Gather 'round folks and I'll tell you a story

'bout a football team that was bound for glory.

They hailed from Coaldale, they were lean and mean,

And opponents all feared the mighty Big Green.

They were coached by a man who most people say

Was ahead of his time: James “Casey” Gildea.

He molded them, prodded them, made them the best

In the Anthracite League, where they beat all the rest.

They beat Gilberton, Frankford, and Pottsville’s Maroons.

They beat Conshohocken’s and Shenandoah’s goons.

They played Philadelphia and beat them up,

And three times they took home the famed “Curran Cup.”

The brilliant “Blue” Bonner, their star running back,

Was built like a train that you see on a track.

He ran like a deer, he was shifty and cute,

And had power like coal descending a chute.

Jack “Honeyboy” Evans and his big brother Bill

Gave Big Green fans and their opponents a thrill

With their toughness and roughness and style of play

That made them the legends they are to this day.

The rest of the roster included such men

As “Bubby,” “Wedger,” “Croppie,” “Goo Goo,” and “Hen.”

Tom Raymer, Ben Herring, Burk Harvey, Tom West,

Dan Moser, Bob Parfitt, were some of the best.

Les Asplundh, Tom Chapman, and Vince Gildea, too,

Irv Murphy, Mike Pavlick were part of the crew.

Zaleha, Neumuller, McGeehan, and Starr,

Joined Chapman and Lewchick to take this team far.

Doc Lithgow, McDonald, Stan Giltner, and “Rub,”

Potteiger, John Kelly, were part of the club.

Joe Garland, E. Evans, John Walters, and “Red,”

John Homick and “Froger” kept this team ahead.

Middleton, Miller, Morgan, Metro Roadside,

“Scoop” Boyle and Sharpe gave this team their pride.

Bob Hartwig, George Morrall, and Deverus Jones

Joined forces to cause lots of other team’s moans.

Bugarewicz, Oscar Keebler, Jack Burton,

Made sure that other teams went away ’hurtin’.

T.J. Evans, “Paddy,” and “Buzz” Flanagan

Made sure that other teams didn’t come back again.

Schwartz, Kennedy, and “Foag” Gallagher were hot,

As was “Yatsko” Perbilla, the team’s mascot.

And now folks we’ve come to the end of the tale

Of the team that brought fame to us in Coaldale.

If you are asked: “What’s the best team ever seen?”

You now know the answer: “The Coaldale Big Green.”