1894 YMCA football — Season ends on sour note

Collegiality seemed to prevail at the post-game meal after the Glens Falls Y.M.C.A. football team defeated Saratoga High School in Glens Falls on Nov. 17, 1894.

“The Saratogians were entertained by the Young Men’s Christian Association boys after the game. The visitors returned home on the sleeper,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on Nov. 19.

It wasn’t long after the train arrived at Spa City that accusations began to be voiced, loudly and often enough to be published in newspapers, that Glens Falls had brought in a ringer.

“The Saratogian says that the Saratoga football team is very much dissatisfied with the result of Saturday’s game at Glens Falls,” The Morning Star reported on Nov. 20.

Saratoga fans contested the eligibility of Glens Falls player Raley, a college graduate who had played football for Amherst.

“He appeared on the ground in his Amherst uniform. Several of the Saratoga boys demurred and did not want to play, but the others thought they might as well, being that they had made the trip to Glens Falls.”

The Glens Falls team countered the eligibility argument.

“The Saratogians are wasting paper and ink. No man has ever played on the team who was not on the membership roll of the association,” The Morning Star editorialized on Nov. 23.

A rematch was discussed.

“The Glens Falls Association has accepted the challenge of the Saratogians to play a game here on Saturday, Dec. 1. Raley, a member of three years’ standing and the bete noire (a person strongly detested) of the Saratoga boys, will not play on that day owing to business engagements,” the editorial continued. “Now, let the Saratogians come here at the appointed time and play football with their feet, not with their orifices located beneath their proboscides.”

For whatever reason, the follow-up game apparently was not played, and the season ended on a sour note.

There had been optimism at the start of the local team’s second season.

Practice had started in September.

“The junior football team is organizing for the fall campaign. There is still room for three or four good hustlers,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 1.

“Members of the football team are requested to meet at 7:30 tonight in the director’s parlor to organize for the season and arrange for practice,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 15.

Practices were scheduled to Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays at 4 p.m., The Morning Star reported on Sept. 17.

“The football team began practice yesterday at the old fairground. … There is still room for a few good players,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 20.

By mid-October the team was ready for competition.

“A good game of football may be expected on Saturday, October 21, when the junior team of the Glens Falls Young Men’s Christian Association will meet the Saratoga High School team on Woodlawn Oval at Saratoga Springs, The Morning Star reported on Oct. 18.

“Much interest is manifested in the football match between the Glens Falls Young Men’s Christian Association team and the Saratoga High School team at Woodlawn Oval Saturday afternoon. A number of enthusiasts will accompany the home team to Saratoga,” The Morning Star reported on Oct. 22.

Glens Falls fans wore red ribbons and hoisted a red banner at the game, and Saratoga fans wore black and white ribbons.

“Saturday was a perfect day for a football game, and there was a fair-sized crowd on Woodlawn Oval, Saratoga,” The Morning Star reported on Oct. 29.

The game ended in a scoreless tie.

“The play was spirited and exciting, the men being so equally matched that neither scored. The Glens Falls boys were the stronger on the rush line, but the Saratogians offset this advantage by their superior alertness behind the line.”

Saratoga players had an incentive to win a second game scheduled at Glens Falls.

“The friends of the Saratoga team have promised them an oyster supper if they defeat the Young Men’s Christian Association eleven in the game to be played in Glens Falls next Saturday,” The Morning Star reported on Nov. 3.

Glens Falls was getting ready for the challenge.

“The young Men’s Christian Association football team will meet for practice at the old fairground this afternoon at four o’clock. … Considerable practice will be needed if the boys mean to down the Saratoga High School eleven on the 17th,” The Morning Star reported on Nov. 8.

In the meantime, Saratoga defeated Schuylerville 24–0, even with two players sitting the game out — one with a game leg and another a broken femur, The Morning Star reported on Nov. 13.

There was some sideline mischief at the Nov. 17 game.

“During the football game on the Warren Street grounds Saturday afternoon, a young boy in the audience obtained possession of the ball and threw it over the fence to a companion and the two proceeded up town and disposed of the ball for fifty cents to a boy living on Walnut Street,” The Morning Star reported on Nov. 19. “The ball belonged to the Saratoga team. It was recovered yesterday by Officer Delaney.”

The controversial game was closely contested in the first half, which lasted 25 minutes.

“Neither side scored, the half closing with the ball on Saratoga’s one-yard line.”

“In the second half, Glens Falls started to win, and after eight minutes’ play, Raley (the college player) scored a touchdown through center. … After that the Glens Falls boys simply played to keep Saratoga from scoring, the game closing 4 to 0 in favor of the home eleven.”

The current standardized scoring system, in which a touchdown is worth six points, was not established until 1912.

Before that, scoring rules were negotiated between the two teams on a game-by-game basis.

Soon it was time to move on to other sports.

“If you want to see a game as interesting as football, minus its brutality, visit the gymnasium at eight o’clock tonight,” The Morning Star reported on Nov. 29, reporting on the season opening basketball game between two local teams at the Y.M.C.A.

“The game will understandably be closely contested, as the good players are evenly divided. A small admission fee will be charged, the proceeds to be used in buying apparatus for the gymnasium.”

A physical fitness workout was another opportunity.

“Now that the football season is over and bicycle riding a thing of the past, young men desirous of retaining their health and building up their bodies should take systematic work in the (Y.M.C.A.) gymnasium,” The Morning Star reported on Dec. 1. “A class especially for beginners will be held two afternoons each week for the winter.”

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