Found this little tidbit on the US Soccer website in their US Open Cup section. Did You know: Paterson F.C (N.J.) of the American Soccer League won the 1923 U.S. Open Cup via forfeit after the defending champion St. Louis Scullin Steel of the St. Louis Soccer League decided not to take part in the replay game after the two squads tied 2-2 in the championship final in Harrison, N.J. on April 1, 1923. Ed, I did not know that.
Harrison has a great deal more than just that. See Roger Allaway's essay at http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/hudson.html You'll find that West Hudson AA, of Harrison, was the first team to (arguably) win "the double" in 1912, winning both the American Football Association Cup (the precursor to the US Open Cup, which started in 1914), and the National Association Foot Ball League (often considered the best league in the country at the time, even though its teams were primarily in only 3 states). The Harrison stadium you mentioned, which burned down in 1924, was built in 1914 (for a baseball team in a leauge that folded the next year) and held 20,000.
Also remember the surrounding towns of Jersey City (Celtics) and Kearny (Scots and Irish) were quite successful in the 1930's
For all the crap I get for being a Paterson native from fellow expat Jerseyites, this one stat has made my day.
still successful STILL successful 2003 NJ Amateur Cup Champs Still in the State Cup Sunday 6/8 we play Rochester NY (Italian American Club) in the Sweet 16 of the National Amateur Cup (regional Semi Finals) Kearny Scots still going strong