1936 National Challenge Cup

The 1936 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. This edition featured the fifth of six consecutive final appearances for Alex McNab's team. The Shamrocks not participating in their local league that year were playing inter city matches with top competition primarily from Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit. One of their only losses during the season was to Heidelberg, eventual Western Final opponents of the Shamrocks. Early in the season Heidelberg took the first game of a three-game set, the second match ended in a draw and McNab's men evened up the series by pulling out a victory in the third game. Both teams eventually made their way to the Western Final, Heidelberg led by the lone scorer for the USA at the 1934 World Cup Aldo Donelli. The Shamrocks with their World Cup veterans including William Lehman, Billy Gonsalves, Werner Nilsen, and Bert Patenaude overcame the Pennsylvanians with a 3-2 aggregate over two games. The final showcased still further US nationals. The Philadelphia German-Americans roster boasted a quartet of their own including Bill Fiedler, Al Harker, Peter Pietras, and Francis Ryan. After a two all draw in the first leg of the final in St. Louis, Philly took home the trophy by blanking the Shamrocks 3–0 in the second leg.

Eastern Division

First round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

March 7 - New York

New York Americans

2

March 22 - New York

Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtic

3

St. Mary's Celtic

4

March 1 - Fall River

Santo Christos

1

Liberal A.C.

0

March 29 - New York

Santo Christo

2

St. Mary's Celtic

2

March 1,8,15 - New York

Brookhattan

1

Brookhattan

9 ^a

March 22 - New York

Brooklyn Hispano

8

Brookhattan

2

February 2 - New York

German Hungarians

0

Hatikvoh

1

April 12, 19

German Hungarians

2

St. Mary's Celtic

0-1

February 23/March 1 - Newark

German-Americans

2-0

Scots Americans

0-2

March 22 - Newark

Trenton Highlanders

0-0

Scots Americans

2

February 2 - Newark

Irish-Americans

0

Irish Americans

2

April 5 - Newark

Newark Germans

1

Scots Americans

0

March 1 - Philadelphia

German-Americans

1

German-Americans

5

March 15 - Philadelphia

Budd AA

0

German-Americans

3

February 16 - Baltimore

Baltimore Canton

2

Baltimore Canton

5

Stonewall Democratic

3

Western Division

First round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

January 19/February 2 - St. Louis

Shamrocks

0-6

March 1 - St. Louis

Hellrung & Grimm

0-1

Shamrocks

4

January 19 - Cleveland

Slavia Bartunek

3

Slavia Bartunek

2

March 22 - St. Louis

Highland Park Chryslers

1

Shamrocks

2

January 12 - St. Louis

Marres

1

Marres

4

March 15 - St. Louis

Burke's Undertakers

2

Marres

6

March 8 - Milwaukee

Vienna IAC

3

Vienna IAC

5

March 29, April 5

Bayern Schlitz

4

Shamrocks

1-2

February 23 - Chicago

Heidelberg

1-1

Sparta Garden City

6

March 1 - Chicago

Ben Millers

0

Sparta Garden City

2

January 19 - Chicago

Olympia

1

Olympia

3

March 22 - Chicago

Maccabee

2

Sparta Garden City

1

February 2 - Pittsburgh

Heidelberg

2

Heidelberg

4

February 23 - Pittsburgh

Curry Silver Tops

0

Heidelberg

4

January 26 - Rochester

Kodak Park

1

Rochester Celtics

0

Kodak Park

4

a) aggregate after three games

Final

First game

April 26, 1936

St. Louis Shamrocks (MO)	2–2	Philadelphia German-Americans (PA)
Nilsen  8', 68' (Patenaude)		Richards  10' Fiedler  89' (Regan)

Walsh Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

Attendance: 3,400

Referee: Mike Boylan

Second game

May 3, 1936

Philadelphia German-Americans (PA)	3–0	St. Louis Shamrocks (MO)
Nemchik  25', 34' Richards  69'

Rifle Club Grounds, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Attendance: 8,000

Referee: Gordon

Sources

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch