Football World Championship 1912
The AAAFL champion Baltimore Bannerets traveled to Brussels, Belgium, to take part in the Football World Championship. After an upset of German champion Holstein Kiel in the opening game, the Bannerets only needed a draw against Swedish champion AIK. The boys from Baltimore gave up two early first half goals, but fought back to tie the game with goals in 72’ by Nathaniel Bailey and in the 83’ by AAAFL Golden Booter John Stevenson.
In the semifinals, the Bannerets were paired with French champion Saint-Raphael, who only advanced from the deadlocked Group B after drawing lots against Dutch champion Sparta. There was no doubt in the semi-final as the French had no answer for the speed and strength of Stevenson. The Golden Booter recorded a hat trick of headball goals to secure the 3:1 victory.
The final pitted the Bannerets against the English champion, Blackburn Rovers, who had eked out a 4:3 victory over the Spanish champion Barcelona in the other final. It was a brutal game, and the English side strove to put Stevenson out of commission. Blackburn racked up five yellow cards in the first half – all from fouls committed on Stevenson. Still, Stevenson could not be stopped as he netted two goals in the first half. After a 2:2 halftime score, Baltimore pulled ahead as the English focus on Stevenson twice allowed Bailey to find gaps in the Blackburn defense.
The Rovers did not give up and drew even once again at 4. However, more fouls committed on Stevenson led to the ejection of both Blackburn defenders. The undermanned English could not Baltimore from slotting in the gamewinner at 80’, this time Stevenson playing a brilliant throughball to Jonathan Howe. With the victory, the Baltimore Bannerets became the first American team since their archrivals Baltimore Chimney Swifts did it in 1906.
