Y Giants: Norwich's semi-pro football team: Part 1
By Jim Dunne
Professional football in Norwich? Well, not exactly, but 60 years ago this fall, “semi-pro” football was founded in Norwich by the men who played it. The Norwich “Y Giants” played on Sunday afternoons from 1947 through 1951, challenging semi-pro teams from Sidney, Vestal, Syracuse, Utica, and other central New York towns.
The year 1947 was part of a different era. Although professional football was played on Sundays, no one had a TV to watch it. The local semi-pro teams drew large crowds, anxious to see more of the boys who had starred for the high school teams a few years before. Founded by men who had served in World War II and who had returned still in good condition (in more ways than one), the teams were joined by college men and boys just out of high school.
“Semi-pro” was a term used to differentiate this local brand of football from high school football. Sometimes the players were paid, but the real motivation for most of them was to extend their youth, playing a game that they loved. They surmounted many obstacles in order to field a team that would draw the crowds necessary to finance equipment, uniforms, game officials, and insurance.
In Norwich, the man who provided the leadership in many roles was John Kelly. Kelly had been the captain of the championship NHS team of 1943, which would have been undefeated except for a season-ending 7–6 loss to the cadets of the Manlius School, a team that consisted mostly of high school graduates who were preparing for a college career. Like many boys who were anxious to serve their country, Kelly left high school in January of his senior year to enlist in the Navy. When he returned two years later, he entered Syracuse U. to play football. He became the starting fullback on the Syracuse freshman team, but left school after a year.
When Kelly returned to Norwich, he was hired as physical director of the YMCA by Stan Georgia, one of the men whose support was vital to the success of the Norwich semi-pro team. At that time, nearby Sidney already had a team, and it didn’t take long for Kelly and his friend Harold “Babe” Barnes, star end on the NHS ’43 and ’44 teams, to become part of the Sidney Cardinals. They were joined by Burt Palmatier, captain of the undefeated, untied, unscored-upon 1937 “dream team,” Bob Crittenden and Bob Palmer, quarterback and kicker respectively for John Kelly’s ’43 team, and Jim Kelly, John’s younger brother who played for the ’44 and ’45 teams. With the Norwich men on board, Sidney defeated Oxford on October 6, 1947, but then took a 19–0 drubbing from a good Binghamton Legion team on October 11. At that point, the Norwich men decided that Norwich should have the talent and numbers to field a team of its own.
By this time, half of the 1947 season was past, and the requirements to field a team were daunting. However, John Kelly, as physical director of the Y, was able to enlist the help of two men whose names were associated with sports in Norwich all their lives – Stan Georgia and Kurt Beyer. Within two weeks, arrangements were made to borrow Norwich High School’s football uniforms and equipment, and to use Alumni Field for home games. The use of the uniforms and equipment was vital, and Beyer was able to convince Superintendent Gilbert Lyon and the Board of Education, headed by Cyrus Higley, to approve it. Perry Browne, then sports editor and later managing editor of the Norwich Sun, beat the drum unabashedly in his columns to stir up spectators for the Sunday games. He also publicized the need for more Norwich players.
John Kelly, already captain of the fledgling Norwich Y Giants, had reluctantly agreed to serve as coach also. But before the first practice, he was approached by Jack Lee, a star on the 1936 Norwich eleven who had also played in college at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont with fellow NHS players Jack and Carl Hughes and Paul Rice, as well as professionally with the New Jersey Giants. Lee’s maturity and toughness, as well as his experience in the game, made him a good choice for coach, and he agreed – as long as he could also play.
Meanwhile, on the administrative side of the organization, Ed Leahy and Bob VanTine volunteered to serve as business managers, and Don Collier became manager of everything else, handling scheduling, travel, equipment, and officials. Collier arranged for veteran Norwich officials Hal Frink and Frank Giltner to referee almost every home game that first year. Ticket sellers were men who were involved in almost everything related to sports in Norwich: Hartley Ackley, Morrie Chirlin, Ray Farley, Jack Boyce, Ken Tyler, Fenton Pooler, Stan Georgia, and Luke White.
