Paterson True Blues FC, founded in 1887, was the first team from Paterson N.J. to win three American Football Association Challenge Cups, the national soccer club tournament competition in the US prior to the formation of the U.S. Open Cup.

The American Cup, which ran from 1884-1924, saw the True Blues competing for the first time in the 1892-93 edition.  In the following tournament (1893-94), the Paterson side advanced to the finals, however lost to the two-time champion Fall River Olympics of Massachusetts.

True Blues claimed the national title for the first time on 18 April 1896 as it ended Olympics chance of a third overall crown with a 7:2 victory in the final at East Newark. James Oldfield & Robert Spencer scored two goals each in the championship finale for the Paterson club.

True Blues, who also competed 21 seasons in the National Association Foot Ball League (NAFBL) and were the first club to capture consecutive championships (1897-98 and 1898-99), would lose the 1897 American Cup Final to Philadelphia’s Manz.

It would be three years later (1909) that the Paterson side would win another American Cup as it topped East Newark Clark AA (Clark Athletic Association) in a two-game final series on aggregate, 3:2, at the Harrison Oval.  Following a 1:1 draw in the first game on 18 April 1909, a crowd of 10,000 witnessed Steve Fletcher notching the game-winner for the True Blues’ in a 2:1 triumph in the second encounter on 2 May.

After finishing runners-up to West Hudson Athletic Association in 1906 and 1908, respectively, the Paterson side lifted the trophy for a third time in its history in 1913 by defeating Philadelphia Tacony Disston Athletic Association FC after two replay games. 

With the 1913 American Cup Finale opening game ending in a 2:2 tie in Philadelphia on 12 April, a replay encounter took place six days in the same venue, however it also finished in a stalemate, 1:1.  Therefore, a second replay match was held at Morris Park in New Jersey on 27 April. That match would decide the champion, and 5,000 fans saw the second half tallies from Alex Lowe & Jack Nielson give True Blues a 2:1 victory.

Below are some photographs of the Paterson True Blues.