April 18, 2008
The Massachusetts Amateur Soccer Association held a special Ceremony to commemorate Adelino Gonsalves 100th Anniversary. “Billy” as he was popularly known, was inducted into the MASS Soccer Hall of Fame on March 31, 2008.
USASA Chairman Brooks McCormick had the honor to award Mr. Gonsalves’ Niece, Judy Gonsalves Mitchell, who was accompanied by her Husband John Mitchell, Former Mayor of Fall River, MA., a City located in the historic Southcoast region of Massachusetts. Also present in the Ceremony were Pasquale Puleo, Former President of MASS Soccer, and Mario Santos, President of NELASA, New England Luso-American Soccer League.
"As a player, Adelino set an example: love the sport but remain loyal to your family" said Puleo. "Ms. Gonsalves shared how her uncle Billy was warm, kind, and humble regardless of his excellence on the soccer field."
Adelino is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame – Class of 1950. He was born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1908.
Left to Right: USASA Chairman - Brooks McCormick, Judy Gonsalves Mitchell, John Mitchell, and Pasquale Puleo.
Biography
Gonsalves was registered in nearby Fall River, Massachusetts where his parents lived. Known to everyone as "Billy" he began his career with the Pioneer, Charlton Mill and Liberal clubs of Fall River.
Then in 1927 he moved to the Boston area, where he led the semi-professional Lusitania Recreation club of Cambridge, to the Boston and District championship. This resulted in a professional contract with the Boston Wonder Workers of the American Soccer League and national acclaim as the finest American born player of his or any other day.
Gonsalves was a big man with tremendous shooting power and he quickly made his presence felt in a Boston team full of experienced Scottish professionals.
After two seasons in the Hub, Gonsalves went home to Fall River where he teamed with another local product, Bert Patenaude, in one of the greatest American club teams of all time. Gonsalves and Patenaude also played in the highly successful U.S. World Cup team of 1930 and led Fall River to the U.S. Open Cup championships of 1930 and 1931.
In 1932 Gonsalves moved on to play for New Bedford Whalers, then onto the St. Louis clubs Stix, Baer and Fuller and Central Breweries, in each case leading them to the national championship. In the process he won six national championship medals in a row. In 1934 he played in his second World Cup, this time he was playing a central midfielder.
In 1936 and 1937, as a member of the St. Louis Shamrocks his team reached the final again, only this time he finished on the losing side. He missed the final of 1938, but in the spring of 1939 found Billy in the final one more time, and again he was on the losing side as a member of the Chicago Manhattan Beer team that was beaten by Brooklyn St. Mary Celtic.
During World War II, he played for Brooklyn Hispano winning two more Open Cup medals in 1943 and 1944, bringing his total count of winners medal count to a record eight.
Adelino passed away on July 17, 1977 in Kearny, NJ.