In addition to the men who had played at Sidney – the Kelly brothers, “Babe” Barnes, Bob Crittenden (known as one of the best signal-callers to ever play for Norwich), Bob Palmer (known as “Tank” or “Plumb” and a great straight-ahead fullback), and Burt Palmatier, the veteran captain of the 1937 team, the squad had been joined within days by many more former NHS stars. At end, Barnes was joined by Don McGraw, who had left school to go to work, and Bob “Popeye” Hall. Interior linemen were Fran Spadaro, Jack Lee, Bill Currie, Walter “Neap” Tracy, John Benenati, Ang Muserilli, Ang “Rackatack” Natoli, Julian Smith, Bob Figary, Ed Weed, Sam Sastri, “Chick” Clark, Cliff Frink, Vincent Meyers, and at center, Bob “Diz” Conron, who had played at Syracuse. Hall and Currie had played for their base teams while in the service. In the backfield, Richie Barnes, who had just wrapped up his high school career, joined older brother Harold, along with Harry Thompson and John Blood. During that first season of 1947, the team was joined by Don Crittenden (making three brother combinations) and the diminutive Jimmy Kennedy.
The Y Giants were in existence for 5 years, and very few men were there for all of them. Some played for 4, while others played only 1 year. They were not schoolboys who had nothing else to do, but men, many who had fought for their country, and now needed to resume interrupted lives, finding a job, getting married, and buying a house. But football was still important, and they played as long as they could.
The first team that Norwich could schedule a game with was the Syracuse Valley Athletic Club, and the game was played on October 26, 1947, at Alumni Field. It was not an auspicious beginning for the home team. To start with, the Syracuse team took a wrong turn, ending up nearer Cortland than Norwich, and delaying the start of the game by almost an hour. A lack of rain for several weeks turned the field into a dust bowl, and the players were indistinguishable by the end of the game. And to top it off – Norwich lost, 6-0.
Part II of this 15-part series will appear in Tuesday’s Evening Sun.
Professional football in Norwich? Well, not exactly, but 60 years ago this fall, “semi-pro” football was founded in Norwich by the men who played it. The Norwich “Y Giants” played on Sunday afternoons from 1947 through 1951, challenging semi-pro teams from Sidney, Vestal, Syracuse, Utica, and other central New York towns.
The year 1947 was part of a different era. Although professional football was played on Sundays, no one had a TV to watch it. The local semi-pro teams drew large crowds, anxious to see more of the boys who had starred for the high school teams a few years before. Founded by men who had served in World War II and who had returned still in good condition (in more ways than one), the teams were joined by college men and boys just out of high school.
“Semi-pro” was a term used to differentiate this local brand of football from high school football. Sometimes the players were paid, but the real motivation for most of them was to extend their youth, playing a game that they loved. They surmounted many obstacles in order to field a team that would draw the crowds necessary to finance equipment, uniforms, game officials, and insurance.
In Norwich, the man who provided the leadership in many roles was John Kelly. Kelly had been the captain of the championship NHS team of 1943, which would have been undefeated except for a season-ending 7–6 loss to the cadets of the Manlius School, a team that consisted mostly of high school graduates who were preparing for a college career. Like many boys who were anxious to serve their country, Kelly left high school in January of his senior year to enlist in the Navy. When he returned two years later, he entered Syracuse U. to play football. He became the starting fullback on the Syracuse freshman team, but left school after a year.
When Kelly returned to Norwich, he was hired as physical director of the YMCA by Stan Georgia, one of the men whose support was vital to the success of the Norwich semi-pro team. At that time, nearby Sidney already had a team, and it didn’t take long for Kelly and his friend Harold “Babe” Barnes, star end on the NHS ’43 and ’44 teams, to become part of the Sidney Cardinals. They were joined by Burt Palmatier, captain of the undefeated, untied, unscored-upon 1937 “dream team,” Bob Crittenden and Bob Palmer, quarterback and kicker respectively for John Kelly’s ’43 team, and Jim Kelly, John’s younger brother who played for the ’44 and ’45 teams. With the Norwich men on board, Sidney defeated Oxford on October 6, 1947, but then took a 19–0 drubbing from a good Binghamton Legion team on October 11. At that point, the Norwich men decided that Norwich should have the talent and numbers to field a team of its own.
