1927 National Soccer League

Preview

On January 16, 1927, Toronto Scottish made an application to join the league. They said that they were prepared to turn professional if necessary. An application from a Hamilton club was also said to be considered.

The annual meeting was held in Toronto on March 7, 1927. At this meeting Toronto Scottish purchased the Toronto City club’s franchise and was awarded a place in the league. Toronto Scottish had been members of the Inter-Provincial League in the 1926 season. Another former Inter-Provincial League member, the Hamilton City club, were also awarded a franchise. A new club was to play in Detroit, this either being Garwood or Holley Carburettors, or an amalgamation of both. The schedule would be arranged on March 27.

Clubs and players

Toronto Scottish were one of the oldest clubs in Canada. Prior to their exhibition game at Conboy Park on June 13 against Boston, the Scottish strengthened their team with Gordon Burness, former Toronto Scottish player, lately of Brooklyn Wanderers; Andy Stevens, another former Scottish player, who had just finished the season with New Bedford Whalers; Campbell, late of Bethlehem; Gallagher, from Holley Carburetor, Detroit; McCutcheon,ex-Crescent player, late of Kodaks, Rochester and Jimmy Moir, ex-Ulster player, who figured so prominently in the Toronto team against the touring Scots.

Review of the season

In the first game of the 1927 season Carsteel beat Hamilton City 8-3 on May 7 in Montreal. On the same day Windsor Rovers defeated Toronto Scottish 3-1 in Toronto.

This was another chaotic season as some clubs, due to the collapse of the International League, also played in the Provincial League. This led to fixture congestion and the NSL Final was never played. Detroit Canadians played a few a games but their cross-border play caused problems with the United States Football Association.

Another reason for the chaos was that Ulster United played in many lucrative exhibition games in the United States. They used some of the money recieved to pay their NL rivals to drop playing National League games. 

Suspension of Windsor Rovers and Montreal Maroons

On September 20, Windsor Rovers and Montreal Maroons were suspended for not fulfilling their obligations. The clubs were said to not have met the necessary bonds. The Windsor Rovers club had withheld the bond as it had been ordered to play five of the next seven games away from. This would have cost them a great deal as travelling expenses had to be covered by the gate receipts at home games. Rovers had also always paid their bonds but were unsure if other clubs did the same, and when they asked for proof of this the Toronto clubs would not comply. At the same meeting a fixture early in the season in Hamilton between the two local clubs, Thistles and City, that was abandoned at half-time due to rain was ordered to be replayed in Toronto.

Results and standings

Exhibition games

May 25, 1927 Ulster Stadium, Toronto
Toronto All-Stars 3 (George Graham 2, Jimmy Galloway)
Hakoah Wien 2 (Nickolsburger 2)
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: W. Mitchell
Toronto: Art Halliwell; Bob Calder, Herring; McCrone, Joe Clulow, Matthews; Roy Faulkner, R. Lavery, George Graham, Jimmy Galloway, Burness.
Hakoah: Alex Fabian; Scheur, Gold; Fried, Guttman, Hess; Schwarz, Haeusler, Nickolsburger, Gruenwald, Wortmann.

May 26, 1927 Scott Park, Hamilton, Ontario
Scottish Football Association XI 6 (Simpson 3, Cook, Archibald, Cunningham)
Hamilton and District All-Stars 1 (Munro)
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Alex McCulloch (Hamilton)
Scottish XI: Hamilton; W. McStay, Blair; Morrison, J. McStay, Swallow; Archibald, Cunningham, Simpson, Hunter, Cook.
Hamilton All-Stars: Joe Scanlon (Hamilton City); Bobby Lodge (Hamilton Thistles), Arthur Vickers (Hamilton City); George Totten (Hamilton City), Billy Gilvear (Hamilton City), Slater (Hamilton Thistles); Bill Barclay (Hamilton Thistles), George Munro (Hamilton Thistles), Art Fell (Guelph), Hughie Aird (Brantford Cockshutts), Allan Ashthorpe (Hamilton City).

