Ghosts of the Gridiron - Virtual Scrapbook Library

Vol. 4: Atlantic City Blue Tornadoes

For many seasons the Melrose Athletic Club fielded the most popular and successful football team in Atlantic City.  The combination of a respectable team and location in a popular seashore resort town enabled the "Roses" to attract some of the best teams from Philadelphia, New York and the coalfields of Eastern Pennsylvania as opponents.  In 1925, however, the Atlantic City Blue Tornadoes, with the backing of Atlantic City mayor Ed Bader, exploded onto the scene.  Bader's stated purpose was to bring the much coveted "championship of New Jersey" to Atlantic City.  Toward that end the team recruited some of the best players available.  The effort was largely successful, as the Blue Tornadoes posted a 12-2-0 season record.  There is little doubt that they were the state's strongest team that season.  In addition to decisive victories over New Jersey rivals Millville and Orange, the club notched a pair of late season victories over the NFL's Rochester Jeffersons.

Below is a collection of digitized newspaper clippings reporting on the Blue Tornadoes inaugural season.  Simply click on an individual image to view a full sized version of that article.

1925  (12-2-0)
Evening Public Ledger
Philadelphia, PA
10/5/1925		 Philadelphia Record
Philadelphia, PA
10/5/1925		 Philadelphia Record
Philadelphia, PA
10/12/1925		 Philadelphia Record
Philadelphia, PA
10/26/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
11/11/1925		 Evening Public Ledger
Philadelphia, PA
11/14/1925
1925-10-05_Evening_Public_Ledger.jpg (13266 bytes) 1925-10-05_Phila_Record.jpg (44501 bytes) 1925-10-12_Phila_Record.jpg (82186 bytes) 1925-10-26_Phila_Record.jpg (44682 bytes) 1925-11-11_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (116252 bytes) 1925-11-14_Evening_Public_Ledger.jpg (83439 bytes)
Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
11/16/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
11/18/1925		 Evening Public Ledger
Philadelphia, PA
11/21/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
11/23/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
11/23/1925		 Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA
11/30/1925
1925-11-16_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (278606 bytes) 1925-11-18_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (96568 bytes) 1925-11-21_Evening_Public_Ledger.jpg (108396 bytes) 1925-11-23_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (213505 bytes) 1925-11-23b_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (71618 bytes) 1925-11-30_Phila_Inquirer.jpg (28675 bytes)
Philadelphia Record
Philadelphia, PA
11/30/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
12/1/1925		 Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
12/7/1925		 Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA
12/7/1925		 Philadelphia Record
Philadelphia, PA
12/71925		 Evening Public Ledger
Philadelphia, PA
12/14/1925
1925-11-30_Phila_Record.jpg (60848 bytes) 1925-12-01_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (88209 bytes) 1925-12-07_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (89645 bytes) 1925-12-07_Phila_Inquirer.jpg (98109 bytes) 1925-12-07_Phila_Record.jpg (89859 bytes) 1925-12-14_Evening_Public_Ledger.jpg (24564 bytes)
Millville Daily Republican
Millville, NJ
12/14/1925
1925-12-14_Millville_Daily_Republican.jpg (187028 bytes)

© John J. Fenton, 2007, all rights reserved.