BAINBRIDGE, WA—How far does soccer go back in Kitsap County? Pretty much as far as it does for the rest of the US, brought over from England by workers who then formed factory teams.
One club does stand out for west sound in the early going of teams in the region: Port Blakely. As early as 1906 they were hosting Seattle Wanderers (and winning, 1-0) on the island.
Long before there was ever a “PO,” There was a “PB.”
Port Blakely Saw Mill attracted workers from overseas. The mill at one time in the late 1800’s boasted itself as “the largest saw mill in the world under one roof.”
Nova Scotia sea captain William Renton started the mill in 1864 at Blakely Harbor. It burned down and was rebuilt, and as World War I approached became an important part of the shipbuilding efforts.
By 1900, 20 percent of the state population was foreign-born, over half from northern Europe, where association football had taken root… (WASoccerLegends.org)
In his research, writer Emmett O’Connell shares that early soccer in Kitsap and Puget Sound was a strictly adult affair. “Junior” teams took decades to arrive on the scene. It was mainly groups of immigrant workers organizing factory teams.
Washington Soccer Legends has an excellent archive of the sport in our state, including bits on Port Blakely, which competed in the Northwestern Association Football League which was founded in 1910. Previously Port Blakely had competed in the Northwest Senior League, founded in 1905.
Today Blakely Harbor Park remains where the mill once thrived. But the soccer connections continue in a full circle. Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei chose Blakely Harbor as the landing spot for building his family home.
The remnants of the mill have more recently become a place for graffiti artists to display their skills. A 1907 cement building that once housed a power generator for the mill is covered in colorful paint.
These days soccer thrives on Bainbridge Island with Bainbridge Island FC and successful high school programs.
