EXCERPTS:

-- “Fred Weaver, of Coaldale, was the actuating motive behind football in the period 1905 to 1912. As manager and coach he kept interest alive. Weaver is generally credited with being the founder of Coaldale football, though Dave Williams, now a ticket agent in the P. & R. terminal at Philadelphia, is generally conceded to be the man to bring the first football to Coaldale.”

--“…1912 saw the real beginning of Coaldale football, the birth of the later day ‘Big Green.’”

--“ The quarterback on the Rosebuds was Irvin Murphy, later day coach of the High School, and a man who shared with Gildea and Bonner in shaping the town’s football destiny.”

--“The 1921-22-23 champions won the cup against Gilberton, Shenandoah, Pottsville.”

--“Those were the days. Champions in every respect of the word. Guests of Atlantic City. Feted in Philadelphia. A fire on Water Street. Big game on the field. Chief Gallagher walking the sidelines asking enough volunteers to fight the fire to please leave the game. Battles with Frankford. Lud Wray and “Honeyboy”; what a train of memories the old days revive. Pottsville with its world champion Maroons had to play the best it knew how to lower the Big Green colors in 1924. Then the strike of 1925. Games at Staten Island. Three visits to Atlantic City. The name Coaldale still atop the pinnacle.“

--“Living again the old days suggests the procedure necessary to its revival. Coaldale football, an integral part of the town, must not be permitted to die.”

FULL ARTICLE:

A story of Coaldale would not be complete without delving back into its football history, because football gave to Coaldale more advertising than any other enterprise, and because the people of Coaldale point with pride to the achievements of their teams, and claim football reflects credit on town loyalty, and attests to the fair dealing of all associated in any way with the game.

Football, at the turn of the last century, was a new game to all sections of the coal region. Strictly speaking, it was a college game. The high schools had not yet taken it up, and college graduates being a rarity, few if any returned to regional towns bringing with them the desire to introduce football.

The Neumuller brothers, of Lansford, were the exception. Dr. Will Neumuller, the dentist, and Carl Neumuller, forester for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., together with the Jones brothers, Severus and Franklin, were the real pioneers in Coaldale football. Chief of Police “Foag” Gallagher, Nick Hollywood, Paddy Bonner, “Schoder” Boyle, Big Bill Evans, John Bugerevich, and others of the early days, can still tell of the famous guards play, when five yards was the distance to be gained on a series of downs, and when pushing until the man with the call called “down” was the signal for another lineup.

Memory is a fickle jade to draw from, especially when the writer goes back to the time he was 12 years of age, but still keen in football recollection is memory of a notable clash between a combined Coaldale-Lansford team, and a team representing soldiers encamped at Manila Grove during the 1902 mine strike. The winner of the game escapes memory, but the game itself served to draw all the soldiers to the football field, while an impromptu raid was made on No. 4 breaker, so that even in those early days the boys knew their signals.

Thos. Evans was among the backs. Clarence Starr, chief engineer for L.C. & N. Co., was coach and fullback. Dr. Will Neumuller and his brother, Carl, alternated at quarterback, with Franklin Jones and Tommy West fitting into the combination at all times. Jimmy Middleton was center, Jimmy Kennedy, Bill Evans and Owen Boyle, guards; John Kelly and George Morrall, tackles, and John West, Severus Jones and Jack Burton, ends.

The “Big Team” of 1905 was succeeded at times by Coaldale Juniors, and in later days by the High School and “Old Street” squads. Names prominent in that period included John “Croppy” Melley, “Kid” Hill, Jim West, Jimmy Lithgow, Big Smith, Paddy Malloy, Dave West, Tom Mitchell, Charlie Shellhammer and others of the immortal crew, who gave Coaldale real rivalry when the “Old Street” clashed with the “High School,” which meant that the players went to school some 10 or 12 years earlier. John Melley was a real football player.

Fred Weaver, of Coaldale, was the actuating motive behind football in the period 1905 to 1012. As manager and coach he kept interest alive. Weaver is generally credited with being the founder of Coaldale football, though Dave Williams, now a ticket agent in the P. & R. terminal at Phila., is generally conceded to be the man to bring the first football to Coaldale.

Local rivalry developed a series of games between a new “Old Street” and the Rosebuds and 1912 saw the real beginning of Coaldale football, the birth of the later day “Big Green.”

The Old Street had had Jim Gildea as manager and center, with “Blue” Bonner at fullback. Three games were played in this 1912 series. Two scoreless ties were followed by a Thanksgiving Day victory for the Old Street, when “Blue” crashed through for the winning touchdown. The quarterback on the Rosebuds was Irvin Murphy, later day coach of the High School, and a man who shared with Gildea and Bonner in shaping the town’s football destiny. Danny Moser was another old-timer.