July 2, 1927 Ulster Stadium, Toronto
Ontario All-Stars 2 (Wright, George Graham)
Hakoah Wien 2 (Haeusler, Gold)
Attendance:
Referee: J. Cameron
Ontario: Nudds (London Westminster Hospital); Bob Calder (Bell Telephone, Toronto), Nokes (Toronto Scottish); McCrone (48th Highlanders, Toronto), Fred Williams (Ulster United, Toronto), Condie (Toronto Scotttish); Roy Faulkner (Ulster United, Toronto), George Munro (Hamilton Thistles), George Graham (Ulster United, Toronto), Wright (London), Grant (Ulster United, Toronto). Reserves: Young and Brown, Toronto Scottish
Hakoah: Alex Fabian; Scheur, Gold; Fried, Guttman, Strauss; Schwarz, Haeusler, Hess, Wortmann, Fischer.

July 4, 1927 Toronto
Toronto Ulster & Scottish 2
Hakoah Wien 0
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto:
Hakoah:

July 6, 1927 Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton All-Stars 2
Hakoah Wien 2
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton All-Stars:
Hakoah:

July 11, 1927 Toronto
Attendance: 6,000
Ulster United 0
Scottish Football Association XI 3

August 21, 1927 Bemo Field, Buffalo, New York
Referee: A. Chalmers; linesmen, F . Dobson and G. Cumming
Niagara Frontier League All-Stars 0
Toronto Scottish 1 (Burness)
Niagara Frontier League: J. Maxwell; R. Jones, H. Neeson; W. Dick, J. Fraser, S. Smith; J. Porter, A. Rae, D Auld, G. Brown
Toronto Scottish: Art Halliwell; W . Stuppard . F . Noakes; J. McBone , J. Brown . A. Moir; W. McCarthney . E. Fiddler, H. Burness, H. McDonald, T. Condie

Other Leagues and Cups

1927 INTER-PROVINCIAL LEAGUE

President: Joseph Bond

Despite the troubled 1926 season that saw the departure of many clubs to the National Soccer League, the league continued to operate in the 1927 season.

Clubs and players

Brantford Cockshutt Blues
Stadium:
Key players:

Hamilton City
Stadium:
Key players:

Hamilton Thistles
Stadium:
Key players:

Taylor Forbes
Stadium:
Key players:

Toronto Scottish
Stadium:
Key players: Goalkeeper Art Halliwell

Ulster United
Stadium:
Key players: Goalkeeper Fraser, fullback David Eadie, forwards Roy Faulkner, George Graham

Willys-Overland
Stadium: Conboy Park, Toronto
Key players: fullback Herring, Hughes

Review of the season

The opening game was played on April 30 between Willys Overland and Taylor Forbes of Guelph. A big crowd watched Willys win 5-1 at Conboy Park in Toronto.

On May 18 Ulster United beat Willys-Overland 6-2. George Graham scored five goals for Ulster.

On Thursday July 21 Hamilton City and Ulster United played to a 1-1 tie in Hamilton.

Toronto Scottish defeated Hamilton Thistles 4-1 on Wednesday July 27 in Hamilton.

Hamilton City beat Hamilton Thistles 3-1 on August 1.

On Wednesday August 2 Toronto Scottish beat Hamilton City 5-2 in Toronto.

When Hamilton City defeated Hamilton Thistles 7-3 on Saturday August 6, they moved into a tie for second place with Toronto Scottish in the league standing.

On Saturday October 15 C.M.C. of Oshawa and Willys-Overland played to a 2-2 tie in Oshawa.

Ontario Cup

Fourth round

August 13, 1927 Brantford, Ontario
Brantford Cockshutt Blues 2
Hamilton Ulster 0

Final

October 1, 1927 Toronto
Ulster United 7 (Tommy Cowan 2, Jimmy Moir 2, Galloway 2, Hagen)
Kirkland Lake 2 (Parsons, A. Hamilton)
Attendance: 2,000    
Referee:
Ulster United: Fraser; Dave Eadie, Walter Rankin; Sammy Grant, Fred Williams, Joe Clulow; Tommy Cowan, McNeil, Hagen, Jimmy Galloway, Jimmy Moir.
Kirkland Lake: Cadman; Welsby, McGregor; Simpson, J. Hamilton, D. Rhodes; D. McDonald, A. Hamilton, Parsons, J. McDonald, Pidcock.

Ontario Junior Cup

October 29, 1927
Toronto Banfields 3 (Nevison, Woods, Gibson)
Windsor Thistles 1 (A. Caldwell)

Banfield won the 1927 Ontario Junior Cup

British Consols Cup

December 3, 1927
Ulster United 7
Toronto Scottish 2

December 10, 1927
Ulster United 2
Toronto Scottish 1

Ulster United won the series won the series after two games.

Sources: Toronto Star, newspapers.com, http://www.rsssf.com