User:Halvorsen brian/Astoria Football Club

The Astoria Football Club was an athletic organization based in Astoria, Oregon which played American football, rugby, soccer and other team sports.

History

The Astoria Football Club was organized as an American football athletic organization after a meeting at the Astoria Armory on September 30, 1890. The club set up the field at Smith Point Baseball Park on October 2, 1890 and held their first practice nine days later. On October 26, 1890 the club held an inta-squad game at Smith Points Baseball Park at 3 pm in front of 250 people. The Daily Morning Astorian wrote about the game, "the way the kickers tumbled and rolled over the inflated rubber in effort to score points was ludicrous. Some of the players wore very unique costumes, and most of them with be sore and stiff in the joints for several days." The teams captain's were R. M. Gibson and Frank Gunn with the latter's team winning the game by 10 points. Their second game occurred on November 2, 1890 at the same location and with the same captains as the first game. Gunn's team won again by a score of 16 to 2. According to The Daily Morning Astorian many spectators left early as a "cold fog" engulfed the field. A third intra-club game was played on November 4, 1890 with Joe Walch and Sam Tee serving as captains. Tee's team won the game 14–0.

The Portland, Oregon football team requested a game with the Astoria Football Club under rugby rules in November 1890. The club agreed to the match and ordered uniforms. The held a practice on November 19, 1890 to help pick the club that would travel to Portland to face their football club. Members of the club left by steamboat to Portland on December 5, 1890 to play their rugby club the next day. Astoria lost the game to Portland, 0–5, with the opponent's score coming by a field goal. After the game the Portland team hosted a lunch for Astoria which included music, speeches and ale. Some members of the club returned home on December 7, 1890 aboard the steamboat Thompson. Other players stayed in Portland to play a second game with the host club, which resulted in another defeat for Astoria.

For three years the Astoria Football Club went dormant until it was re-organized as a soccer team in April 1893. In May 1893 a challenge from a team in Fort Canby, Washington to play under rugby union rules was issued to Fred Gunn, the secretary of the Astoria Football Club. A club meeting to organize a new team was held on May 31, 1893 at the store of James Finlayson. Finlayson was elected club president at the meeting. Vice presidents of the club were F. J. Taylor, W. S. Short and Messrs. The club elected C. R. Thompson, G. Wingate, W. T. Chutter and H. C. Thompson as the secretaries. W. E. Tallent was unanimously elected club treasurer. Messrs, Arthur Bartholomew and R. Gibson were named team captains. The club chose to take the proceeds from their first game and give it to the Pioneer and Historical Museum. Club dues were set at one dollar.

The Astoria Football Club's first practice of the season came on June 3, 1893 at Smith's Point Park. During the club's meeting on June 7, 1893 at the store of president James Finlayson a game between the single and married members of the club was scheduled to be played at the picnic for the Pioneer and Historical Society on June 26, 1893. The club held two practice games before their debut game of the season. During the first game the single men were known as the "Bachelors", who wore white knickerbockers and shirts with black stockings, and the married men were know as the "Benedicts" who wore masquerade-styled outfits. Fifty seven cents was raised from the club's ticket sales which was given to the Pioneer and Historical Society.

Since no teams were available to play on Independence Day in 1893 the Astoria Football Club held an open field day at Smith's Point Park. According to The Daily Morning Astorian this caused a controversy among saloon owners in Astoria who though that the field day would hurt their business. Astoria's chief of police was approached by the saloon owners who tried to get part of the field day, including the trap shooting match, to the wharf but the request was denied on account of the wharf's proximity to the densely populated section of town.

There were at least 21 events scheduled for the Fourth of July field day at Smith's Point Park including a six inning baseball game, egg-and-spoon race, hammer throw, tug-of-war, sack race and a soccer game for the finale. The club put out a request to local citizens and business owners to donate prizes for the field day. One day following the request the team announced it was no longer soliciting gift due to the abundance of items they received from the community. The prizes included a rifle and cartridge, a gold and opal ring and a bull calf. Astoria mayor Magnus C. Crosby was named chairman of the event and was scheduled to make a speech and award the prizes at a ceremony before the football game. The football teams were divided up between married club members and the bachelors. The single men donned the masquerade outfits and the married men wore the black-and-white uniforms. The single men won the game 2 to 0 in font of a crowd of approximately 300 people. The bachelors also won the baseball game earlier in the day. Expenses for the event was $150 and after the accounts were settled the club reported a profit.

On July 12, 1893 the Astoria Football Club held their third game of the season at Smith's Point Park. The teams were divided up between British born players and Americans. The latter won the game 2 to 0. The game's proceeds went to benefit the Astoria Library Association. It was agreed by members of the club to play another with the British and American teams. The second game was scheduled for July 18, 1893. Half of the twenty cent ticket went to the Astoria Library Association. The Americans won again by a score of 2 to 1.

The Portland soccer team was invited to Astoria to play against the city's football club at Smith's Point Park on July 22, 1893. Portland arrived to Astoria on the morning of the game aboard the steamer Potter. Portland's team wore black and navy uniforms. Astoria lost the game 1 to 2 in front of a crowd of "several hundred" people at Smith's Point Park according to The Daily Morning Astorian.

Club captain Arthur Bartholomew resigned his position in late July 1893 when he left Astoria bound for his native home in Birkdale, England where his wife was still residing. A meeting was called to elect a new captain on August 4, 1893 where W. E. Tallant was selected. The club then divided between two teams—the "Black-and-Golds" and the "Red-and-Blues", named for their uniform colors.

The club hosted a picnic to Gearhart, Oregon on August 19, 1893. A soccer game between the Black-and-Golds and the Red-and-Blues started at 2 pm at Gearhart Park. The Black-and-Golds won the game, 2–1. Frank Gunn, one of the founders of the Astoria Football club who served as the referee for the game, spent the morning cutting down trees for the Clatsop County surveyor.

On September 2, 1893 the Astoria Football Club held their second game of the year against another club. A team representing Fort Canby, Washington were invited to play of Astoria's home pitch, Smith's Point Park. Profits from the game went directly to the Astoria Football Club. Astoria beat the Fort Canby team by a score of 4 goals to 1.

During a meeting of the Astoria Football Club on December 6, 1893 it was decided to make a fund to build a gymnasium for the winter months. George C. Flavel offered the club the use of Armory Hall as the club's temporary gym while they construct their new one. An age limit of 16, a $5 initiation fee and a monthly fee of $1 were also decided upon at the meeting.

The club played a basketball game on December 16, 1893, making one of the earliest games of basketball played in Oregon.

A rugby club from Victoria, British Columbia challenged the Astoria Football Club to a game before January 1, 1894. Astoria formed their rugby team in mid-December 1893.