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History of the A's |
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The C. L. A. Returns, But Will The Athletics? |
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NOW
FOR BIG MEETING GATHERING
TO COMPLETE
ORGANIZATION OF
LACROSSE TEAM
SHOULD BE
WELL ATTENDED The
Daily Standard Monday
April 29, 1907 Brighter
still grows the outlook for a St. Catharines senior lacrosse team. The
formation of a likely bunch of championship defenders is meeting with
greater success. A goodly lot is already available and the prospects of
increasing the number are very favorable. The
players have unanimously adopted a purely co-operative system. All that is
now required is the support of the public. A large and representative
meeting on Tuesday will go a long way to demonstrating the appreciation of
the citizens. The players are generously offering their services to the
public; it remains now for the citizens to show their approval. The boys
are displaying the spirit that is deserving of undivided support; they are
confident of their ability to hold their own against all contestants for
the Globe Shield that was brought here at such effort and expense. The
meeting tomorrow night will be held in the council chamber, City Building,
for the purpose of electing officers and to formulate a plan for the
preliminary equipping of a team. The hour of the meeting is 8 o’clock;
every person is welcome. The local future of the game depends on this
gathering. By your presence you will be lending a hand towards
perpetuating the national game. Attend tomorrow night and attend early. THE
LACROSSE MEETING TONIGHT The
Daily Standard Tuesday
April 30, 1907 The
Council Chamber, City buildings, will be thrown open tonight for a grand
rally of those who desire to see a senior lacrosse team in St. Catharines
this year. A strong aggregation is in sight, composed of players who have
pledged their services on a purely co-operative basis., an act most
credible to themselves and fortunate for the public. With
evidence of hearty support ahead, a delegate can be sent to Toronto
Thursday night to join with the Toronto Iroquois, Hamilton, Brantford and
Buffalo representatives in forming a schedule of games to decide the
championship of the association and to determine the location of the
handsome trophy for another year. Crowd
the hall tonight. SENIOR
LACROSSE REVIVED; MEETING WAS ENTHUSIASTIC OFFICERS
HAVE
BEEN
ELECTED
AND
DELEGATES
APPOINTED
TO ATTEND
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
MEETING MANY
PLAYERS
PRESENT
AND
EVERYTHING
NOW
LOOKS
VERY
BRIGHT The
Daily Standard Wednesday
May 1, 1907 Bubbling
over with enthusiasm that could not be anything but the heartiest and most
co-operative, the lacrosse enthusiasts turned out in large numbers to the
Council Chambers on Tuesday night, when the problem which was to finally
decide whether St. Kitts would be represented as formerly in the C. L. A.
was thoroughly discussed. Since
the refusal of the players to act under the new management the question
was a matter of no small moment to the lacrossists of the Garden City and
the players made the first welcome move when it was decided to run the
Athletics on a co-operative basis. And the enthusiasm at last evening’s
meeting was unbounded. John Dawson occupied the chair with W. A. Moore as
secretary, pro tem. Mr. Dawson explained this year’s doings as far as
the C. L. A. was concerned and how much time had been lost by the boys not
altogether fancying the primary idea. Co-operation was the theme of the
Chairman’s remarks and it was forcibly expressed just how very necessary
it was for the hearty co-operation of the lacrosse loving residents of the
city if such a first class team could be supported. Ex-secretary
Jos. Timmons then spoke on glowing terms of the team’s chances compared
with the other teams, Tecumsehs and Torontos having secured all the good
men and left the Iroquois with the balance to choose from and what they
could do would not make any great difference. Brantford could not do
anything better than resurrect a few “dead ones” while Buffalo was not
to be considered a factor in the championship running. As for Hamilton,
the Ambitious City would secure some kind of a team, but just what class would
be a matter of time only. The question was then fully discussed in open by
prominent supporters who spoke in vary favorable terms, promising to aid
financially as well as otherwise. The
following officers were elected:
W.
Arthur Moore and Harold Phelps were elected to attend the meeting of the
Senior C. L. A. management committee in Toronto. Everything
looks particularly bright for the game this year. The following players
were at the meeting last night and all signified their eagerness to play
with the Athletics; Kervin, Hagan, Parke, Harris, McLeod, Brown,
O’Neill, Fitzgerald, Aubron, Collins, Bradt, Stivens, Dixon, Mack, W.
