Allegheny Athletic Association
Encyclopedia
The Allegheny Athletic Association was an athletic club that fielded the first ever professional American football
player and later the first fully professional football team. The organization was founded in 1890 as a regional athletic club in Allegheny, Pennsylvania
, which is today the North Shore of Pittsburgh
.
. At that time athletic clubs and associations, ranging from the best with extensive facilities to local organizations with minimum meeting rooms, were in their prime as a source of fraternal fellowship for athletes. In most sports, Allegheny provided very little competition for the more established East End Gymnasium Club (EEGC), which in 1892 became the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
. Allegheny soon took up football largely when the club discovered that it could give them a recruiting edge over the East Enders. Many Allegheny club members had gone to eastern colleges and played football. Members O. D. Thompson
and John Moorehead, were former teammates of Walter Camp
, the inventor of the modern game, who had become a successful Pittsburgh
lawyer. The team also immediately gave Allegheny a strong following since the East Enders did not have a football team at the time. Allegheny's backfield during that inaugurual year had A. S. Valentine
, at quarterback
; two track stars in Harry Oliver and Harry Fry as the halfbacks
; and O.D. Thompson at fullback
.
In what may have been the first official football game in modern-day Pittsburgh, the club's inaugural season began on October 11, 1890 when Allegheny played the Western University of Pennsylvania (later renamed the University of Pittsburgh
) at Exposition Park
, on what is today the parking area between PNC Park
and Heinz Field
, in front of a crowd of 500 spectators. Allegheny won the game easily, 38-0, but the contest was significant since it marked the official start of Pitt's football program
. prior to the game, Allegheny was to play Shady Side Academy
, however the team failed to show up for the game and were replaced the Western University team. Allegheny went on to defeat Shady Side Academy a week later, 32-0.
Although the eleven players styled themselves the "All-Pittsburghs", who were really a collection of local athletes masquerading as a team.
Significantly, several of the pick-ups were members of the East End Gym such as William Kirschner
and Grant Dibert
. This game foreshadowed the start of the upcoming rivailry between Allegheny and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Allegheny would go on to defeat the inexperienced team by a score of 22-6.
November 1, 1890 Allegheny scheduled a game against the Princeton University Preparatory team, paying them $150. The prep team was a far cry from the Princeton's varsity team
. Allegheny would end up losing to the touring Princeton team, 44-6. The season concluded with a 6-6 tie with the Detroit Athletic Club
and a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Athletic Club
, both amateur club squads. However the Allegheny Athletic Association was regarded as the local champions that season.
, which increased the prestige of the club that their membership of more than 330 now equalled that of the older Pittsburgh Athletic Club (still officially called the East End Gym at the time). However by early October, the Pittsburgh club emerged onto the football scene. At this time, Harry Fry, who was in the line-up for Allegheny a year earlier, jumped to East End team.
Allegheny finally began their 1891 season on October 24. Their line-up included veteran players A.S. Valentine, Ed Brainard, Harry and John Oliver, O.D. Thompson and John Moorehead. Norman McClintock, formerly of Yale, was a new addition for the team at end. Surprisingly though, Doc Proctor of the East End team appeared in Allegheny's starting backfield that day. The team played against the Greensburg Athletic Association
to post a 10-0 win. However a week later Allegheny lost to the Cleveland Athletic Club, led by Billy Rhodes, 22-4.
A November 11, 1891 game against the Dayton Athletic Club, a dispute arose over the rules of the, still relatively new, game of football. When the game was over, the score stood either 10-6 Dayton or 10-6 Allegheny, or possibly 6-6, depending on just how the rules were applied. To resolve the dispute a claim was filed directly to the modern game's founder, Walter Camp. Despite Allegheny's O.D. Thompson being Camp's student and friend, the decision by Camp ended in a 10-6 Dayton victory. However after losing two games in a row, Allegheny was able to climb back to .500 with a 8-4 rally over Washington & Jefferson
. However in order of putting together a competitive team, Allegheny had to convince two brothers, Ross
and Lawson Fiscus
, for the Greensburg Athletic Association, to play for them. Without the Fiscus brothers in their line-up, the game would have possibly ended in another Allegheny loss. Meanwhile the East End team finished posting a six game winning streak.
