1897 Pittsburgh Athletic Club football season

American football team season March 2026 August 2023 Pittsburgh Athletic Club 1897 Pittsburgh Athletic Club football team 1897.jpg crimson white 5–5 R. E. Hamilton W. H. Hastings late season George Hoskins George W. Ritchey James P. Brownlee late season PAC Park 1896 1898 The Pittsburgh Athletic Club played its eighth season of American football in 1897. The team shut out its first five opponents and was shut out by its remaining five to finish with a 5–5 record. It played its home games at PAC Park at the corner of Larimer Avenue and Shetland Street in Pittsburgh. Season summary Despite being one of the first football teams to employ professional players, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC) team, under new manager Robert E. Hamilton, began the 1897 season intending to maintain a purely amateur status.The Pittsburg Press November 28, 1897 12 Amateur Sports https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121790878/ Newspapers.com George W. Hoskins returned as coachThe Pittsburg Press September 24, 1897 8 Amateur Sports https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zQwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g0gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7255%2C7392806 Google News Archive and halfback/tackle George Ritchey was re-elected captain.The Pittsburg Post October 3, 1897 6 Football Notes https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122066753/ Newspapers.com The PAC compiled a perfect record through the first half of its schedule, winning five games against weak-to-middling opponents without allowing a point. The team's fortunes then reversed, starting with shutout losses to Washington & Jefferson College and local rival Duquesne Country & Athletic Club.PFRA Research Out in the Boondocks: Westmoreland County Leads the Pros: 1897 Professional Football Researchers Association http://www.profootballresearchers.com/articles/Out_In_The_Boondocks.pdf January 11, 2023 The low point of the season came when the PAC visited Latrobe, which that year made history as the first all-professional football team to play a full season. Playing its third hard game in only eight days, the beat-up and worn-out PAC lost 47–0.The Pittsburg Press November 7, 1897 12 Awful Slaughter https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121917618/ Newspapers.com This worst defeat in the team's then eight-year history was followed by the resignation of manager Bob Hamilton and the appointment of William H. Hastings in his place. Manager Hastings brought in new players to strengthen the squad in preparation for its November 20 rematch with the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club. End John Van Cleve, whom Hamilton had earlier kept off the team for being a professional,The Pittsburg Post October 30, 1897 6 Football Notes https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121885656/ Newspapers.com was added to the roster along with halfbacks Jake Camp and Dick Ely.The Pittsburg Post November 16, 1897 6 Good Players on Both Sides https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121885861/ Newspapers.com Also joining the East Enders were linemen Archibald Stevenson of the Chicago Athletic Association and Bill Inglis of Washington & Jefferson.The Pittsburg Post November 20, 1897 6 Big Battles on the Gridiron https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111850168/ Newspapers.com The night before the game, fullback James P. Brownlee was elected captain in place of Ritchey, who was "deposed" from the role for an apparent lack of dedication.The Pittsburg Press November 20, 1897 6 Cycling and Athletics https://www.newspapers.com/article/156595048/ Newspapers.com These changes did not bring success against the Duquesnes, who had been strengthening their team as well and shut out the PAC by a larger margin than before. A 16–0 loss to Greensburg completed a disastrous second half of the season in which the PAC failed to score any points. The Pittsburg[h] Press reported that amateurism had been abandoned by the football programs of both major Pittsburgh clubs, the PAC and Duquesne C&AC, and was unlikely to return if the teams expected to keep in the front ranks of the sport. The city, according to the paper, could not afford to yield football supremacy to smaller-town clubs such as Latrobe and Greensburg, which made no pretense of being amateur. Schedule Eastern September 25 w Emerald Athletic Club PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 22–0 300 The Pittsburg Press September 26, 1897 12 Football Opening https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116256166/ Newspapers.com October 2 w Imperial Athletic Club PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 54–0 The Pittsburg Press October 3, 1897 13 P. A. C. vs. Imperial https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116257635/ Newspapers.com October 9 w West Virginia PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 6–0 The Pittsburg Press October 10, 1897 12 Close Game in East End https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121908673/ Newspapers.com October 16 w Grove City PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 20–0 The Pittsburg Press October 17, 1897 12 Another for P. A. C. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121909711/ Newspapers.com October 23 w Wheeling Tigers PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 14–0 1,500 The Pittsburg Press October 24, 1897 12 A General Mixup https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121910370/ Newspapers.com October 30 l Washington & Jefferson PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 0–18 4,000–5,500 The Pittsburg Post October 31, 1897 7 P. A. C.'s Record No Longer Clean https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86107321/ Newspapers.comThe Pittsburg Press October 31, 1897 12 Red and Black Won https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121913707/ Newspapers.com November 2 l y Duquesne Country and Athletic Club Exposition Park Allegheny, PA 0–4 3,500 The Pittsburg Post November 3, 1897 6 Duquesnes Victorious by a Small Score https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116264748/ Newspapers.com November 6 l y Latrobe Athletic Association Latrobe, PA 0–47 1,200 The Pittsburg Post November 7, 1897 7 No Less Than an Avalanche https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121914978/ Newspapers.com November 20 l Duquesne Country and Athletic Club PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 0–10 4,000–6,000 The Pittsburg Press November 21, 1897 12 Duquesne on Top https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116268403/ Newspapers.comThe Pittsburg Post November 21, 1897 6 D.C. & A.C. Men on Top Again https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111845017/ Newspapers.com November 25 l Greensburg Athletic Association PAC Park Pittsburgh, PA 0–16 2,000–3,000 Pittsburg Supplied Plenty Of People https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86109236/ The Pittsburgh Post November 26, 1897 1, 4 Newspapers.comPittsburgh Commercial Gazette November 26, 1897 6 An Easy Victory https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121773422/ Newspapers.com References Pittsburgh Athletic Club Category:Pittsburgh Athletic Club (football) seasons Pittsburgh Athletic Club