Where to Watch Soccer in Boston

Bar/Venue	Address	City	ST	Zip	Phone
The Banshee	934 Dorchester Ave	Dorchester	MA	02125	617-436-9747
One of if not the best soccer bar in Boston!
Black Rose	224 Market Street	Brighton	MA	02135	617-787-5427
Champions Sports Bar	42 Province Street	Boston	MA	02108	617-426-3333
Common Ground	20 Park Plz # 633	Boston	MA		617 482-8660
Emmet’s Pub	512 Massachusetts Avenue	Cambridge	MA	02139	617-576-6260
Field Pub	42 Province Street	Boston	MA	02108	617-426-3333
Harp, The	131 State Street	Boston	MA	02109	617-725-0100
Irish Embassy	234 Friend St	Boston	MA		617 742-6618
Irish Village (Brighton)	1316 Commenwealth Ave	Brighton	MA	02134	617-566-6669
Kennedys Midtown	2 Center Plaza, Government Center	Boston	MA	02108	617 742-5577
Kinsale	20 Prospect St.	Cambridge	MA	02139	617-354-7345
Kinvara Pub	356 Chestnut Hill Avenue	Brighton	MA	02135	617-566-1880
Kitty O’Sheas	160 State Street	Boston	MA	02109	617-742-2286
Lir Pub	338 Washington Street	Brighton	MA	02135	617-254-3300
McGann’s	85 Causeway St	Boston	MA	02114	617-742-1010
MJ O’Connors	903 Boylston Street	Boston	MA	02115	617-778-0089
Paddy Burke’s	132 Portland Street	Boston	MA		617 367-8370
Phoenix Landing, The	34 Harvard Avenue	Allston	MA	02134	617-783-9400
Porterbelly’s	20 Prospect St.	Cambridge	MA	02139	617-354-7345
Roggie’s / Boston	512 Massachusetts Avenue	Cambridge	MA	02139	617-576-6260
Roggie’s Brew & Grille	356 Chestnut Hill Ave	Boston	MA		617 566-1880
The Overdraught	877 Cambridge Street	Boston	MA		617 868-3221
The Plough & Stars	912 Massachusetts Ave	Boston	MA		617 441-3455
Tonic Bar	6B Beacon	Boston	MA	02108	617 742 8565

Watching Soccer in Boston

Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz once described Boston as “having three quarters of everything New York does,” but with “three quarters less hassle”. The comment while boastful, rings true for the almost 600,000 residents who claim this vibrant city as their own. Nowhere else can one enjoy such a rich appreciation for history coupled with a modern take on everything from food to architecture.

The largest city in New England, Boston has been referred to as “America’s Walking City,” one where visitors can follow the Freedom Trail, stroll the back alleys on historic Beacon Hill, or take in the cosmopolitan scene of Newbury Street. Check out the North End for Italian festivals, the South End for the legendary St. Patrick’s Day Parade, or roasting peanuts on Yawkey Way as Red Sox faithful make their way into Fenway Park.

Boston is very much a sports town, some would say THE sports town, with a sense of history and tradition matching that of the region’s colorful past. The city features franchises in each of the country’s four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) each league retaining a local team having won championship trophies at one point or another.   The city comes to a stop in the Spring when the Boston Marathon takes over the city, while the Fall features the Head of the Charles, the largest two-day crew (rowing) race in the world that draws thousands of visitors and competitors to the shores of the Charles River. Names such as Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, Ted Williams, and Ray Bourque are spoken with reverence at the nearly one thousand bars, taverns, and pubs that dot the city.

But don’t expect to stay up late enjoying such conversations. Unlike other major cities, Boston goes to sleep at a much earlier hour, the clubs, bars, and other late-night attractions closing down before 2:00AM. The MBTA ends the subway service at 12:30am, a good stretch before last call, although recent efforts have been made to maintain a “Night Owl” bus service that effectively runs the same routes as the subway and trolley lines.

The saying goes “the past is all around us,” and never more the case when examining the history of soccer in both Boston and the New England region. Tucked away in a corner of Boston Common lies a rather unassuming plaque dedicated to the Oneida Football Club. Founded in 1862, the Club is considered to be the first soccer club in the country to consist of a true roster: regular players from respected secondary schools such as Boston Latin, Boston English, and others. The club would arrange matches with local college teams, often dominating them over the course of the clubs’ existence. English tourists sporting club wear from clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham would be genuinely surprised that Oneida F.C. was the first organized soccer club created outside of England, predating the establishment of the English F.A., as well as major international clubs including Juventus, Celtic, and Real Madrid.

While the establishment of the game initially took root in competition between colleges and local students, the real evolution took place in the working-class communities. It was the Irish, Italian, and Portuguese communities who particularly adopted the game. This was after their more patrician neighbors saw their interest shift to Rugby and early incarnations of American rules football.

Interest and organization grew rapidly from the 1870’s through the early 1920’s as clubs sprung up to accommodate the ever increasing number of players, and with money soon flowing into the game in terms of sponsorship, local and regional leagues formed to compete for them. Organized games spread throughout the industrial cities of the Northeast, areas where the game took up strong footholds.

