Archie Stark

Youth and early career

Although Stark and his brother Tommy Stark were born in Scotland, they moved to the United States when Archie was thirteen years old. His family settled in Hudson County, New Jersey, where Stark immediately began his organized soccer career with the West Hudson Juniors. For a player who made his name as a forward, Stark began as a defender with the Juniors. Stark turned professional a year later when he signed with the Scottish-Americans of the National Association Football League for the 1912–1913 season. At the time, he was only fourteen. He remained with the Scottish-Americans for four seasons. In 1915, the Scottish-Americans won the 1915 American Cup, defeating Brooklyn Celtic 1–0 on a Stark goal. The next season, the team lost the AFA championship game when Bethlehem Steel F.C. crushed them 3–0. At the end of the 1915–1916 season, Stark moved to the Bayonne, New Jersey–based Babcock & Wilcox club. In 1917, the U.S. entered World War I, and Stark joined the U.S. Army, which briefly interrupting his career. During the war, Stark served in France.

Post-war resurgence

When he returned to the U.S. in 1919, he joined Paterson F.C., which went to the 1919 National Challenge Cup final, losing to Bethlehem Steel 2–0. Following the cup, Stark joined Bethlehem for the team's August 10, 1919, to September 24, 1919, tour of Sweden and Denmark. On that tour, Bethlehem went 6–2–6 (W-L-T). Stark then moved to Kearny, New Jersey, club Erie A.A.…

Stark earned only two caps with the U.S. national team, both in games against Canada in 1925. His first cap came in a 1–0 loss to Canada in Quebec in June. In November, Canada came to the U.S. for a game; Stark scored five goals as the U.S. easily dispatched its northern neighbors 6–1. While Stark received an invitation to play on the national team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup, he declined the invitation for business reasons. In 1950, Stark was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.