History of the A's

Old Boys Battle Youngsters

THROUGH THE SPORTS GATE 

By JACK GATECLIFF 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Thursday July 24, 1952 

The date was July 23^rd…a paid attendance jammed every corner of the Haig Bowl as St. Catharines laced the Orillia Terriers 21 – 13 to gain undisputed possession of first place in the Ontario Lacrosse Association senior series. 

The year…you probably guessed it, 1938. That season the Garden City club went on to win the Mann Cup and start a string of championships which is still unparalleled in the history of box lacrosse. 

Now fourteen years later, the same team which gained this city Dominion-wide fame on  the lacrosse crease will return to action in an exhibition game at the familiar surroundings of the Haig Bowl. Next Wednesday night, the Athletics of the 1938 – 41 era will meet the 1952 wearers of the double blue. Some may be carrying a little extra weight but you can bet your last dollar that each and every one of those famous Mann Cup champions will be giving with everything they have to show the youngsters that they haven’t lost all that well-known stick-handling, passing and shooting skill. 

The lineup on that night of July 23^rd, 1938 had Bill Whittaker in goal, George Hope, Gus Madsen, Harry Green and Bun Barnard on defence and forwards Billy Wilson, Joe Cheevers, Bill Fitzgerald, Eddie Kelly, Wandy McMahon, George Urquhart, Tank Teather, Roy Morton and Frank Madsen. George Teather and Red Millar were also on the squad and the following year George Coles was added while Walt Coupland served as understudy to the matchless Bill Whittaker. Coach of course was the present OLA president, Art Brown. With the exception of Bill Wilson, now residing in California, all players have been contacted and will be in action next week. 

Only two members of the ’38 St. Catharines team are still playing regularly in present day lacrosse. Bill Whittaker remains one of the best goalies in the sport and Tank Teather has shifted from the forward wall and now plays a solid game of defence. Then of course there is Joe Cheevers coaching the 1952 A’s who on Tuesday night came out of retirement to bolster the blue-shirts in Owen Sound and scored one goal. All three will line up with the “Old Timers” on Wednesday night. 

In scoring during the 1938 season, Bill Isaacs, all-time Indian star with Hamilton Tigers (they were Combines that year) led the loop with 80 goals and 31 assists for 111 points. In second place was Roy Morton of Athletics who scored 73 goals, assisted on 28 others while Bucko McDonald was third with 70 – 20 for 90 points. Other St. Catharines players in the top ten scorers were Bill Wilson, Joe Cheevers, Bill Fitzgerald, and Gus Madsen which pretty well indicates how Athletics monopolized the entire league in 1938. 

In the playoffs that year Athletics met and soundly defeated Cornwall and included in the lineup of the Quebec champions was Jack Buckshott, an Indian star who was murdered last week in Valleyfield. Sid “Red” Wright, who later played with Athletics, also played with Cornwall that year. A’s won the Mann Cup at Maple Leaf Gardens, crushing New Westminster Adanacs in three straight games. 

THROUGH THE SPORTS GATE 

By JACK GATECLIFF 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Tuesday July 29, 1952 

The little man with the furrowed brow sat there wiping the mist from his eyes. Was it possible that it was ten years since he last occupied his favourite seat high up there in the north-east corner of the Haig Bowl bleachers? Yes, it must have been just one decade ago, 1942, that Mimico-Brampton Combines did what some people steadfastly refused to believe would ever happen, eliminated the powerful St. Catharines Athletics and thus ended four straight years of Garden City supremacy in the Ontario and Canadian lacrosse world. 

The little man shuffled unhappily home that evening ten years ago and merely mumbled some unintelligible phrases when friend wife asked the usual question. “How did the Athletics do tonight?” He vowed right then that if this was the end of the greatest era of box lacrosse in St. Catharines history, he would stay at home on those warm summer nights in future and cherish the memory of that great four-year span when Wilson, Cheevers, Fitzgerald, Hope, the Madsens, McMahon, Green, Millar, Kelly, Teather, Whittaker, Barnard, Morton, Urquhart etc. had fractured every available record in the sport. 

Yes, in former years he had just existed during the long winter months, waiting in expectancy for those great nights when thousands trekked to the Haig Bowl every week and all too often, fans were turned away. Now that was all over. The bottom had dropped out of the lacrosse firmament and he was quite content to let others occupy his place in the bleachers. 

His neighbour next door was different. He too was bitterly disappointed when the inevitable happened and Athletics were dethroned but maintained that it was time that several of the older players give way and afford an opportunity for youngsters like Bill Nelson, Bob Melville and Jimmy McMahon to make a place for themselves in the lacrosse sun. 

