BMSL 1950-51 season

Nov. 27, 2021 |  Categories:  Baltimore   BMSL  

Prior to the 1950-51 season, the Baltimore Major Soccer League was down to five teams. Antlitz Seafood and Locust Point had combined to form Wroten's Cafe, and Combined Taverns had dropped out. Sugar Radio of Washington, D.C. was supposed to be the sixth BMSL team but did not reorganize for the season. Santa Maria became Conkling P.C. prior to the season.

During the offseason, the BMSL considered a merger with the Pen-Mar League, a competition involving three teams from Cecil County and one from Oxford, Penn. The merger never materialized and the BMSL went ahead with five teams.

Pompei again won the first half winning all four games easily. Parkville Tavern scored a major upset beating Pompei 1-0 in the first game of the second half and held on to win the second-half title. The BMSL title match would have to wait as Pompei was making runs in the Stewart, Rowland, and National Amateur Cups. Pompei managed to repeat as Stewart Cup champions by beating Parkville 2-1 at Clifton Park. Pompei also again won the Rowland Cup but in an odd fashion. Pompei was tied 1-1 in the Rowland Cup final against Wroten's Cafe when the latter club walked off the field following an argument with 10 minutes left in the game. The game was declared a forfeit in Pompei's favor.

Pompei also managed to make a deep run in the National Amateur Cup. After two replays, Pompei managed to beat Kelly Buick to win the Maryland State final and then pulled an upset by beating Lighthouse Boys' Club 2-1 at Philadelphia in the Eastern Quarterfinal. Pompei pulled an even bigger upset on April 8 traveling to Ludlow, Mass. and beating Lusitania S.C. 5-0 in the Eastern Semifinal. But, Pompei's run ended the following week when they lost 6-2 to New York's German-Hungarians at Metropolitan Oval before 2000 fans.

The BMSL championship was originally scheduled to be a two-game total goal series but had to be cut down to a one-game final because the soccer goal posts were to be taken down in Baltimore's public parks just after the first game. After 45 minutes of overtime, Pompei scored the game-winning goal to beat Parkville Tavern 3-2 and take home the BMSL title. As such, Pompei became the first team to win the local treble two years in a row.