By this time, half of the 1947 season was past, and the requirements to field a team were daunting. However, John Kelly, as physical director of the Y, was able to enlist the help of two men whose names were associated with sports in Norwich all their lives – Stan Georgia and Kurt Beyer. Within two weeks, arrangements were made to borrow Norwich High School’s football uniforms and equipment, and to use Alumni Field for home games. The use of the uniforms and equipment was vital, and Beyer was able to convince Superintendent Gilbert Lyon and the Board of Education, headed by Cyrus Higley, to approve it. Perry Browne, then sports editor and later managing editor of the Norwich Sun, beat the drum unabashedly in his columns to stir up spectators for the Sunday games. He also publicized the need for more Norwich players.
John Kelly, already captain of the fledgling Norwich Y Giants, had reluctantly agreed to serve as coach also. But before the first practice, he was approached by Jack Lee, a star on the 1936 Norwich eleven who had also played in college at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont with fellow NHS players Jack and Carl Hughes and Paul Rice, as well as professionally with the New Jersey Giants. Lee’s maturity and toughness, as well as his experience in the game, made him a good choice for coach, and he agreed – as long as he could also play.
Meanwhile, on the administrative side of the organization, Ed Leahy and Bob VanTine volunteered to serve as business managers, and Don Collier became manager of everything else, handling scheduling, travel, equipment, and officials. Collier arranged for veteran Norwich officials Hal Frink and Frank Giltner to referee almost every home game that first year. Ticket sellers were men who were involved in almost everything related to sports in Norwich: Hartley Ackley, Morrie Chirlin, Ray Farley, Jack Boyce, Ken Tyler, Fenton Pooler, Stan Georgia, and Luke White.
In addition to the men who had played at Sidney – the Kelly brothers, “Babe” Barnes, Bob Crittenden (known as one of the best signal-callers to ever play for Norwich), Bob Palmer (known as “Tank” or “Plumb” and a great straight-ahead fullback), and Burt Palmatier, the veteran captain of the 1937 team, the squad had been joined within days by many more former NHS stars. At end, Barnes was joined by Don McGraw, who had left school to go to work, and Bob “Popeye” Hall. Interior linemen were Fran Spadaro, Jack Lee, Bill Currie, Walter “Neap” Tracy, John Benenati, Ang Muserilli, Ang “Rackatack” Natoli, Julian Smith, Bob Figary, Ed Weed, Sam Sastri, “Chick” Clark, Cliff Frink, Vincent Meyers, and at center, Bob “Diz” Conron, who had played at Syracuse. Hall and Currie had played for their base teams while in the service. In the backfield, Richie Barnes, who had just wrapped up his high school career, joined older brother Harold, along with Harry Thompson and John Blood. During that first season of 1947, the team was joined by Don Crittenden (making three brother combinations) and the diminutive Jimmy Kennedy.
The Y Giants were in existence for 5 years, and very few men were there for all of them. Some played for 4, while others played only 1 year. They were not schoolboys who had nothing else to do, but men, many who had fought for their country, and now needed to resume interrupted lives, finding a job, getting married, and buying a house. But football was still important, and they played as long as they could.
The first team that Norwich could schedule a game with was the Syracuse Valley Athletic Club, and the game was played on October 26, 1947, at Alumni Field. It was not an auspicious beginning for the home team. To start with, the Syracuse team took a wrong turn, ending up nearer Cortland than Norwich, and delaying the start of the game by almost an hour. A lack of rain for several weeks turned the field into a dust bowl, and the players were indistinguishable by the end of the game. And to top it off – Norwich lost, 6-0.
Part II of this 15-part series will appear in Tuesday’s Evening Sun.
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