The leading scorer in the early seasons of the American Soccer League, and a winner of major championships with both Bethlehem Steel and the Fall River Marksmen.
Brittan, who had played professionally for Chelsea and other clubs in his native England before coming to the United States in 1920, won four ASL championships. The first came in 1922 with Bethlehem Steel (which played under the name of Philadelphia FC that season). After that, Fall River owner Sam Mark lured him away, and he was the Marksmen’s leading scorer as they won ASL titles in 1924, 1925 and 1926. He also won U.S. Open Cup titles with Fall River in 1924 and 1927. Brittan was the ASL’s leading scorer in that inaugural season, with 27 goals for Bethlehem. He eventually finished with 135 goals in his seven ASL seasons, making him the league’s No. 8 all-time goalscorer.
Brittan moved from Fall River to New Bedford at the start of the 1926-27 season, but was back with Fall River by the following spring, and scored a goal in the 1927 cup final against Holley Carburetor, as he had done in the 1924 final against Vesper Buick. He retired after the 1927-28 ASL season, although he was part of a group of Fall River businessmen who briefly gained a new ASL franchise for that city in 1931, after the Marksmen had moved.
Inducted in 1951.