Beatts of the Souris, Charlie (Red) Gibbons of the Winnipeg Shamrocks and
Albert (Ditch) Gillis of the Winnipeg Shamrocks. SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Wednesday
May 1, 1907 The
Toronto Telegram says:
“Hamilton is none too well pleased that St. Kitts should back into the
game and spoil a schedule that is very much to the Ambitious City’s
liking. But St. Kitts are not in yet. They can only be admitted by a
majority vote of the senior committee of management, which meets Tuesday
night. Hamilton has one vote, Buffalo has another, and both will likely go
against St. Kitts admission. This will leave the deciding vote and thus
the admission of St. Kitts in the hands of President Harry Cameron. What
will Harry do? In
the meantime, St. Kitts have not yet fully decided whether or not they
want a team in the series. It all depends on the amount of money
subscribed. ‘Hoping against hope’ is said to be an exact description
of Uncle Hagan today. For Uncle Hagan and George Parke are the men behind
the gun in this latest lacrosse campaign at the home of the Canadian
Henley. And
perhaps it might be well to consider what the Old Boys have to offer
before breaking up a good combination to take in the tardy ones. Hagan,
Harris, Parke and Tufford and perhaps – with a big “P” – Elliott
and Lowe. That is a very small part of a team and is simply those lacrosse
players who are so situated that they cannot get away from St. Kitts. It
is a pretty sure thing that if Lowe plays at all it will be with the
Torontos, while Elliott will give mighty little of his time to lacrosse
this season. Thus the St. Kitts team this year would be made up of Hagan,
Parke, Harris, Tufford and eight others who are not good enough to draw
salaries in Buffalo, Hamilton or elsewhere. Pretty slim team for a senior
C. L. A. season with, isn’t it? The shades of the mighty athletes of
other days would probably chase them into retirement before they played
their second game. However, tonight’s meeting will probably settle
matters without bothering the Senior Committee of Management.” The
Hamilton Herald says:
“St.
Catharines, after doing the schoolboy act at the senior C. L. A. meeting,
is now anxious to have a team in the senior series. The Garden City men
will not have an easy time in gaining admission at this late date as the
schedule has been drawn and the four clubs now comprising the series will
have trouble in making any changes in dates. The Iroquois of Toronto have
to play their home games while the Tecumsehs are away, while the Buffalo
team has to wedge its games in when the Buffalo Eastern League baseball
team is away from home. The local club have arranged for grounds for its
home games on the dates already allotted, and will have considerable
trouble in making any change now. However, the matter will be discussed at
a meeting to be held this week.” SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Thursday
May 2, 1907 The
Toronto Telegram says:
“Well,
well. St. Catharines is back in the game. They are doing the thing on the
co-operative plan and here’s hoping that they will do better than the
Tecumsehs did when they played on the same basis. The players were so busy
counting the people in the stands that they had no time to play the games.