Sports fans in the area soon demanded a game between East End and Allegheny. Manager O.D. Thompson tried to avoid the issue, even after he was accused of cowardice by critics. Thompson secretly knew how good the East End team was and feared of what a one-sided loss to their arch-rivals might do to the club's memberships and clubhouse subscriptions. Thompson even had to recruit not only the Fiscus borthers but also Doc Proctor and Grant Dibert of East End to fill out his backfield for the final scheduled game. So under the circumstances, Alleghent was in no condition to play a high stakes game against East End.
The team's final game of the season, was a rematch against the Cleveland Athletic Club. Allegheny's additions of Dibert, Proctor and the Fiscus brother made the match-up more even. Meanwhile Cleveland's, Billy Rhodes, did bnot make the trip to Allegheny. The game played At Exhibition Park, ended in a 6-6 tie, after the game was called due to darkness. After the game, O.D. Thompson announced his retirement as the club's manager. However newspaper reports in the Pittsburgh Post
hinted that Thompson was forced out as the team's manager. The paper stated that unnamed club officials were very critical of how the football team was being run. Many were citical over Thompson fielding the team with East End players. However Thompson's defenders pointed out that the manager of an amateur team had very few ways to compel his men to do anything. They further stated that had Thompson not used East End players he might have had to ask for volunteers from the crowd. Also the falling attendance for the club's games was mainly due to the inclement weather that was experienced in the area throughout the autumn. But finally it was stated that a game with East End might have hurt the clubs reputation more than it would have helped bringing in money to the organization.
The 1892 season would showcase the first two games of the Pittsburgh-Allegheny rivialry. On October 8, Allegheny played its only warm-up game against the Indiana Normal School
at Exposition Park. Norman McClintock would score four touchdowns in a 20-6 Allegheny win. New changes to the team included tackle, W.W. Blunt, who was listed as team captain, while guard
Billy Kountz
replaced Thompson as the team's manager. The reason that Alleghney played in only one exhibition game was so that the team could effectively hide its strengths and weaknesses from Pittsburgh's scouts. The game between was schedule for October 21, Columbus Day
, to be played at Pittsburgh's field.
Animosity between the two clubs remained high. The latest incident involved quarterback A.S. Valentine, who jumped to the Pittsburgh team at the beginning of the 1892 season and played in their first two games. However, without warning, he suddenly jumped back to Allegheny. Some accused Allegheny of enticing him back, while others, charged he had all along been a spy for Allegheny all along. Gamblers and odds-makers listed the Pittsburgh team as slight favorites because the game would be played on their home field and because they had more experience working together.
Shortly before the game, the Pittsburgh A.C. was in need of a replacement at center, due to their regular player being injured. Pittsburgh captain Charley Aull
, reportedly told the officials from both teams that he had just ran into an old friend named "Stayer", who agreed to play in the game at center. Both teams agreed to let "Stayer" play. The hard-fought game between the two clubs ended in a 6-6 tie, with William Kirschner (for Pittsburgh) and Doc Proctor scoring the games only scores. As a result of the contest, the two clubs divided $1,200 in gate receipts and each processed about 100 new members in the following two months.
The game only added fuel to rivialry as Pittsburgh accused the Allegheny of dirty play to purposely injure Kirschner. Meanwhile Allegheny countered that Kirschner was a professional who didn't belong on the field anyway. Meanwhile Allegheny's E.V. Paul announced that he was willing to bet anyone that Pittsburgh had indeed used a professional in the game. Suspicion soon focused on the mysterious Pittsburgh player "Stayer". Allegheny soon began with accusing "Stayer" of being a hired player after the supposedly injured player he replaced appeared healthy the next day when Pittsburgh had another game. It was soon discovered that "Strayers" real name was A.C. Read
, the captain of the Penn State University football team
. The revelation came a shocker to sports fans in the area. Now neither club would hesitate to take the final step to professionalism. The rematch was scheduled to be played in three weeks.
