History of the A's

The Roaring Twenties

The issue of professionalism in lacrosse had long been a source of controversy as the "simon-pure" amateurs were viewed by many as possessing some higher nobility than the players who received monetary gain for their services. But in the early boom years of the sport when gate receipts were high and there was money to be made, many players happily received a healthy stipend as lacrosse mercenaries.

Through the twenties the St. Catharines Athletics were trying vainly to recapture some of the past magic both on the field and at the box office. But the team just wasn’t winning as they were before and the fans weren’t as captivated in their double blues as in the past. The A’s would seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough in 1924, but an unexpected reprimand by the O.A.L.A. for the use of long-time Athletic, Percy Oille, would ultimately lead to the decision to fold the team.

After a hiatus of four years, the team returned to action in front of fairly good crowds and with Oille back in the lineup. But in the following year of 1929, the now losing Athletics couldn't draw any fan interest in the city and they made the regrettable decision to fold the team after just four games. The 1920’s were certainly a tumultuous period for the Athletics and the decade closed without a senior team in operation.

The demise of the proud Athletics in '29 was really a picture of the entire sport of field lacrosse in a microcosm. It seemed that our old favourite summer pastime was dying everywhere in Canada, and passionate observers of the sport were pointing to the situation in St. Catharines as symptomatic of a larger issue.

The Athletics scrapbook for this era includes:

SCRAPBOOK

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