Mark's Stadium

In 1922 Sam Mark won the bid over the Fall River United/Rover joint bid to head the American Soccer League's Fall River franchise. Mark was willing to invest in the club and one of his first moves was to build the team its own stadium. He located it in North Tiverton, Rhode Island, just over the Massachusetts border from Fall River. This enabled the 'Marksmen' to circumvent the Massachusetts Blue Laws and play on a Sunday."Soccer Schedule Meeting At New York Sunday". (September 9, 1922). The Evening Herald, p.4 col.6 Although used primarily for soccer, Mark’s also operated a semi-professional baseball team and the stadium’s design was decidedly baseball-friendly. This included an L-shaped stand which was placed behind one of the corner-flags. The stadium also incorporated a small dirt track for auto racing up until the early 1950s which somewhat reduced the size of the soccer pitch.

The 1925 National Challenge Cup final and the first Lewis Cup final were both held at the stadium. Although a crowd of only 1,000 turned up to see Shawsheen Indians defeat Canadian Club of Chicago 3-0 in the Challenge Cup on April 19, a capacity crowd of 15,000 saw Boston Soccer Club defeat Fall River F.C. 2-1 in the Lewis Cup."Boston Triumphs, 2-1, Before 17,000". (March 30, 1925). Boston Globe, p.11 col.8 In subsequent seasons the stadium regularly hosted prestige friendlies between the 'Marksmen' and visiting teams such as Rangers, an Italian League XI and Kilmarnock.[http://www.rangershistory.co.uk/various/tour1928.html Rangers tours] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230210245/http://www.rangershistory.co.uk/various/tour1928.html |date=2007-12-30 }}"Scores Four Goals To Defeat Brescia". (August 27, 1928). Fall River Herald News, p.13 col.1-2"Fall River Shuts Out Kilmarnock F.C., 3-0". (June 16, 1930). Boston Globe, p.8 col.7-8

In 1931, after Sam Mark relocated Fall River F.C. to New York and named them the New York Yankees, he made the stadium available to anybody willing to place a team there.{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/103652-the-most-historic-us-soccer-sites-whats-no-8|title=The Most Historic US Soccer Sites: What's No. 8?|website=bleacherreport.com|date=January 4, 2009|accessdate=August 30, 2017}} A group of Fall River businessmen, led by an ex-Marksmen player Harold Brittan, bought Providence Gold Bugs and moved them to Mark's Stadium where they played as Fall River F.C. During their brief stay the new tenants beat both Vélez Sérsfield and Celtic in prestige friendlies."Glasgow Shut Out In Second Upset". (June 1, 1931). Boston Globe, p.12 col.2-3 In the 1940s and 1950s Ponta Delgada S.C. also played some home games at the stadium."Soccer Snaps". (April 17, 1941). Boston Globe, p.22 col.2

In the 1950s, the stadium was torn down, and was replaced by a drive-in movie theater, as well as a large restaurant and banquet hall in the former parking area run by the Ponta Delgada Club.{{cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/features/lifestyle/content/20131103-a-view-from-tiverton-in-a-forgotten-field-soccer-took-root.ece|title=A View from Tiverton: In a forgotten field, soccer took root|website=providencejournal.com|date=November 3, 2013|accessdate=August 30, 2017}} The theater was closed for a time in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s it was closed for good. The screen was torn down in the decades to follow, and the site of the stadium itself is now a large empty lot behind the former Ponta Delgada Restaurant, which is now partially closed itself.

{{football box | date = April 19, 1925

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Shawsheen Indians |score = 3–0|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|United States}} Chicago Canadian Club|goals1 = Eddie Smith
Alex Carrie
Peter Purden |goals2 = |stadium =
1925 National Challenge Cup

|attendance = 1,000

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = March 29, 1925

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 1–2|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|United States}} Boston Soccer Club |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium =
Lewis Cup final

|attendance = 15,000

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = June 3, 1928

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 0–0|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|Scotland}} Rangers F.C. |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium =
Friendly

|attendance = 15,000

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = August 26, 1928

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 4–2|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|Italy}} Italian League XI |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium =
Friendly

|attendance =

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = June 15, 1930

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 3–0|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|Scotland}} Kilmarnock |goals1 = Archie Stark
Alex McNab
Bob McAuley |goals2 = |stadium =
Friendly

|attendance = 5,000

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = February 22, 1931

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 5–2|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|Argentina}} Vélez Sársfield |goals1 = |goals2 = |stadium =
Friendly

|attendance =

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = May 31, 1931

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Fall River F.C. |score = 1–0|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|Scotland}} Celtic |goals1 = Billy Watson |goals2 = |stadium =
Friendly

|attendance = 5,000

|referee = }}

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{{football box | date = July 7, 1946

|team1 = {{flagicon|United States}} Ponta Delgada S.C. |score = 1–0|report= (Report)|team2 = {{flagicon|United States}} Chicago Vikings |goals1 = Ed Souza or John Souza ? |goals2 = McDermott |stadium =
National Challenge Cup final

|attendance = 6,000

|referee = }}

{{reflist}}

Category:Fall River F.C. (1922–1931)

Category:Ponta Delgada S.C.

Category:Defunct soccer venues in the United States

Category:Baseball venues in Rhode Island

Category:Soccer venues in Rhode Island

Category:Buildings and structures in Tiverton, Rhode Island

Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Rhode Island