On the day of the rematch between the two clubs, Sport Donnelly, Ed Malley and William "Pudge" Heffelfinger
of the Chicago Athletic Association Football team
appeared in the Allegheny line-up. Pittsburgh objected to the new additions in the line-up and the game was originally called a 6-0 forfeit after the Pittsburgh players walked off the field in protest. However O.D. Thompson reappeared and reclaimed his position as Allegheny manager. After arguments and deliberations, the platers took the field. The game ended in a 4-0 Allegheny win, with Heffelfinger scoring the games only points on a 35 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. However while the three Chicago players gave Allegheny an advantage, however they had never practiced with their new teammates and a lot of mistakes were made. This kept the tight-knit Pittsburgh team competitive throughout the game.
Both teams were upset about the outcome of the game. Allegheny was unable to collect on their bets, while Pittsburgh was angered over the Chicago players being imported into the contest. Pittsburgh called Heffelfinger a paid professional and insisted he had been paid $500 to play in the game. On top of that, the team charged that all three Chicago men had received twice their travel expenses, making them paid professionals. Meanwhile Allegheny accused Pittsburgh of hiring Simon Martin
, who was promised a job at the club for his participation. Both teams threatened to take their complaints to the Amateur Athletic Association, but later backed down after realizing that each's own activities would be closely scrutinized.
There were reports that some Allegheny players had quit the team rather than be associated with professionalism. While some regular A.A.A. players wanted to be paid for playing. Pittsburgh newspapers, continued to refer to both teams as amateurs while printing most of the charges of professionalism.
, the president of the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. After a brief discussion, the man gave Rooney a typed, 49-page manuscript about the early history of pro football. Ross' examination of Pittsburgh newspapers indicated that the first pro football player actually was Pudge Heffelfinger, an all-American guard from Yale, who was hired play for Allegheny on November 12, 1892 for $500. Up until then John Brallier
, of the Latrobe Athletic Association
, was considered the first professional football player. The Pro Football Hall of Fame
soon discovered a page torn from an 1892 account ledger prepared by Allegheny manager, O.D. Thompson, that included the line item: "Game performance bonus to W. Heffelfinger for playing (cash) $500."
Heffelfinger, who was working as a railroad clerk in Chicago
, and had earlier turned down an offer to play for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club for $250. This set off quite a controversy as Pittsburgh A.C. protested the presence of Heffelfinger and other Chicago Athletic Association players. Allegheny retaliated with the fact that Pittsburgh had imported players as well. The game was played at Recreation Park
, which was located on Pittsburgh's north shore. The spot is marked by a historic marker.
It later turned out that Heffelfinger received $500 plus $25 in expenses for the game, too much for a low-paid railroad clerk to pass up. Two of his Chicago teammates received “liberal” expense money. Thus, William (Pudge) Heffelfinger now is acknowledged as the first professional football player anywhere. The next week, Allegheny paid former Princeton
tight end
Ben "Sport" Donnelly
$250 to play against Washington & Jefferson
, and despite having two pros in their line-up, the Allegheny would go on to lose the game, 8-0.
, James Van Cleve
, and Ollie Rafferty
under contract for $50 per game for the season. Other Pittsburgh teams began hiring players, but Allegheny remained the top local football club for the next two years. When the team started slowly, Sport Donnelly was brought in as player-coach
, becoming the first man to coach a known professional football team. Donnelly was paid to coach the team, however he still played for them for free.
In 1894 the Allegheny looked to be the stronger fo the two teams. They defeated a team from Sewickley
, 18-0, Indiana Normal 16-0, and the Carnegie Athletic Club 33-0. A three game series between Pittsburgh and Allegheny would be played to determine the western Pennsylvania champions. In late October a game was scheduled between Allegheny and Pittsburgh. Nearly 2,000 tickets were sold in advance and the actual crowd at the Pittsburgh Athletic Club was estimated at 3,000. Pittsburgh won the first game of the three game series 6-4. The second game of the series was scheduled for November 6. Prior to the game, an unnamed Pittsburgh player offered the team's signals and offering to Allegheny's Billy Kountz for $20. Allegheny reported the incident to Pittsburgh and the player was dealt with properly. Both team had hired ringers but this offense was considered blatant cheating and unacceptable. Alleghney would go on to win the second game and tie up the series. Just before Thanksgiving the third game was played and ended in a 30-4 Allegheny win. Ross Fiscus scored three touchdowns in the game. Allegheny was awarded a large trophy cup contributed by the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph (merged into the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1960). Both clubs admitted to making a couple of thousand dollars on the game. The game's attendance was said to have numbered nearly 10,000 people.
(AAU), which discouraged professional play, began the process of suspending the Allegheny team for its flagrant violations of amateur rules. Knowing that it would soon be barred from competition by the AAU, the Allegheny Athletic Association defiantly emptied its treasury to import a team of all-stars, including Heffelfinger. The team, the first completely professional team, defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
on consecutive days, both games by shutouts. Then, after its abbreviated two game season, the pro football turmoil had upset the club so much that the sport was dropped.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and later the first fully professional football team. The organization was founded in 1890 as a regional athletic club in Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny City was a Pennsylvania municipality located on the north side of the junction of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, across from downtown Pittsburgh. It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907...
, which is today the North Shore of Pittsburgh
North Shore (Pittsburgh)
The North Shore is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's North Side. It has a zip code of 15212, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 1 and 6...
.
Origins
The Allegheny team was assembled in 18901890 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Harvard Crimson-Association football:England* The Football League – Preston North End 33 points, Everton 31, Blackburn Rovers 27, Wolves 25, West Bromwich Albion 25, Accrington FC 24* FA Cup final – Blackburn Rovers...
. At that time athletic clubs and associations, ranging from the best with extensive facilities to local organizations with minimum meeting rooms, were in their prime as a source of fraternal fellowship for athletes. In most sports, Allegheny provided very little competition for the more established East End Gymnasium Club (EEGC), which in 1892 became the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (football)
The Pittsburgh Athletic Club football team, established in 1891, was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1892 the intense competition between two Pittsburgh-area clubs, the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, led to William Heffelfinger becoming the first known...
. Allegheny soon took up football largely when the club discovered that it could give them a recruiting edge over the East Enders. Many Allegheny club members had gone to eastern colleges and played football. Members O. D. Thompson
O. D. Thompson
Oliver David Thompson, Esq. was an early football player at Yale, who played alongside Walter Camp. After his time at Yale, Thompson played, and served as the manager, for the Allegheny Athletic Association. However Thompson is best known for paying Pudge Heffelfinger $500 to play for Allegheny...
and John Moorehead, were former teammates of Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
, the inventor of the modern game, who had become a successful Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
lawyer. The team also immediately gave Allegheny a strong following since the East Enders did not have a football team at the time. Allegheny's backfield during that inaugurual year had A. S. Valentine
A. S. Valentine
A. S. Valentine was an early professional football player for the Allegheny Athletic Association. He served as the team's quarterback in 1890 and 1891. However he jumped to the rivial Pittsburgh Athletic Club in 1892. Valentine played for Pittsburgh in their first two games. Then, without warning,...
, at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
; two track stars in Harry Oliver and Harry Fry as the halfbacks
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
; and O.D. Thompson at fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
.
In what may have been the first official football game in modern-day Pittsburgh, the club's inaugural season began on October 11, 1890 when Allegheny played the Western University of Pennsylvania (later renamed the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
) at Exposition Park
Exposition Park (Pittsburgh)
Exposition Park was a baseball park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1890 to circa 1915. It was located on the north side of the Allegheny River across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Prior to the construction of this version of Exposition Park, two previous ballparks of the same name were...
, on what is today the parking area between PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
and Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
, in front of a crowd of 500 spectators. Allegheny won the game easily, 38-0, but the contest was significant since it marked the official start of Pitt's football program
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
. prior to the game, Allegheny was to play Shady Side Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shady Side Academy is a private, secular coeducational PK-12 preparatory school located on three campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, established in 1883.- Campuses :Shady Side Academy has three campuses in Pittsburgh....
, however the team failed to show up for the game and were replaced the Western University team. Allegheny went on to defeat Shady Side Academy a week later, 32-0.
Although the eleven players styled themselves the "All-Pittsburghs", who were really a collection of local athletes masquerading as a team.
Significantly, several of the pick-ups were members of the East End Gym such as William Kirschner
William Kirschner
Professor William Kirschner was an early football player for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He may, or may not, have been one of the earliest professional football players. Even though he had never played football before 1890, he had the ability to learn and adapt to the game quickly...
and Grant Dibert
Grant Dibert
Grant Dibert was an early professional football player with the Pittsburgh Athletic Club however, which was customary at the time, he also played a few side games with the Allegheny Athletic Association. He played the position of halfback. His primary team was the Pittsburgh A...
. This game foreshadowed the start of the upcoming rivailry between Allegheny and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Allegheny would go on to defeat the inexperienced team by a score of 22-6.
November 1, 1890 Allegheny scheduled a game against the Princeton University Preparatory team, paying them $150. The prep team was a far cry from the Princeton's varsity team
Princeton Tigers football
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
. Allegheny would end up losing to the touring Princeton team, 44-6. The season concluded with a 6-6 tie with the Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
and a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Athletic Club
Cleveland Athletic Club
The Cleveland Athletic Club is a historic organization in a historic building designed by J. Milton Dyer. The club was in financial difficulaty in 2007....
, both amateur club squads. However the Allegheny Athletic Association was regarded as the local champions that season.
Threat from Pittsburgh
Allegheny began their 1891 season recognized as the premier football teams in western Pennsylvania. The year began with the club's admission into the Amateur Athletic UnionAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, which increased the prestige of the club that their membership of more than 330 now equalled that of the older Pittsburgh Athletic Club (still officially called the East End Gym at the time). However by early October, the Pittsburgh club emerged onto the football scene. At this time, Harry Fry, who was in the line-up for Allegheny a year earlier, jumped to East End team.
Allegheny finally began their 1891 season on October 24. Their line-up included veteran players A.S. Valentine, Ed Brainard, Harry and John Oliver, O.D. Thompson and John Moorehead. Norman McClintock, formerly of Yale, was a new addition for the team at end. Surprisingly though, Doc Proctor of the East End team appeared in Allegheny's starting backfield that day. The team played against the Greensburg Athletic Association
Greensburg Athletic Association
The Greensburg Athletic Association was an early organized football team, based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, that played from 1890 until 1900. The team began as an amateur football club in 1890 and was composed primarily of locals before several professional players were added for the 1895 season...
to post a 10-0 win. However a week later Allegheny lost to the Cleveland Athletic Club, led by Billy Rhodes, 22-4.
A November 11, 1891 game against the Dayton Athletic Club, a dispute arose over the rules of the, still relatively new, game of football. When the game was over, the score stood either 10-6 Dayton or 10-6 Allegheny, or possibly 6-6, depending on just how the rules were applied. To resolve the dispute a claim was filed directly to the modern game's founder, Walter Camp. Despite Allegheny's O.D. Thompson being Camp's student and friend, the decision by Camp ended in a 10-6 Dayton victory. However after losing two games in a row, Allegheny was able to climb back to .500 with a 8-4 rally over Washington & Jefferson
Washington & Jefferson Presidents football
The Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team represents Washington & Jefferson College in collegiate level football. The team competes in NCAA Division III and is affiliated with the Presidents' Athletic Conference...
. However in order of putting together a competitive team, Allegheny had to convince two brothers, Ross
Ross Fiscus
Ross Fiscus was an early professional football player and coach in the United States. He was one of the first pro players on record.-Playing history:...
and Lawson Fiscus
Lawson Fiscus
Ira Lawson Fiscus was one of the first professional football players. He attended Princeton University, where his outstanding play at offensive guard earned him the title Samson of Princeton, before going on to play professionally with the Allegheny Athletic Association in 1891 and the Greensburg...
, for the Greensburg Athletic Association, to play for them. Without the Fiscus brothers in their line-up, the game would have possibly ended in another Allegheny loss. Meanwhile the East End team finished posting a six game winning streak.
Sports fans in the area soon demanded a game between East End and Allegheny. Manager O.D. Thompson tried to avoid the issue, even after he was accused of cowardice by critics. Thompson secretly knew how good the East End team was and feared of what a one-sided loss to their arch-rivals might do to the club's memberships and clubhouse subscriptions. Thompson even had to recruit not only the Fiscus borthers but also Doc Proctor and Grant Dibert of East End to fill out his backfield for the final scheduled game. So under the circumstances, Alleghent was in no condition to play a high stakes game against East End.
