Ghosts of the Gridiron - Virtual Scrapbook Library

Vol. 2: Clifton Heights Orange & Black

During the early 1920s the suburban communities located just to the southwest of Philadelphia were a hot-bed of club football.  Towns such as Colwyn, Darby and Norwood were home to strong teams that engaged in an annual battle for the mythical championship of Delaware County.  Perhaps the most successful team from this area was the Orange & Black of the Clifton Heights Athletic Association.  Under the stewardship of manager Jimmy Gallagher, the Orange & Black consistently fielded strong teams that drew the attention of competitive clubs from across the broader region.  In addition to local rivals, Gallagher's boys routinely played teams from Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware.  On occasion the Orange & Black even entertained the NFL's Frankford Yellow Jackets and Pottsville Maroons.  In 1926 Clifton Heights joined the newly formed Eastern League of Professional Football.  Due to financial difficulties, however, soon dropped out of that circuit and returned to the more lucrative independent ranks to finish out the season.

Below is a collection of digitized newspaper clippings reporting on the Clifton Heights Orange & Black during the period 1921-27.  Simply click on an individual image to view a full sized version of that article.

1921  (5-2-2, incomplete)

Daily Republican Phoenixville, PA 10/8/1921 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/10/1921 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/31/1921 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/22/1921

1922  (9-1-1)

Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/2/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/9/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/16/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/23/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/30/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/6/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/13/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/20/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/27/1922 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/4/1922

1923  (6-3-3)

Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/1/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/1/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/8/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/15/1923 Evening Bulletin Philadelphia, PA 10/22/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/22/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/29/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/5/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/12/1923 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 11/19/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/19/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/26/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/7/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/7/1923 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/10/1923 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 12/17/1923

1924  (3-1-0, incomplete)

Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/11/1924

1925  (6-2-3)

Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 9/28/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/2/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/5/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/8/1925 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/12/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/17/1925 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/19/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/24/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/2/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/13/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/19/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/20/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/26/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/2/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/4/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/7/1925 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/14/1925

1926  (1-1-1, Eastern League; 4-3-2, overall)

Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 9/27/1926 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 9/27/1926 Bethlehem Globe Times Bethlehem, PA 10/4/1926 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/4/1926 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/11/1926 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/14/1926 Bethlehem Globe Times Bethlehem, PA 10/15/1926 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 11/22/1926 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/29/1926 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/3/1926 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/18/1926 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 12/19/1926 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/20/1926 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/20/1926

1927  (9-2-0)

Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 9/26/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 9/26/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/3/1927 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 10/17/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/17/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/22/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/24/1927 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 10/24/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/24/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/26/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/27/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 10/28/1927 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 10/31/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 10/31/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/3/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/5/1927 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 11/7/1927 Philadelphia Record Philadelphia, PA 11/7/1927 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/7/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/12/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/14/1927 Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA 11/14/1927 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/14/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/17/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/19/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/21/1927 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/21/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/23/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/25/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/26/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 11/28/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/1/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/3/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/8/1927 Evening Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/10/1927 Public Ledger Philadelphia, PA 12/12/1927