The receipts for the entire season were $720 and fifteen cents, and
several of the aforesaid players retired in the fall. As they have never
been heard of since, it is thought they are living quietly on the money
they made. The
news of this great financial success must have been wired west, for
according to a St. Kitts paper, Gillis and Gibbons of last year’s
Shamrocks of Winnipeg, are camped on the banks of the Welland Canal,
sleeping on their lacrosse sticks and waiting for the season to open while
the star fielder of the Souris, Manitoba team, which made a bluff at the
Minto Cup last year, is in St. Kitts and will play with the Athletics. Buffalo
has fourteen men signed and the championship already won. But a lacrosse
championship that was forced to winter in the vicinity of the Hamburg
Canal would be something terrible to see in the spring. Won’t some good,
kind Canadian club save it from such a fate.” ATHLETICS
ADMITTED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE The
Daily Standard Friday
May 3, 1907 Vice-President
Phelps and Secretary W. A. Moore have returned from Toronto where they
anchored the Athletics for the coming season. They speak very favorably of
the team’s chances in the league and experienced no trouble whatever in
having the Athletics re-admitted to the C. L. A. The light and dark blues
were admitted before the Iroquois had signified their intention of
withdrawing, and the vote of the association was unanimous for their
admittance. The cause of the failure of the Iroquois to get in the league
is attributed to the fact that the north end association is an amateur
organization and it would mean professionalism if the Iroquois signed old
C. L. A. players or paid their men. Again, lack of the necessary was
evident, the promising $1,000 to be subscribed by ten enthusiasts for the
team’s support having dwindled down to one – J. K. Forsyth, and hence
the trouble for collateral. The cause of the Iroquois’ financial
embarrassment is credited to the Torontos, who it is claimed worked their
hammers to such splendid advantage that $900 fell from the promised
$1,000. But
the Iroquois as well as Hamilton, Brantford and Buffalo favored the entry
of St. Kitts to the series despite the active and systematic knocking of
the Telegram’s “Thor” who has been in a state of unrest for some
time fearing the Athletics would succeed in getting into the league. But
that trouble is over and now it’s a straight field and a clean pair of
heels to the pennant. SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Friday
May 3, 1907 IROQUOIS
OUT, ST. KITTS IN Toronto,
May 3 – There was a surprise at the meeting of the Senior
Committee of the Canadian Lacrosse Association last night, though it was
not in the admission of St. Catharines, but rather in the way that it came
about. The promoters of the proposed North End team to be called the
Iroquois, and play at the Island when the Tecumsehs were away, failed to
get the project into satisfactory shape and announced that the intention
had been abandoned. This left it not only easy, but necessary to take in
St. Catharines. It was arranged that St. Catharines should take the dates
as well as the place of the Iroquois. THE
ATHLETICS ARE ROUNDING INTO SHAPE The
Daily Standard Wednesday
May 15, 1907 On
Tuesday night the Athletics turned out to the tune of a dozen at the
grounds, when the boys put in one of the finest practices of the season.
The defence lined-up against the home, and had a “hummer” for over an
hour, the superiority of the home being due to numbers. The defence was
composed of Bradt, Harris, Bill Degan (late of Souris and Nationals),
Stivens, McLeod, England and Tom Fitzgerald, while Billy Fitzgerald,
Sullivan, Brown, Glintz, Aubron and Ripley were in the home. This home,
with the assistance of Hagan and Parke and Gibbons (who is Uncle’s
double), were lightning fast and the way they cavorted around the nets was
good to watch. Weather permitting, the seniors will practice again
to-night when it is expected that Stagg, the star defence man of the
Queens will be on hand. Tufford, who played two years ago with the
seniors, may be seen in uniform again as well as Eddie Baker, who held a
place on the Queen’s defence field when they won the District Junior C.
L. A. The
club rooms are now in A1 condition as is the whole grounds, and trainer
Lalonde has taken charge for the season with a capable staff of
assistants. The boys are losing no time in practicing and do not intend to
let the dykers (Brantford) get away with the initial seasons game. Nothing
in the other teams is being underestimated and with this in view, genuine
workouts are the order of the day. LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Wednesday
May 15, 1907 Art
Brown, the speedy young player upon whom the Torontos had their eyes, made
a trip to Toronto last week and had a workout with the team. Brown at once
returned to the city and signed a certificate with the Athletics. He is
one of the best players in the business to-day and the old home town is
good enough for him. When the Athletics line up against Brantford on the
24th, they will certainly have a team worthy of the Garden
City. The
Toronto Telegram says:
“On the banks of the Welland far away is the mournful refrain of poor
old “Tod” Downey, who after years of faithful service in St. Kitts has
been sold to a strange master down the river. Wouldn’t
you like to hear the address of welcome the crowd will read to the St.
Kitts contingent on that Buffalo team on their next appearance in their
native village? LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Wednesday
May 22, 1907 Secretary
Moore on Monday sent his first batch of certificates to the C. L. A. for
the Senior Athletics. They were Hesse, Harris, Stivens, Stagg, McLeod,
England, Baker, Parke, Glintz, Brown, Ripley, Aubron, Fitzgerald, Hagan
and Sullivan in the positions they would occupy, the first eight for the
defence and the remainder as the home. Tufford is expected to fall in line
in a day or two, and the defence will be complete. The home shows the
finest form and is shaping beyond all expectations, so that they can be
depended to cut things loose around the dykers net on the 24th.
A new system that runs like clock-work is being used by the home and the
red and black defence will have their work cut out for them to cope with
the lightning home-fielders who dish up the tinsel article in running,
dodging and combination that would make Rat Westwick of the Caps look like
a dead one. With weight, speed and genuine foxiness to burn, they will
prove the most dangerous home in the league. Hesse will be in high-class
company on the defence and if they can’t look after the non-resisting
end of the field, why the Athletics never won the Globe Shield in 1905. The
practices every night are attended by anywhere from 12 to 16 men and the
workouts are really good to watch being chock full of sensational stick
work and combination. SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Thursday
June 6, 1907 All
that is now required for the success of the big senior game Saturday with
Buffalo is the co-operation of Old Probs., the general public is hungry
for the Senior article. With smiling weather, the stands should be
comfortably filled. Milder weather is being hoped for as no arrangements
have as yet been made for a heating apparatus at the grounds. Mayor
Riddell will face the ball sharp at 3:30 o’clock Saturday. The Buffalo
team will arrive on the N. St. C. & T. R. and go directly to the
grounds. Several Bison supporters are expected over with the team, which
had made the Senior C. L. A. series an international association. The
green and white uniforms of the Buffalo team will be seen on the local
grounds Saturday for the first time. The Athletics’ uniforms will be
similar to those worn two years ago. The body of the sweater in dark blue
with a deep collar and cuffs of light blue, with a light blue “A” on
the breast. The
seats of the covered grandstand have been re-numbered for reserving
purposes. The seats together with the boxes are now on sale at
Gilmore’s, St. Paul Street. Boxes can be reserved for a single match or
for the entire season, but it is not intended to sell single box seats. A
meeting of the executive committee of the Athletics will be held at the
Grand Central Hotel tonight, when pending matters of business will be
taken up, including the policing of the grounds. The
interior and exterior fences at the lacrosse grounds have been repaired
and strengthened by the management of the Athletics, even to the setting
of several new posts. The work was completed Wednesday before the heavy
rainfall. In
spite of the rain, several of the Senior players had an indoor workout
Wednesday night. This evening a full turnout and a grand practice is to be
held which will be the last heavy workout before the big game Saturday.
All players are requested to be on hand tonight. SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Wednesday
June 12, 1907 At
his own request, the Athletics management has released Glintz
unconditionally for the season and will now move up one in order to
arrange the home in proper order. “Billy” was one of the best of the
Shamrocks and Queens, and the management with regret accepted his
resignation. In
all probability, Charlie Lowe of the ’05 champions and the ’06
Torontos will turn out this week with the Athletics and cavort around the
opposing nets as formerly. Like Kalls, Charlie received his “champeen”
rep in this city but did not favour the idea of signing with the outsiders
until he was sure his brother home brews did not need him to help retain
the senior title. No better news than that of Lowe’s appearance with the
champions could be learned and the home is expected to do wonders assisted
by his excelled ability. The
renowned “William” Elliott is quietly shaking off a few odd pounds of
avoirdupois these days in preparing for his season opener and the star
defence man of Canada will once more be seen in a light and dark blue
jersey. With the exception of a couple games for the Torontos last year,
Billy did not disport himself on the green and in consequence is just in
the pink of condition to do himself justice as the premier defence man of
the C. L. A. and one of the finest exponents of lacrosse in Canada. After
considerable persuasion, Frank McIlwain of old Athletic fame has been
induced by the team to field captain and coach them in the future and will
make his initial showing in the white wool on Saturday against Hamilton.