The team's final game of the season, was a rematch against the Cleveland Athletic Club. Allegheny's additions of Dibert, Proctor and the Fiscus brother made the match-up more even. Meanwhile Cleveland's, Billy Rhodes, did bnot make the trip to Allegheny. The game played At Exhibition Park, ended in a 6-6 tie, after the game was called due to darkness. After the game, O.D. Thompson announced his retirement as the club's manager. However newspaper reports in the Pittsburgh Post
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
hinted that Thompson was forced out as the team's manager. The paper stated that unnamed club officials were very critical of how the football team was being run. Many were citical over Thompson fielding the team with East End players. However Thompson's defenders pointed out that the manager of an amateur team had very few ways to compel his men to do anything. They further stated that had Thompson not used East End players he might have had to ask for volunteers from the crowd. Also the falling attendance for the club's games was mainly due to the inclement weather that was experienced in the area throughout the autumn. But finally it was stated that a game with East End might have hurt the clubs reputation more than it would have helped bringing in money to the organization.
Path to professional football
Up until now, there was no proof of professional athletes being used in western Pennsylvania sports. However there were some questions as to why the Fiscus brother were willing to travel over 30 miles to play for Allegheny when they had a perfectly good team in Greensburg. Or why Doc Proctor, Grant Dibert, and a couple of other Pittsburgh players performed for Allegheny, while the Pittsburgh club was outraged over Allegheny's refusal to schedule a game with them. However these examples could be ascribed to enthusiasm by the players and persuasiveness by the team managers.The 1892 season would showcase the first two games of the Pittsburgh-Allegheny rivialry. On October 8, Allegheny played its only warm-up game against the Indiana Normal School
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
at Exposition Park. Norman McClintock would score four touchdowns in a 20-6 Allegheny win. New changes to the team included tackle, W.W. Blunt, who was listed as team captain, while guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Billy Kountz
Billy Kountz
Billy Kountz was an early football player for the Allegheny Athletic Association. Although the team's guard, Kountz also served as the team's manager in 1892, after the resignation of O. D. Thompson which took place after the 1891 season. Kountz played for Allegheny from 1891 until 1894.In October...
replaced Thompson as the team's manager. The reason that Alleghney played in only one exhibition game was so that the team could effectively hide its strengths and weaknesses from Pittsburgh's scouts. The game between was schedule for October 21, Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
, to be played at Pittsburgh's field.
Animosity between the two clubs remained high. The latest incident involved quarterback A.S. Valentine, who jumped to the Pittsburgh team at the beginning of the 1892 season and played in their first two games. However, without warning, he suddenly jumped back to Allegheny. Some accused Allegheny of enticing him back, while others, charged he had all along been a spy for Allegheny all along. Gamblers and odds-makers listed the Pittsburgh team as slight favorites because the game would be played on their home field and because they had more experience working together.
Shortly before the game, the Pittsburgh A.C. was in need of a replacement at center, due to their regular player being injured. Pittsburgh captain Charley Aull
Charley Aull
Charles E. Aull was an early professional football player. He played professionally for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He also played college football from 1889 until 1891 for the Penn State Nittany Lions.-Professional career:...
, reportedly told the officials from both teams that he had just ran into an old friend named "Stayer", who agreed to play in the game at center. Both teams agreed to let "Stayer" play. The hard-fought game between the two clubs ended in a 6-6 tie, with William Kirschner (for Pittsburgh) and Doc Proctor scoring the games only scores. As a result of the contest, the two clubs divided $1,200 in gate receipts and each processed about 100 new members in the following two months.
The game only added fuel to rivialry as Pittsburgh accused the Allegheny of dirty play to purposely injure Kirschner. Meanwhile Allegheny countered that Kirschner was a professional who didn't belong on the field anyway. Meanwhile Allegheny's E.V. Paul announced that he was willing to bet anyone that Pittsburgh had indeed used a professional in the game. Suspicion soon focused on the mysterious Pittsburgh player "Stayer". Allegheny soon began with accusing "Stayer" of being a hired player after the supposedly injured player he replaced appeared healthy the next day when Pittsburgh had another game. It was soon discovered that "Strayers" real name was A.C. Read
A.C. Read
A.C. Read was a college football player and the captain of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, and a college shot putter.In 1892, he was suspected of being a paid ringer for the then-amateur Pittsburgh Athletic Club. According to the story, the Pittsburgh A.C. was in need of a replacement...