The American Cup, the first National Championship, included clubs from the American Football Association, won numerous times by any number of clubs from the “golden triangle” of Fall River, MA, Pawtucket, R.I., and New Bedford, MA, Fall River Rovers and Pawtucket Olympics winning multiple titles. These clubs and others were also member organizations in the Southern New England Soccer League, Rovers being particularly strong in winning the U.S. Open Cup twice in 1916 and 1917 with wins over Bethlehem Steel.

The Fall River Marksman won three consecutive American Soccer League (established in 1921) championships from 1923-1926, and again in 1929 & 1930. The Marksmen also won the U.S. Open Cup, while the National Amateur Cup also found a home in the region with clubs such as Fall River Defenders, and Hudson Essex. These teams (especially those in the ASL) were popular and well supported. Crowds of over 10,000 were not uncommon.

Great clubs require great players, and the New England regions produced them in spades. Billy Gonsalves, Bert Patenaude, Tom Florie, and Andy Ault were each members of the United States’ 1930 World Cup squad, all having played the bulk of their professional careers in New England.

Unfortunately the ASL only lasted through 1932, and from then on through the late 1950’s the local game suffered an extended period of decline. The onset of the depression brought economic hardship that drew both attention and resources away from the game, and for a period of almost thirty years the game survived in fits and starts through semi-pro leagues and local amateur competition. Ludlow Lusitano was the dominant club of the time and is still in existence to this day.

Efforts at the professional game were made; with a second ASL formed and operated, but not nearly with the same measure of success or interest. The Boston Celtics were a long-running team in the region, as were the Providence Clam diggers. In 1964 the Boston Metros joined the league, placing second to Ukrainian Nationals of Philadelphia. The Boston Tigers followed in 1965, playing through 1967 when two new leagues: the United Soccer Association (USA) and the NPSL, the latter eventually becoming the NASL, began.

FIFA recognition was offered however to only one, yet the other received the benefit of a TV contract. Interesting enough the Boston Rovers, a USA club, were actually Shamrock Rovers in disguise, the Irish club playing under the name during their off-season. With such Byzantine rules and losses mounting, both leagues merged to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), with the Boston franchise becoming the Boston Beacons. Success was not forthcoming however, and the club folded. The ASL continued on, and clubs such as the Boston Astros found both longevity and success, playing from 1969-1975 where they finished tied as league champions in 75 after tying New York Apollo in a 2-leg series.

First Division soccer returned in 1974 when Boston returned to the NASL with the Boston Minutemen. Team members John Coyen and Ade Coker were amongst the league scoring leaders when they won the Northeast Division in 1974 & 1975. Unfortunately the results didn’t last and with that, neither did support. The team folded in 1976, and New England would not see a league contender until major expansion within the NASL led to the founding of the New England Tea Men in 1978.

The Tea Men averaged almost 12,000 fans, featured a league-leading scorer in Englishman Mike Flanagan (30 goals/68 points in only 28 games), and played an exciting and entertaining brand of soccer, but as has historically been the case with the professional game in the region, even this early success didn’t last. The club lost its good form, fans stayed away, and the club relocated to Jacksonville, FL.

The third ASL was formed in 1988 with Boston once again providing a team in the Boston Bolts which lasted only a few years before the league merged with the Western Soccer Alliance thereby forming the APSL in 1990 which eventually became the A-League (2nd Division).

Starting in 1995 with the announcement that New England would be a founding franchise in Major League Soccer (1st Division), professional & semi-pro soccer returned to the region with a flourish. The Boston Bulldogs were established in 1999 as an A-League club after having moved from Worcester, with D3 Pro (3rd Division) and Premier Development League clubs forming from New Hampshire to Rhode Island. The women’s professional game also saw continued development in New England, as both the WUSA’s Boston Breakers, and the W-League’s Boston Renegades carved their own niche in the regional soccer landscape.

Boston has a lot of options for a football fans looking to grab a bite or lift a pint, and some say you’ll find more real Irish bars in Boston then you’ll find in Dublin.

The Overdraught in Cambridge is the bar of choice for the two largest Revolution supporters groups and was a popular and well-publicized venue for American fans during the 2002 World Cup. It’s an inviting and low-key pub with a diverse menu that features everything from a great Black Angus burger, to fried pickles with horseradish sauce. Prices are excellent and the portions large. The excellent locally brewed Tremont Ale is offered through their state-of-the-art, 24 tap draught beer system, with pub owners showing most if not all Revolution and U.S. National matches on their big screen TV. Located at 877 Cambridge Street, in Cambridge, is open Monday through Saturday, from 11:30 to 1 a.m., and Sunday, from 11:00 to 1 a.m.

Paddy Burke’s shares its name with a similar establishment in Galway (Ireland), with the Boston version often packed with U.S. supporters the evening before most major international matches. It’s located in a unique, four-story building tucked between Portland and Lancaster streets and just two blocks from T Stations on both the Green (North Station) and Orange (Haymarket) Lines. There are bars on all four floors. The low ceilings, warm colors, and live music create an atmosphere that is both lively and cozy. Located at 132 Portland Street, in Boston. 617-367-8370

You can also catch live English Premiership matches in and around Boston including the Irish Embassy in Boston (where one can get a great, artery-clogging Irish breakfast), Common Ground in Allston, Roggie’s in Brighton, and The Plough & Stars in Cambridge.