The St. Catharines Standard

Monday July 25, 1966

St. Catharines Athletics were mathematically eliminated from the Ontario Lacrosse Association senior “A” playoffs Saturday night when they failed to field a team for their scheduled game in Brampton.

Athletics president Jim Lomore said this morning that the Athletics would not play the final six games. “Only seven players reported to Haig Bowl for the trip to Brampton,” said manager Joe McNulty Sunday. “In this hot weather its simply impossible to play an entire game with only one substitute. I had no alternative than to inform the Brampton management that we would be unable to appear.”

The Athletics had won only three games of 18 starts and trailed fourth place Brampton by 13 points when the decision was made to withdraw.

“I contacted O.L.A. secretary Gord Hammond this morning,” said Lomore today. “He realizes the problems we’ve had here and gave us permission to drop out. As far as I know we will not lose our $300 performance bond.”

Although fans haven’t exactly been storming the gates to watch the senior lacrosse team at Haig Bowl, receipts have covered the operating expenses.

“Its just a matter of not having enough players who will play regularly,” said Lomore. “With the exception of a few men, interest among the playing personnel reached an all time low this year.”

Three months ago the Athletics decided not to enter a team in the 1966 schedule but reversed that decision when 20 players signed certificates.

The A’s usually had a fairly full squad for home games but traveled to many out-of-town engagements with only seven or eight players.

Their three victories were registered at Haig Bowl.

THROUGH THE SPORTS GATE

By JACK GATECLIFF, SPORTS EDITOR

The St. Catharines Standard

Tuesday July 26, 1966

With a slight change to the lyrics, the song which was popular some time ago: “What’s The Matter With Kids Today?” could be sung with gusto by the management of St. Catharines two major lacrosse teams this week.

Just “What’s The Matter With Lacrosse Players Today?” is something difficult to pin down.

Is it a general slackening of interest, lack of discipline, no sense of loyalty or just too many other things to do?

Whatever the reason, the once promising lacrosse season here in St. Catharines is starting to look like the Merrittville Speedway after a demolition derby. A shamble is certainly not too strong a term to use.

After struggling through 17 games, the senior Athletics forfeited their 18^th in Brampton Saturday night when only seven players of 20 signed to certificates turned up for the trip.

Ontario Lacrosse Assoication secretary Gord Hammond, who has kept close track of the senior problems here, granted the Athletics permission to drop out of the schedule at this point without losing their $300 bond.

“Jim Lomore (Athletics president) and Joe McNulty (manager) have done everything possible to keep the team going,” said Hammond this week. “They can’t be faulted in any way. The least we can do is let them withdraw as gracefully as possible.”

As lacrosse followers here may recall, it was actually acting against their better judgement when Lomore, McNulty and the 1965 coach Joe Cheevers agreed to reverse their earlier decision to cease operations for the season.

Practices had been called, meetings announced in the press and on radio and barely a ripple of response was shown among the playing personnel.

“Without players we just can’t carry on,” said Lomore at the time. “Its been tough going the past couple of seasons getting enough players out for home games and almost impossible to field a full roster when we are out of town.”

Lomore thus informed the Ontario Lacrosse Association that the A’s would be back.

The Athletics didn’t win many games the first month, in fact two of their three wins this year were accomplished on last second goals by veteran Ted Howe.

But they did have enough men to fill uniforms and generally speaking, made a respectable showing.

The last six weeks, however, have been the 1965 season all over again.

The Athletics actually had two teams. One formed of 14 to 16 players were dressed for home games, the other with only seven or eight, made the road trips. It wasn’t fair to the fans in Brampton, Peterborough or Toronto and even less fair to the loyal group in the double blue jerseys who formed the so-called road squad.

Saturday noon McNulty had the promise of 12 players that they’d make the jaunt to Brampton. This was a game the Athletics had to win. A defeat and they would be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

At 6:30 Saturday evening only six players had turned up and Ted Howe, who operates the family grocery store until 6 o’clock, phoned to say that he would drive to Brampton by himself to help the cause.

“It’s been a long, hot summer,” said McNulty in a short, terse understatement. “I had to give these guys credit for wanting to go to Brampton to fill our commitments, but I figured we’d gone far enough. After all an athlete can only be subjected to so much punishment and to try to play 60 minutes of lacrosse on a humid night with only half a dozen men is ridiculous. I just phoned Brampton and said we couldn’t make it.”

McNulty’s decision was given full backing by Lomore. “Ever since I became president of the team four years ago it’s been run, not by the executive, but by the players,” he said. “Joe (McNulty) and I were just there to give them a hand with the finances and offer advice when requested. When the players lose interest, there’s just no point in going further.”

We are in complete agreement with Lomore’s sentiments. No one makes a dime out of junior or senior lacrosse these days in St. Catharines.

If the players want to play the game strictly for recreation and the enjoyment of competition, all well and good. And if they don’t want to play . . . well that’s all right too. But at their age they certainly should know their own minds. What baffles this writer is why 20 players agreed to sign certificates at the start of the season, but within a matter of weeks that total had dropped to six or seven.

What Lamore didn’t say, but what we’ll say for him is simply this…

In 1966 and for the past three years, senior lacrosse has simply lost its appeal as far as the vast majority of players are concerned in St. Catharines.

The executive of any amateur team is strictly at the mercy of the players. They can’t be bribed to play by offering more money because there simply isn’t any money in the bank account.

If they are begged to play then they end up thinking they’re doing someone (we just don’t know who) a favour for turning out.

In other words they have to want to play the game.

Without that desire, it’s a lost cause before the first game is played. And the complete answer for which Jim Lomore and Joe McNulty are searching, is to cease operations until that desire is rekindled.

It may not occur next year, or even in 1968 or even in five years, but until it does return senior lacrosse is a dead issue in St. Catharines.

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