Eirball.ie – Gridiron Football in Ireland Statistics Archive

Recap

8,000 spectators turned out at Ravenhill, the home of Ulster Rugby in Belfast to see Hale Blue Devils take on Yarvard Crimson Tide at American Football in aid of the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSSFA). The names are not mis-spellings or typos but the names of Training Colleges associated with the Artillery Unit (Yarvard) and Service Unit (Hale) stationed in Northern Ireland during World War II.

The match was played as part of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) Football Championship in Autumn 1942 which took place in Northern Ireland. Raymond Chandler scored the opening touchdown, running in the ball in the first quarter to give Hale a 6-0 lead. Robert Hopfer equalised for Yarvard “running the ball on every play” and with Jay Wright succesfully making the Point After Touchdown kick the Crimson Tide were now 7-6 up in the second quarter.

In the third quarter Hale changed tactics, going to the air, with Quarterback David Zywicki passing to Arnold Carpenter, John Urban and Edmund Forczek to set up an 18 yard Field Goal for Carpenter as the Blue Devils retook the lead, 9-7.

Yarvard replied with a passing attack of their own, with Armando Lopez sending a “deadly passing attack” the way of his receivers who often found the ball “too hot to handle” and the game ended 9-7 to Hale. Afterwards a band and cheerleaders gave the fans the feel of a what a College game in the United States of America was like.

Scorers

1st Quarter

HAL – Raymond Chandler TD Run 6-0

2nd Quarter

YAR – Robert Hopfer TD Run (Jay Wright PAT Kick Good) 6-7

3rd Quarter

HAL – Arnold Carpenter 18yd FG 9-7

4th Quarter

No scoring

References

Bibliography

[1] Massimo Foglio with Mark L. Ford (2015) “Second World War Part One: Americans on the British Isles 1942-1943 – November 14 1942 – Ravenhill, Belfast, Northern Ireland – Hale 9 Yarvard 7” Touchdown in Europe: How American Football Came to the Old Continent. pg. 49-51.

WEBSITES

[1] Irish American Football Association (2016) Journey to Thirty [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/journeyto-thirty/ [Accessed 08 August 2016]

[2] Irish American Football Association (2016) History of US Teams playing in Ireland [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/history-of-us-teams-playing-in-ireland/ [Accessed 22 November 2016]

[3] Irish American Football Association (2016) History [Internet] Available from: http://www.americanfootball.ie/iafl/history.htm [Accessed 26 October 2016]

[4] Lucky Show (2016) American Football in Ireland [Internet] Available from: http://www.luckyshow.org/football/Shamrock%20Bowl.htm [Accessed 5 June 2017]

[5] Dublin Town – Article by Gerry Farrell (2016) College Football Classic Ireland’s Relationship with American Football [Internet] Available from: http://www.dublintown.ie/irelands-relationship-with-american-football/ [Accessed 7 May 2018]

Newspapers

[7] Anon. (1942) . “Photo caption: American Football at Ravenhill”. Belfast News-Letter. Monday, 16 November 1942. pg. 6.

[8] Anon. (1942) “American Football: Large Attendance expected at Ravenhill” Belfast News-Letter. Saturday, 14 November 1942. pg. 4

Academic Articles

[10] Magee, Damian. “English Beer and American Football: Exporting American Football as a Cultural Commodity to the British Isles.” Irish Journal of American Studies, vol. 7, 1998, pp. 121–148. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30002410.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

[13] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Post 22 August 2019: “ So this is the last of the photos in the archive, it’s of the Yarvard team at Sandy Bay, Larne Harbour on the 21st November 1942. “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/photos/pcb.2260513057393170/2260507127393763/?type=3&theater [Accessed 23 August 2019]

[14] Belfast Blitzers | Faacebook (2019) Post 22 August 2019: “So this is the last of the photos in the archive, it’s of the Yarvard team at Sandy Bay, Larne Harbour on the 21st November 1942. “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/photos/rpp.454643317980162/2260507354060407/?type=3&theater[Accessed 23 August 2019]

IMAGES

[14] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Photo 22 August 2019 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/photos/pcb.2260513057393170/2260507127393763/?type=3&theater [Accessed 23 August 2019]