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Scottish-American footballer (1894-1986)
Posted on Sept. 26, 2025, 1:45 p.m. | Categories: ASLBouncing back to the inaugural 1921-22 American Soccer League season, I started doing research on the player rosters for that year. I’m using Colin Jose’s seminal “American Soccer League, 1921-1931: The Golden Years of American Soccer” as my starting point.
The first team I’m working on is the Fall River United that only lasted that one season. Jose lists on of their players as “McLaughlin” with no first name. He only played in the ASL for that one season per Jose. Last names are a tricky thing when it comes to newspaper reports in the early 20th century as reporters were usually transcribing what they heard aurally into the written word.
Scanning that year’s results, the Fall River United player was usually referred to a “McLoughlin”. Digging a bit more I found that “McLoughlin” was specifically targeted by Fall River United as one of their big offseason signings. He was immigrating from Scotland to the U.S. to specifically play for Fall River.
An article from the Fall River Globe, notes that “McLoughlin” was an outside forward who was joining Fall River United at the suggestion of Timmoney, another player on the team. Prior to immigrating to the U.S., “McLoughlin” had played for Peters Hill F.C. and Strathclyde F.C. in Scotland.
A bit more research uncovered that the player's name was actually Angus MacLachlan. He arrived at Ellis Island on 24 October, 1921 aboard the S.S. Assyria which sailed from Glasgow, Scotland.
Born on 9 December, 1894 in the Partick district of Glasgow, Angus MacLachlan was an engineer by trade who lived in the Whiteinch district of Glasgow prior to sailing to the U.S. to play soccer for Fall River United. The passenger list shows that MacLachlan was joining his “friend” Hugh Weir, another player on Fall River United.
Listed at just 5’5” tall, MacLachlan made his debut on American soil less than a week after arriving in a 2-1 loss to New York F.C. before 2000 at the Fall River Athletic Grounds on 29 October, 1921. Fall River United then went on the road and lost 6-2 to eventual league champion Todd Shipyards F.C. at Todd Field in Brooklyn, N.Y. before 3000 attendees. MacLachlan started both games at outside right for Fall River United.
Angus MacLachlan would go on to play eight league matches and one National Challenge Cup match for Fall River United. But he was unable to score a goal in either league or cup play. MacLachlan did score a goal in a Washington’s Birthday friendly against Fore River F.C. of Quincy, Mass. in a 5-0 home win on 22 February, 1922.
Fall River United limped through the ASL season and finished next to last in the 1921-22 table. The team would fold during the offseason. Connie Lynch. former Fall River United player-manager, moved to Maryland to become coach and captain of Baltimore S.C. of the Southeastern Soccer League. Angus MacLachlan was reported to be one of the group of players that Lynch was planning to bring with him to Baltimore.
MacLachlan would eventually marry and move to Jersey City to find work as an auto mechanic. Angus and his wife, Madeline, would soon move to the Bronx, N.Y. with Angus finding work as a machinist. The couple would live the rest of their lives there. Angus MacLachlan passed away in August of 1986 at the age of 91.
Last modified on Sept. 26, 2025, 1:47 p.m.