History of the A's

"And The Band Played On"

LACROSSE NOTES 

The Daily Standard 

Saturday June 6, 1896 

It is surprising how much of a hold the game of lacrosse has on the affections of the St. Catharines people, but a little incident is capable of bringing this fact prominently to the fore. It must be confessed that a lukewarm interest was taken in the game here this year until the Athletics met with their defeat at the hands of the Tecumsehs at Toronto on the 30^th. The full strength of the Athletics was not available for the game referred to, while on the contrary, the Tecumsehs, backed by the strong financial support of the Toronto Island Ferry Company, have strengthened their team to such an extent that they now admittedly possess one of the strongest lacrosse teams in the country. 

The game on Monday will no doubt be one long to be remembered. The Tecumsehs are bent on winning by any and all means and have within the past two days added Hendry, of the ‘Varsity team, and Kay, of the Shamrocks of Montreal to their team. The Athletics have also been strengthened by the addition of A. Chaplin, Frank and Rube Williams and W. Hare. The home grounds should be depended upon to cut out a killing pace for their green guernsied opponents. The ball will be faced at 3:30 pm. 

Last night the Athletics held the very best possible practice ever held on the lacrosse grounds. The playing was hard and fast and of a satisfactory nature to the large number of their supporters and friends present. 

The Athletics team for Monday will be Chaplin (goal), F. Williams, Richardson, R. Williams, Lobb, Johnston, Hare (centre), Elliott, Geo. Downey, John Downey, McIlwain, and Chas. Downey. 

The Garden City Band will be on the lacrosse grounds at three o’clock on Monday afternoon. 

A large party of Niagara Falls sports are coming down to see the game on Monday. One party of twenty have engaged a tally-ho for the occasion. 

The Globe makes the mistake that President O’Loughlin has the appointment of the referee for Monday’s game in the event of the club’s disagreeing. The set rule has changed at the last annual meeting. Now, when the President’s club is one of the competition, the vice-president appoints. Mr. Jackson of Seaforth, will appoint and most likely he will be the official for Monday. 

The following C.L.A. championship games are scheduled for to-day: Elms at Brampton, Boltons at Toronto Junction and Tecumsehs II at Richmond Hill. 

All C.L.A. championship games this year last two hours. Spectators on Monday will receive great value for their admission fee. 

TECUMSEHS WIN AGAIN 

The Daily Standard 

Tuesday June 9, 1896 

It was like old times to see the lacrosse grounds thronged as they were Monday afternoon. It carried one’s thoughts back to the good old days when “Doc” Collins, Jim Chaplin, Yielding and the other stars were the pets of the grand stand. The grand stand was thronged, the bleachery ditto and every coign of advantage along the fence had its occupant. 

And it was a great game too. Not since the days of the old Paris Greens has the like been seen in the city. The people applauded frantically each good play, and no one need say that lacrosse is dead in St. Catharines. 

At 3:30 the teams lined up as follows:

Referee – R. E. Johnston, Seaforth

Umpires – R. A. Mason, W. H. Hall, Markham

Timekeepers – D. A. Rose, Toronto, H. O’Loughlin, St. Catharines

Field Captains – P. Knowles, J. Cameron 

The match commenced with a rush and a desperate attack on the Tecumseh’s goal. Several shots were rained on it, but all were cleverly stopped by the Toronto defence. Then the ball traveled to the other end of the field and Ruby Williams saved a goal by a clever bit of play, passing it to Chaplin who made a long throw. Jack Downey secured the rubber, passed it to “Tod” who gave it to Elliott and the latter scored. It was a beautiful combination and the crowd went wild. Time, four minutes. 

When the second game commenced everyone was in a tremble of excitement. There seemed a good fighting chance for the boys in blue to win and the first game showed how well matched the teams were. The Tecumsehs recognized the fact that they could take no liberties with the St. Kitts boys and settled down to even things once more. And they did – easily too. The game commenced much as its predecessor had. A long throw down field proved too great a temptation for Chaplin to resist. He left his goal to secure the ball, but a fellow in red was there before him, secured the rubber, tossed it lightly to McDonald, who put it through the flags where there was no goaltender. Time, seven minutes. 

And the band played on. 

The Tecumsehs hardly knew what struck them next game. Just thirty seconds after the face-off, up shot the hand of the umpire at their goal and the Athletics had scored once more. It was very simple. Jack Downey secured the sphere at the start, gave it to Hare who dodged a couple of Redmen and scored. 

And the Tecumsehs wondered where they were at. 

So far the game had been a pretty exhibition of lacrosse, but now the play began to get rough. The Tecumsehs recognized that they had met their match and something must be done. A very deliberate foul on the part of Burns caused Richardson to retaliate, and the referee saw it, though he didn’t see the beginning of the incident. The result was Richardson went to the fence and the Athletics played 11 men to 12, with this advantage, the Tecumsehs scored, Cross doing the necessary. Time 2 ½ minutes. 

The next game was marked by Cross getting badly used up by tumbling into the fence, and a wait ensued until he was ready to proceed again. This game went to Tecumsehs, too, in 6 minutes. 

The sixth game was a hard one. Of course, there was a little scrap. Davis gave Jack Downey an awful crack with his stick, Jack’s “English” rose and a rough and tumble scrap ensued. But that ended it. Jack got up, secured the ball, dropped it on home and scored, via the Wesley Hare route. Time, 8 minutes. 

This evened things up – three goals each, and one can imagine what a pitch excitement was. The seventh was a hard-fought game and was scored by the Torontos, though many disputed that the ball had fairly gone through the flags. 

There was a lot of excitement in the eighth game. It started off nicely until Peaker struck Ruby Williams a vicious blow, the latter retaliated and immediately there was a mix-up; another Redman jumped in, and Frank Williams, to even matters up, did likewise and for a few minutes things were lively. It was a wonderful combination of red shirts and blue, and of course everybody had to swarm the field to take a hand in. Finally the men untangled themselves and the referee ordered “those four men who were fighting” to leave the field. But it was difficult to tell which man is which when all are in uniform, and the referee couldn’t pick them out, so the game went on. And just a few seconds later Lobb scored for the Athletics. 

And once more the teams were even, four goals each. 

The next two goals went to the Tecumsehs in 4 and 8 minutes respectively, with play very much the same as in the previous games. 

The eleventh game was started and 18 minutes play was witnessed. When time was called the Toronto team were victors 6 goals to 4. 

Drop Shots

Something should be done to keep the spectators on the grand stand seated. Just as soon as play begins some one in the front row stands up, then the whole row follows suit and those behind to see anything have to do likewise. Everyone could see just as well and with more comfort if they remained seated. The officials of the lacrosse team should devise some means to remedy this. 

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