The Labor Sports Union in the Pennsylvania coal fields.

‘Soccer Season Opens Amongst Young Miners’ from Young Worker. Vol. 9 No. 22. October 9, 1931.

PITTSBURGH. The 1st games of the season have been successfully played last Sunday by the West Washington Soccer League of the Labor Sports Union. The season’s opening games were Avella A.C. vs. Prior A.C.; Donohue vs. Penowa, and Atlasburg vs. Cedar Grove.

The games were exciting for the opening ones of the season. At Atlasburg they played Cedar Grove a tight game, resulting in a tie score, 0-0. The game was filled with excitement and the tie was nearly broken by several penalty kicks which were just stopped by a lucky break.

The other games were much easier victories and resulted in quite different scores. Donohue Red Jackets 10 vs. Penowa A.C. 0; and Avella A.C. 10 vs. Prior A.C. 0.

These were the first games of the season and are not especially a sign of the strength of the teams. Penowa and Prior are busy practising and next week will show different results.

All Young Miners

These teams consist entirely of young miners, regardless of union or any other affiliation. However, they understand that the Labor Sports Union is the organization which is fighting to give the miners and other workers sports for workers under workers’ control.

Here in West Washington county of Pennsylvania the young miners who are working are making no money at all, and can barely keep their body and soul together. They realized the dirty work that the organization does here. They realize that the United States Football Association does not want sport for workers, but is trying to build star teams. The organizations of the United States Football Association are charging high for their fees and other fees, and are thus keeping the young workers out of sports. The US Football Association is controlled by the operators of the mines, enemies of the miners.

The Labor Sports Union in the Pittsburgh District is also calling a preliminary basketball conference at Room 510, 611 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. There are many basketball teams in the steel towns and also in Pittsburgh. All teams that want to play in a real amateur Workers’ League are invited to the conference.

Workers in the Pittsburgh area who want to play soccer with a real amateur soccer league, or take part in any other sports regardless of what union they are members, should write to the Labor Sports Union, Room 510, 611 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa., and hook up. with a real amateur workers’ sports movement.

The soccer schedules are as follows:

SCHEDULE

Allegheny County Soccer League affiliated to the Labor Sports Union of America.

OCTOBER 18, 1931

Hungry 11 vs. Bridgeville W.W. at Bridgeville Field.
Hill A.C. v. Carnegie Vagabonds at Pittsburgh.

OCTOBER 85, 1931

Hungry 11 vs Carnegie Vagabonds. at Bridgeport Field.
Hill A.C. vs Piney Fork Beach at Piney Fork Beach–Library. Pa.

NOVEMBER 1, 1931

Carnegie Vagabonds vs. Piney Fork Beach ay Carnagie.
Hill A.C. vs. Bridgeville White Wings at Pittsburgh.

West Washington Soccer League affiliated to the Labor Sports Union of America.

OCTOBER 11, 1931

Prior A.C. at Slovan Eagles.
Donohue at Avells A.C.
Penows A.C. at Cedar Grove W.C.

OCTOBER 18, 1931

Slovan E. at Avella.
Prior A.C. at Penowa A.C.
Cedar Grove W.C. at Donohue R.J.

OCTOBER 25, 1931

Penowa A.C. at Slovan E.
Avella A.C. at Cedar Grove W.C.
Prior A.C. at Donohue R.J.

NOVEMBER 1, 1931

Donohue R.J. at Slovan E.
Avella A.C. at Penowa A.C.
Cedar Grove W.C. at Prior A.C.

NOVEMBER 3, 1931

Cedar Grove W.C. at Slovan E.
Prior A.C. at Avella A.C.
Penowa A.C. at Donohue R.J.

NOVEMBER 15, 1931

Slovan E. at Prior A.C.
Avella A.C. at Donohue R.J.
Cedar Grove W.C. at Penowa A.C.

NOVEMBER 22, 1931

Avella A.C. at Slovan E.
Penowa A.C. at Prior A.O.
Donohue R.J. at Cedar Grove W.C.

NOVEMBER 29, 1931

Slovan E. at Penowa A.C.
Cedar Grove W.C. at Avella A.C.
Donohue R.J. at Prior A.C.

DECEMBER 6, 1931

Sloran E. at Donohue R.J.
Penowa A.C. at Avella A.C.
Prior A.C. at Cedar Grove W.C.

Note: Referees’ reports must be sent in on the day of the game to the District Office, Room 510, 611 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Young Worker was produced by the Young Workers League of America beginning in 1922. The name of the Workers Party youth league followed the name of the adult party, changing to the Young Workers (Communist) League when the Workers Party became the Workers (Communist) Party in 1926. The journal was published monthly in Chicago and continued until 1927. Editors included Oliver Carlson, Martin Abern, Max Schachtman, Nat Kaplan, and Harry Gannes.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/youngworker/v09%20n17%20-%2031%20Young%20Worker%201931%20July%20Dec.pdf