With some twenty years lacrosse experience to aid him, “Mac” should
handle the boys in Jimmy Rice order and if he does not work wonders as
cox’un of the blues it will be a matter of great surprise. President
Harry Cameron will have to act as arbitrator in the matter of selecting a
referee for Saturday’s game in the Ambitious City, neither the Athletics
nor Tigers being able agree upon the commanding officer. The inmates
wanted Woody Taggert but the locals said “No! We’d be stung. How about
Wag?” It was then Hamilton’s turn to decline the honor and so failing
to agree, it’s up to King Kameron to decide. The
boys had an excellent practice Tuesday night, nearly every man being out,
when two hours hard work was gone through. Hagan is badly run down and is
resting for a few days before he will don the jersey. But with the
exception of he and Ripley, whose foot is slowly improving, every man is
in A1 condition and should show the Ambitious amblers the points of the
national game that won the shield. As league leaders and the fathers of
lacrosse it’s up to them to sustain their reputation. And Saturday’s
battle will undoubtedly tell which dozen will think seriously on the Minto
Cup question. Monday
night’s practice with Kalls on the home did wonders for the boys and
George led them through a jungle of defence sticks in rapid order. He
would have been out last night, only Jimmy Murphy sent a “hurry up”
after him and it was a case of have to go. SPORTS
AND
PASTIMES LACROSSE The
Daily Standard Tuesday
June 18, 1907 Space
did not permit us to give a resume of Saturday’s game in Monday’s
issue and very little can be said of the game itself – the tale already
told. To whom does the honor belong for the magnificent victory than to
coach McIlwain and his doughty dozen of husky lacrosse exponents. Of the
game itself it would be an utter impossibility to eulogize any one in
particular, but if bouquets are to be distributed, they must necessarily
go to the juniors who upheld the honor of St. Kitts under the most adverse
circumstances and in the face of almost certain defeat. They turned the
great tide of battle and saved the day by the most creditable exhibition
of the national game that was ever witnessed by lacrosse fiends. With the
members of the ’05 champions, Hesse, Harris, Tufford, Hagan and Parke at
their backs, the youngsters put up a brand of lacrosse that was inspiring
to watch and earned the well-merited applause of the 1,000 odd spectators
by their daring, their spectacular combination, their lightning speed and
their ability. When it was considered that the Athletics were not in the
best of condition and several of the team should have not been on the
field, the victory is thrown more forcibly into the limelight. But it
could not be repeated as the blues were extremely lucky to catch the
Tigers on an off day and cinch the game before it really started. The
juniors who have shown that they are perfectly capable of acquitting
themselves on any field are deserving of the brunt of the plaudits and St.
Kitts is justly proud that she can still put a team in the C. L. A. that
although composed of three-fourths juniors, will make the best dozen
hustle to land the pennant. To
Stivens and Stagg on the blues defence goes nothing but the heartiest
commendation for their brilliant performance. “Artie” is another Frank
Williams to a “T” and will prove even better than the famous war horse
when he has a few years experience, while Stagg bids fair to out-rival
Shootie Richardson, adopting the same tactics and being a tower of
strength by reason of his weight, speed and cool-headedness. The
youngster home has already shown what they can do by reason of scoring six
goals in the first quarter and their equal cannot be found in the business
to-day. Brown at centre, secured the draw every time and was right in the
thick of the fight while he ranged from end to end of the field with a
tireless energy. Ripley, handicapped with a broken bone in his foot, put
up an astonishing article of lacrosse and went the limit, being
instrumental in every tally. Sullivan was the king of the field, covering
his check and then leading him around in a manner that bewildered him,
while his fast work and sustenance was a feature to be warmly commended.
Aubron was another star in the game being seen in every fine piece of
work, while his daring and gameness won him hearty applause. To Fitzgerald
goes the warmest approval as his stick-handling, speed and shooting made
him a terror to the Tiger defence and he figured in nearly every prominent
play of the day. The old guard was fully up to expectation, Tufford being
much in the foreground while Harris made a second Billy Elliott by his
stellar performance in front of the nets. The
Athletics did not escape unscathed from the struggle by long odds, Fitz
sustaining a broken thumb while Parke duplicated the trick. Harris was
nicked on the upper lip but Aubron’s injury was at first thought the
most serious until Dr. Rykert of Dundas, an old St. Kitts boy and a warm
supporter of the blues, examined him. Aubron was rendered unconscious when
Brennan and Pitcher jumped on him and it was feared a rib was broken. But
investigation proved that he was only badly shaken up and bruised on the
body, but so “game” was he that it was with difficulty that he was
restrained from re-entering the field. AthleticsLacrosse.com footnote: The Athletics of 1907 would post a perfect 12 win, 0 loss record. |