1913 saw the real beginning of the “Big Green.”

Again in 1914, a money game with Lansford was the season’s high spot. $500 was waged on the outcome of the game. $650 was taken in at 25 cents admission by those anxious to see how the game would come out, and when it broke up, after Coaldale scored its second touchdown to break a 7-7 tie, the game went down in history as the famous 50-50 game. The lineup of the 1914 team included Jimmy Filer, center; Leo Kennedy and Caleb James, guards; Owen Boyle, Dan Bonner, “Scoop” Boyle and “Bub” Melley, tackles; Morgan Boyle, “Rub” Morgans and Willie Morrall, ends; Irvin Murphy and Col. McFadden, quarterbacks; “Blue” Bonner, Tommy West, John Ward, Dan Boyle, Evie Evans, halfbacks, and Dan Moser, fullback. George Morrall, star of the 1905 team also donned a uniform for the big game, and did yeoman service at end, as did also that bright particular end of the new day, “P” McGeehan.

The 1914 team gave to the later day Big Greens, “Blue” Bonner, “Bub” Melley and “Scoop” Boyle, but rivaling the best Coaldale ever produced was the team of 1916, with Dan Moser, Irv. Murphy, Dan Bonner and “P” McGeehan, holdovers from the 1914 team, together with Bonner, Boyle and Melley.

“Buzz” Flannagan, Herman Meyer and 1916 were the real turning points of Coaldale football. Flannagan brought to Coaldale a dash, a daring and football brilliancy that attracted attention. Herman Meyer gave Coaldale a sense of decency and fair dealing that always remained as the team’s guiding light.

Three games were played with Pottsville in 1916, outstanding games in the season. Coaldale lined up with Jack “Honeyboy” Evans at center; John Homick, Dan Bonner and Ed Boyle at guards; “Bub” Melley and Joe Garland at tackles; “Howie” Miller and “P” McGeehan, ends; with Charlie Sharpe and Morgan Boyle, sub-ends; Irvin Murphy, quarterback; “Blue” Bonner and “Buzz” Flanagan, halfbacks; Dan Moser, fullback, and Hen Boock and “Red” McMichael in the role of substitutes.

Rivalry with Shenandoah dates back to 1916 through the Yorks, Dr. Andy and Johnny, had thrown Coaldale for a 6-0 defeat the previous year at Coaldale.

The war brought back young men trained to endure the fight. Their addition to the squad in 1919 resulted in a famous victory over Tamaqua made notable by “Tiny” Maxwell’s first visit to a coal region game. Armistice Day, 1919, saw the teams clash. Coaldale had the nucleus of its great championship team then in process of being molded together. Vince Gildea and Len Lithgow at quarterbacks; “Blue” Bonner, Joe Negri, Mike Roman, John Melley, Ben Herring, backs; Metro Roadside, “P” McGeehan and Morgan Boyle, ends; Joe Garland and “Bub” Melley, tackles; Ab Morgans and Simon Lewchick, guards; “Scoop” Boyle, sub, and the one and only Jack “Honeyboy” Evans at center. Twenty-eight first downs against none for Tamaqua were plowed up and down the Tamaqua gridiron before “Bub” Melley on a tackle back play plowed over for a winning touchdown. Gildea had scored previously on a nicely placed field goal.

The 1921-22-23 champions won the cup against Gilberton, Shenandoah, Pottsville.

The 1923 team was Coaldale’s proudest boast. Let’s see how they lined up:

Backs – “Blue” Bonner, Jack Chapman, Earl Potteiger, Hen Boock, Bull Newton, Len Lithgow, Ben Herring, Jack McDonald, Vince Gildea, Steve Zaleha, Les Asplundh, “Frojer” Giltner.

Ends – Bill Evans, Stan Giltner, “GooGoo” Davis, Mike Pavlik, Metro Roadside.

Linemen – Joe Garland, “Bub” Melley, Tom Chapman, Bob Hartwig, Irvin Schwartz, E. Boyle, Simon Lewchick, Jack “Honeyboy” Evans.

Those were the days. Champions in every respect of the word. Guests of Atlantic City. Feted in Philadelphia. A fire on Water Street. Big game on the field. Chief Gallagher walking the sidelines asking enough volunteers to fight the fire to please leave the game. Battles with Frankford. Lud Wray and “Honeyboy”; what a train of memories the old days revive. Pottsville with its world champion Maroons had to play the best it knew how to lower the Big Green colors in 1924. Then the strike of 1925. Games at Staten Island. Three visits to Atlantic City. The name Coaldale still atop the pinnacle.

Later day efforts saw the collapse of the Eastern League, and failure to revive interest through reorganization of the Anthracite League.

Living again the old days suggests the procedure necessary to its revival. Coaldale football, an integral part of the town, must not be permitted to die.