History of the A's

It's A Hard Rain, A Gonna Fall

THE 1913 GLOBE SHIELD CHAMPION:

ST. CATHARINES ATHLETICS  

BRAMPTON EXCELSIORS  

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THE PROGRAM THAT ATHLETICS WERE TO LOSE TO BRAMPTON WAS CARRIED OUT SATURDAY 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Monday August 11, 1913 

The Athletic Lacrosse team went to Brampton on Saturday and suffered defeat of which it has no reason to feel ashamed.

Accompanied by about 75 supporters, the players, in the midst of a steady rain, left at 10:30 in the morning for Port Dalhousie, where the party boarded the steamer Garden City, leaving shortly after 11 o’clock for Toronto. On the lake passage several of the players felt squeamish and one was quite seasick; but felt better after reaching Toronto at about 2 o’clock. There a special Grand Trunk railway train was waiting at Yonge Street and pulled out at 2:15, and after several stops in the Toronto yards, left West Toronto at 2:27 and did not reach Brampton till nearly 3 o’clock, the time set for the game.

From the Brampton station, the Athletics and their supporters proceeded at once to the grounds where the first display of meanness by the Brampton Lacrosse Club, apparently upheld by the town authorities, was displayed. At the ticket office, those wearing the Athletics colors were changed double the general admission fee of 25 cents. One man who protested was told he would have to pay 75 cents and another was threatened with arrest for disturbing the peace. As there was a great crush at the ticket window, there was no time to make protest to the officials and it would probably have been unavailing considering subsequent happenings. One man who spoke as if with authority was for denying admission to the Athletic players to the Club House.

The Brampton grounds are large and well appointed; and there was a big attendance of spectators, the adult admissions being reckoned at 1,700. The whole town appeared to be out to witness the game. Of course there were many from surrounding towns and villages, and from Toronto.

The line-up of the teams as they appeared on the field, was: 

The officials of the game were: Referee, Frank Doyle; penalty time keeper, James Bailey (sp); time keepers, W. H. Westwood for Athletics, and Thomas Henry for Brampton; goal umpires, Frank Dixon for Athletics and Frank Williams for Brampton.

Play did not start till 3:30 and notwithstanding their weariness, sickness and hunger, the Athletics scored two goals within the first three minutes; but their condition and the conditions against them was such that they were unable to score again during the whole game.

The play continued in favour of the Athletics for a while, McGlashan was the first man to go down in the field, then a Brampton man. After a contest close to goal, Blain was benched for three minutes, next Gayder. Meantime Brampton was putting up a strong defence. The first goal for Brampton after 12 minutes play was made by Charters who immediately laid down. There was great cheering from the crowd.

With varying fortunes, the play went on till McGlashan was hurt on the leg and Campbell was sent off for the usual three minutes. Here Charters showed his sportsmanship when Dr. Chapman suggested a bandage for the leg by shouting, “oh, get a rope.” In a little while A. McGlashan was given a rest.

Then occurred the ruling of referee Doyle that convinced the Athletics that they were slated to lose the game. Mara, a Brampton player during a rush on the Athletic goal was hit and cut. He went down in the net on top of Gayder and Doyle sent the Athletic goal keeper off for 15 minutes; though had not and could not possibly have hit the man. Gayder said Mara had hit his head against the goal post; but it was really another player that hit him in the scrimmage as confirmed afterwards. Doyle acknowledged that he did not see it; but as Gayder was nearest to Mara, he chose him for the penalty. It was said on pretty good authority after the game that an officer of the Association, from Toronto, left the Grand Stand, descended onto the field and told Doyle to put that man off for fifteen minutes. Whether he meant Gayder or the man who actually put a mark on Mara, deponent saith not, but anyway Doyle chose the goal keeper as the most likely man to weaken the Athletic defences. If that was really his purpose, he accomplished it for it not only weakened, but disgusted and disheartened the whole Athletic team.

A policeman in uniform interviewed Gayder, a piece of intimidation in which he had no doubt been instructed. He did it later with McGlashan, taking his name and saying something about five days in jail. Older players were not thus molested.

Sullivan was put in goal and Mara was not able to play for a while, Marriott going off the Athletic side to even up the numbers. In a little while Mara came back and Stevens took a rest in his place, Marriott being given orders not to play till Stevens was ready to come back.

The first quarter ended with the score two to one in favour of the Athletics.

In the second quarter, after three minutes of play, Brampton scored a goal evening the score and there were great acclamations.

While the Athletics were two men short their encouraged opponents continued to score at short intervals until they obtained a commanding lead, the Athletics vainly trying to check the greater number of players and tiring themselves in attempting it. Brampton secured seven goals in this quarter; the Athletics none, the score standing eight to two at five o’clock.

For the third quarter, Stevens and Marriott came on again, but the Athletics were now wearied and disheartened; but they continued to play gamely. It took Brampton ten minutes to score their first goal in this quarter; but they immediately followed with a second; then no more.

It was noticeable that all through the game Athletic players were penalized on the slightest suspicion while plain acts of tripping and fouling by Brampton were unnoticed by the referee, thus Brampton had the advantage of our two men; the double check and men in passing.

In the fourth quarter Brampton scored two more goals; the first in 8 ½ minutes, the second in two minutes. There were several players on both sides penalized. The most serious case in which the referee acted was within five minutes of the close when Charters, who had been heard to say he would “get” Carl, hit him over the head and cut him. Carl was angered and offered to fight and several hot heads rushed in, but the cooler counsel prevailed.

It was nearly 6:30 when the game ended, the score being 12 – 2.

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