The Western Football Association (WFA) was a governing body for soccer in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is often viewed as a precursor organization to the current Canadian Soccer Association. The organization was responsible for facilitating club play in Southern Ontario, and would also send teams to compete internationally, such as Galt F.C.'s participation at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
History
Founded as the Western Football Association of Ontario, the association would grant membership to any amateur association rules football club west of Toronto.[1] Immediately after its founding, the Western Football Association organized the WFA Challenge Cup, where member clubs would compete for the regional championship between 1880 and 1930. Following the dissolution of Toronto's Dominion Football Association in 1881, the WFA became the dominant soccer organization in Canada, and acted as Canada's national soccer association before the formation of the proper Dominion of Canada Football Association (Canada Soccer) in 1912. Because of this status, the WFA created the first ever Canadian national team to represent the country internationally in 1885, where they would go on to play against the United States in the first ever international match outside of the United Kingdom.[a] The WFA would also send their national team on tours in 1888 and 1891 to play friendly matches against various soccer clubs in England, Ireland, and Scotland. In 1904, the WFA was invited to send one of their member clubs to the 1904 Summer Olympicssoccer tournament in St. Louis, where they chose to send eventual gold medalists Galt F.C. to compete with two other clubs from the United States. The Western Soccer Association eventually folded in 1940, and although the reason or reasons behind its dissolution are not entirely clear, it was likely a mix of financial issues, as well as its increased insignificance compared to the Dominion of Canada Football Association and Ontario Soccer Association.[1]
^Similar to Canada, this U.S. team was also organized prior to the creation of the United States Soccer Federation. Because neither team was affiliated with the current national soccer associations, this match is considered unofficial by FIFA for statistical purposes.
^The Pilgrims were a touring team of the following English players: J.D. Barnesdale (Notts Forest), T. Fletcher (Derby County), F.S. Walmsley (Blackburn Etrurians), J.E. Raine (Sheffield United), C.W. Storey (Leeds City), W.H. Nuttall (Blackburn Etrurians), J. Bryning (Northern Nomads), C. Coopland (Sheffield United), Sir Charles Kirkpatrick (Surrey), E.A. Milton (Sheffield Wycliffe), F.O. Wright (Notts Magdala), F.H. Milnes (Sheffield United).[3]