For ten years the neighbour had persisted in his attempts to re-interest the little man in paying at least one visit to the Haig Bowl. The speed of Max Woolley, the shift of Norm Corcoran and the hard crashing of Bill Nelson were used as inducements but he wouldn’t budge from his pledge to stay home and “live in the past.” 

The neighbour was hoeing his onions late last week when the little man leaned over the hedge and casually asked if he would like a companion for the game next Wednesday night. The enthusiastic “yes” echoed by the neighbour prompted the little man to say, “…and lets get there early so I can get my favourite seat in the north-east corner.” 

What was the reason for this change in heart? Just this…tomorrow night those 1938 – 41 Athletics will make what will probably be their final appearance on a lacrosse crease as a unit. In an attempt to re-interest some of the former lacrosse fans, similar to the little man we were talking about earlier, President George Begy, Publicity Director Jim Lomore and the Athletic directorate have arranged a game between the blue-shirts of a decade ago and the 1952 edition. 

They sincerely believe that if the old time fans come down to the Haig Bowl they will be pleasantly surprised to learn that the younger players also know what the game is all about. Regardless of the outcome, it will stir up interest and give the game of lacrosse in this area another large sized boost. 

With the exception of Bill Wilson, every player has been contacted and it will bring back some vivid memories when those old smoothies like Wandy MaMahon, Joe Cheevers and Roy Morton attempt to serve up some more of those pattern plays and George Hope, Bun Barnard and the Madsens toss those lethal checks at the young 1952 speedsters. Game time is 8:30 and just to settle arguments the two squads will have some accuracy shooting contests. 

1952  SENIOR  A’s  NOSE  VETERAN  BLUES  19 TO 17;  MORTON   TALLIED  SEVEN 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Thursday July 31, 1952 

Memories were lived and re-lived at the Haig Bowl last night as the 1938 – 41 St. Catharines Athletics, rated by most observers as the greatest lacrosse machine in the history of box lacrosse, came out of the past to play against the current edition of the Garden City blue-shirts. After a terrific game which was witnessed by a crowd of well over one thousand boxla lovers, the 1952 Athletics edged the Old Boys 19 – 17. 

Although naturally short on condition, the former greats of the lacrosse world showed both the old and new spectators that they have lost very little of their natural ability. Headed by the cool sharp-shooting of the old lamplighter Roy Morton, the 1938 – 41 squad was not outclassed at any stage of the proceedings. The 1952 A’s led 3 – 1 in the first quarter, the score was tied at 7 – 7 at the half and the Old Boys held a 14 – 12 lead going into the last fifteen minutes. 

As was expected, the legs started giving away slightly in the final moments of the game and the erstwhile Mann Cup champions were out-scored 7 – 3 in that last quarter. The game was sincerely and honestly played throughout with none of the customary tom-foolery which sometimes take place on such an occasion. Play was brisk but clean and officials Marty Cahill and Walt Roberts were not forced to call a single penalty. 

Roy (Pung) Morton, one of the deadliest shots in the history of the game, showed that he has lost very little of that wizardry when he had eight shots, scored on seven of them and also assisted on two other goals. Pacing the present day Athletics was Bill Nelson, himself no stranger around the senior lacrosse circuit, who scored five times. 

With the exception of Billy Wilson, Bun Barnard and Harry Green, all members of the championship era were on hand and played perhaps for the last time as a unit. Famous names like Gus and Frank Madsen, Joe Cheevers, George Hope, Wandy McMahon, George Urquhart, Bill Fitzgerald, Tank Teather, Bill Whittaker, Doug Cove, George Coles and Sid Wright played an amazing brand of lacrosse that was thoroughly appreciated by the spectators. If that was the final act of their unparalleled careers, it will be one that is long remembered by the host of boxla followers in this area. 

Of the 19 players recruited for the occasion, only two are still active. Bill Whittaker of course is still one of the greatest goal-tenders in the province and Tank Teather hands out some lusty checks on defence for the 1952 A’s. Whittaker has seldom been better than he was last night, blocking 32 shots and also showing that he has many good games ahead of him by carrying the ball up the field on some of his old time sortees. 

1938 Athletics – goal, Whittaker; defence, C. Madsen, F, Madsen; rover, Jack McMahon; centre, Cheevers; forwards, Smith, Fitzgerald; alternates, Morton, Cove, Hope, Macdonald, Mackie, Urquhart, Teather, Wright, Coles. 

1952 Athletics – goal, Arnott and Smith; defence, D. Frick, Nelson; rover, A. Frick; centre, Corcoran; forwards, Howe, Teal; alternates, Culp, J. Bradshaw, Martin, Conradi, Jim McMahon, Melville, Moore. 

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Goal stops: by Whittaker (5-6-12-9) 32; by Arnott (5-3) 8; by Smith (7-2) 9

RETURN