, the captain of the Penn State University football team
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. The revelation came a shocker to sports fans in the area. Now neither club would hesitate to take the final step to professionalism. The rematch was scheduled to be played in three weeks.
On the day of the rematch between the two clubs, Sport Donnelly, Ed Malley and William "Pudge" Heffelfinger
William Heffelfinger
-External links:...
of the Chicago Athletic Association Football team
Chicago Athletic Association Football team
The Chicago Athletic Association was an American football team, based in Chicago, Illinois. The club itself had been organized in 1890, and in 1892 it formed a football team...
appeared in the Allegheny line-up. Pittsburgh objected to the new additions in the line-up and the game was originally called a 6-0 forfeit after the Pittsburgh players walked off the field in protest. However O.D. Thompson reappeared and reclaimed his position as Allegheny manager. After arguments and deliberations, the platers took the field. The game ended in a 4-0 Allegheny win, with Heffelfinger scoring the games only points on a 35 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. However while the three Chicago players gave Allegheny an advantage, however they had never practiced with their new teammates and a lot of mistakes were made. This kept the tight-knit Pittsburgh team competitive throughout the game.
Both teams were upset about the outcome of the game. Allegheny was unable to collect on their bets, while Pittsburgh was angered over the Chicago players being imported into the contest. Pittsburgh called Heffelfinger a paid professional and insisted he had been paid $500 to play in the game. On top of that, the team charged that all three Chicago men had received twice their travel expenses, making them paid professionals. Meanwhile Allegheny accused Pittsburgh of hiring Simon Martin
Simon Martin
Simon Martin is an artist living and working in London.Martin attended the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, between 1985-89. He has shown at White Columns, New York, The Powerplant, Toronto and the Tate Triennial 2006, at Tate Britain.-External links:* - Simon Martins own...
, who was promised a job at the club for his participation. Both teams threatened to take their complaints to the Amateur Athletic Association, but later backed down after realizing that each's own activities would be closely scrutinized.
There were reports that some Allegheny players had quit the team rather than be associated with professionalism. While some regular A.A.A. players wanted to be paid for playing. Pittsburgh newspapers, continued to refer to both teams as amateurs while printing most of the charges of professionalism.
First professional player
In the 1960s a man named Nelson Ross, walked into the office of Dan RooneyDan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
, the president of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. After a brief discussion, the man gave Rooney a typed, 49-page manuscript about the early history of pro football. Ross' examination of Pittsburgh newspapers indicated that the first pro football player actually was Pudge Heffelfinger, an all-American guard from Yale, who was hired play for Allegheny on November 12, 1892 for $500. Up until then John Brallier
John Brallier
John Kinport "Sal" Brallier was one of the first professional American football players. He was nationally acknowledged as the first openly paid professional football player when he was given $10 to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association for a game against the Jeanette Athletic Association in...
, of the Latrobe Athletic Association
Latrobe Athletic Association
The Latrobe Athletic Association was a professional football team located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, from 1895 until 1909. The team is best known for being the first football club to play a full season while composed entirely of professional players...
, was considered the first professional football player. The Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
soon discovered a page torn from an 1892 account ledger prepared by Allegheny manager, O.D. Thompson, that included the line item: "Game performance bonus to W. Heffelfinger for playing (cash) $500."
Heffelfinger, who was working as a railroad clerk in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and had earlier turned down an offer to play for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club for $250. This set off quite a controversy as Pittsburgh A.C. protested the presence of Heffelfinger and other Chicago Athletic Association players. Allegheny retaliated with the fact that Pittsburgh had imported players as well. The game was played at Recreation Park
Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)
Recreation Park, originally known as Union Park, was a stadium located in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, before its 1907 annexation into the city of Pittsburgh, in the latter 19th century to the early 20th century. It was the first official home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League...
, which was located on Pittsburgh's north shore. The spot is marked by a historic marker.
