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History of the A's |
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Win or Lose, St. Kitts Loves Their Team |
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ROARING WELCOME TO ATHLETICS
FULLY 8,000 HOWLING LACROSSE FANS GREET HOME TEAM NO CRITICISM ON WEST GAMES CIVIC RECEPTION WAS TENDERED BY MAYOR AND CITIZENS The
St. Catharines Standard Thursday
October 19, 1939 St.
Catharines people staged a “defeat” celebration last night as wild and
as enthusiastic as the victory celebration a year ago when the Athletics
brought home the Canadian senior lacrosse championship. Mayor
Extends Welcome The
words of Mayor Charles Daley typified the attitude of 8,000 revellers,
young and old, which extended a rip-roaring welcome to the lacrosse team.
The mayor in expressing an official civic welcome to the boys said: “St.
Catharines can take the bitter with the sweet.” The
spirit prevailed throughout the entire two-hour reception. The players and
officials dismissed their three-straight defeats at the hands of New
Westminster Adanacs without complaint or criticism. The public forgot the
fact that the Mann Cup remained out west and maintained this city’s
sporting reputation by receiving the players, even in defeat, with open
arms. Although
last year’s victory reception to the Athletics who returned from Toronto
well after midnight was a vociferous jamboree, the welcome last night
paralleled it in attendance and enthusiasm. Noisemakers of all
descriptions, firecrackers, music and songs were jumbled together to let
the home club know that the citizens were glad to have them back. Throngs
At Station More
than a thousand persons were on hand at the C. N. R. station as the train
bringing the 5,700-mile Athletic trek, which started Sept. 30, to an end
rolled into the depot. The Lincoln and Welland regiment band struck up
“Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here” and the crowd roared “welcome
home.” The
players jumped from the train into embraces and handshakes of friends who
pushed through the mob to be among the first to greet them. The
arrival of the players and followers brought a typical western atmosphere
for the majority of the boys wore “ten-gallon” cowboy hats which they
had purchased at various western towns en route to Vancouver. Bob Dunn,
former swimming star, who accompanied the A’s set the style pace wearing
a ten-gallon hat, chaps, and a western shirt, complete with a cartridge
belt. With
brief personal welcomes over, the parade formed on Great Western street
and moved off for the downtown area. The Athletic players, officials, and
followers travelled aboard a decorated truck, while members of the Toronto
Maple Leafs, headed by Manager Connie Smythe, also travelled in a truck at
the head of the parade. The
members of the bantam, midget, juvenile, junior “A” and junior “B”
teams who brought Ontario championships to St. Catharines marched in the
parade to the tune of music provided by the regimental band and the
Collegiate cadet corps band. The parade was led by the 10th
Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery. Youngsters
Admire Players It
was noteworthy that though the truck transporting the Athletics left the
station without any “unofficial” passengers, by the time it completed
the trip through downtown streets, hundreds of youngsters had congregated
in the truck to be beside their favourite heroes of the double-blue club. That
act alone illustrated that in the minds of the younger generation as well
as the older generation the Athletics were still champions. Returning
to Radio Station CKTB where several thousand gathered in a wild, cheering
mob, a civic welcome was extended to the club by Mayor Charles Daley. “We
are proud and happy to receive you home again. While you did not win in
British Columbia you are still the Eastern Canada champions and this
reception here tonight indicates that St. Catharines can take the bitter
with the sweet” the mayor declared. “Many
of us have watched you grow up into a great lacrosse team from the days of
the old corner lot; you are still our boys and we are glad to welcome you
here this evening,” Mayor Daley said on behalf of the citizens. Stimers
Interviews Players Ald.
Rex Stimers, sports commentator, was master of ceremonies of the welcome
program at CKTB. He interviewed the various players, officials and
followers in a radio broadcast and public address system. They
all expressed delight at the thunderous welcome and expressed wonderment
as to what proportions the welcome would have reached if they had brought
the Mann Cup. Indicating the boys are intend on taking back the Mann Cup
from the Adanacs the players issued reminders that there would be another
lacrosse season. As
Secretary-Treasurer Dan Millar observed, the Adanacs and the Athletics are
now tied at three games each when the 1938 and 1939 series are taken into
consideration and he said another series would be required to decide the
champion. The
players were in obvious good spirits, and particularly Roy “Pung”
Morton, speedy Athletic forward, who came home the proud father of a baby
girl in St. Catharines while Morton was in British Columbia. Pandemonium
virtually prevailed in the square at St. Paul and Yates streets. Cheers,
shouting, and music intermingled during the reception, and despite the
congestion the crowd was all in a happy mood. Inspector
Duncan Brown, who directed the police in handling the motor and pedestrian
traffic, reported that there were a greater number of pedestrians
participating in the celebration this year than last year when hundreds of
motor cars followed the team home from Toronto and joined the parade. McDonald
Lauds Citizens After
the players had been interviewed, Bucko McDonald of the Orillia Terriers,
and also a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs was interviewed by Rex
Stimers. McDonald said the reception indicated that “St. Catharines is a
great sport city in victory or defeat.” Leo
“Wiz” Cunningham, coach of the Shamrocks, junior “A” champions,
also congratulated the Athletics and expressed the hope that in coming
years when the present junior champs step into senior lacrosse that they
will prove themselves as great a team as the present senior club. At
the conclusion of the reception, the players and officials dispersed to
their homes and private gatherings after the strenuous 18-day trip.
However, the celebration continued as the revellers paraded and toured
about down town streets singing praises of a great team. |