In the name of progress, we continue to be reminded about the dangers of franchising in
football, and we continue to be right to stay vigilant against attempts to parachute teams into the
Football League or senior non-league football. The fundamental principle of the entire pyramid
system in England is that, subject to concerns over the health and safety of large crowds,
newly-formed clubs should start at the bottom and work their way up.
In the beginning days of league soccer in Philadelphia, games were almost exclusively played on
Saturday afternoons. Primarily, this was due to the simple fact that players were not professionals
and so had to work for a living. For most players this would mean working in factory jobs in
Philadelphia's textile mills.
