, opposite the old field which was at Rising Sun and Front Street. The players enclosed the field with was next to Wentz Olney Athletic Association. This organization had semi pro baseball and football teams. This facility was also enclosed and had bleacher seats for about 500 spectators and was the first to have lights for night games.
F.P.W.
(to be continued)
EDITOR’S NOTE: this was written and originally published in Monthly Progress, Volume 60, No. 8– August 2005 and No. 9–September 2005. It has been re-published here in 2026 with minor edits. Misspellings of names, capitalization and punctuation have been preserved as originally published.
Please note we are currently missing the July 2005 issue and there is likely a column of “Philadelphia German Hungarians in that issue.