It later turned out that Heffelfinger received $500 plus $25 in expenses for the game, too much for a low-paid railroad clerk to pass up. Two of his Chicago teammates received “liberal” expense money. Thus, William (Pudge) Heffelfinger now is acknowledged as the first professional football player anywhere. The next week, Allegheny paid former Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Ben "Sport" Donnelly
Ben "Sport" Donnelly
-External links:...
$250 to play against Washington & Jefferson
Washington & Jefferson Presidents football
The Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team represents Washington & Jefferson College in collegiate level football. The team competes in NCAA Division III and is affiliated with the Presidents' Athletic Conference...
, and despite having two pros in their line-up, the Allegheny would go on to lose the game, 8-0.
A professional football club
In 1893, Allegheny and Pittsburgh split two games, with Pittsburgh winning 6-0 at Exposition Park and Allegheny evening the score, 8-4, at Pittsburgh's field. That season Allegheny put Peter WrightPeter Wright (American football)
Peter Wright was an early professional football player. In 1893 he was under contract by the Allegheny Athletic Association to be paid $50 per game for the entire season. That season Peter, Ollie Rafferty and James Van Cleve were all under contract....
, James Van Cleve
James Van Cleve
James M. Van Cleve was the fourth ever known person to be paid to play football. Only Pudge Heffelfinger, Sport Donnelly and Peter Wright were professionals before him. Van Cleve's contract was with the Allegheny Athletic Association for $50 per game for the entire 1893 season.In 1894, during a...
, and Ollie Rafferty
Ollie Rafferty
Oliver W. Rafferty was an early professional football player. In 1893 he was under contract by the Allegheny Athletic Association to be paid $50 per game for the entire season. He returned to Allegheny in 1894 to help the club win the Western Pennsylvania Championship...
under contract for $50 per game for the season. Other Pittsburgh teams began hiring players, but Allegheny remained the top local football club for the next two years. When the team started slowly, Sport Donnelly was brought in as player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
, becoming the first man to coach a known professional football team. Donnelly was paid to coach the team, however he still played for them for free.
In 1894 the Allegheny looked to be the stronger fo the two teams. They defeated a team from Sewickley
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Sewickley is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, west northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. It is a residential suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,827 at the 2010 census...
, 18-0, Indiana Normal 16-0, and the Carnegie Athletic Club 33-0. A three game series between Pittsburgh and Allegheny would be played to determine the western Pennsylvania champions. In late October a game was scheduled between Allegheny and Pittsburgh. Nearly 2,000 tickets were sold in advance and the actual crowd at the Pittsburgh Athletic Club was estimated at 3,000. Pittsburgh won the first game of the three game series 6-4. The second game of the series was scheduled for November 6. Prior to the game, an unnamed Pittsburgh player offered the team's signals and offering to Allegheny's Billy Kountz for $20. Allegheny reported the incident to Pittsburgh and the player was dealt with properly. Both team had hired ringers but this offense was considered blatant cheating and unacceptable. Alleghney would go on to win the second game and tie up the series. Just before Thanksgiving the third game was played and ended in a 30-4 Allegheny win. Ross Fiscus scored three touchdowns in the game. Allegheny was awarded a large trophy cup contributed by the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph (merged into the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1960). Both clubs admitted to making a couple of thousand dollars on the game. The game's attendance was said to have numbered nearly 10,000 people.
AAU investigation
In September, 1895 the Allegheny found that it was under investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union for secretly paying its players. If the AAU discovered that the Allegheny had been paying players, it would declare the club professional, and no other team would dare play them and the club's membership would dramatically fall. Hoping to avoid punishment, Allegheny simply decided not to filed a team in 1895.First fully professional team
For the 1896 season, the Allegheny organization fielded a completely professional team. However by 1896, the Amateur Athletic UnionAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU), which discouraged professional play, began the process of suspending the Allegheny team for its flagrant violations of amateur rules. Knowing that it would soon be barred from competition by the AAU, the Allegheny Athletic Association defiantly emptied its treasury to import a team of all-stars, including Heffelfinger. The team, the first completely professional team, defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
Duquesne Country and Athletic Club
The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club was a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1895 until 1900. The team was considered one of the best, if not the best, professional football teams in the country from 1898 until 1900...
on consecutive days, both games by shutouts. Then, after its abbreviated two game season, the pro football turmoil had upset the club so much that the sport was dropped.