Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-11-26
HISTORY OF ARMY-NAVY
FOOTBALL STRUGGLES
Began in 1890 as Result
ChaIlange by Middies.
TEAMS WERE THEN GREEN.
Annapolis Has Won 9, West Point q
and One Was Tie Coming Con-
test Is Eighteenth.

tween Uncle Sam S naval and military
academies.
Not only is the game attracting
! Widespread interest from a football
standpoint, but the elevens and the
student bodies are keyed to the high
est pitch for the fray because of the
natural intense rivalry that has al
ways existed between the service In
stitutions.
| Annapolis is ahead in the series
by margin Of two games. OF the
seventeen previous games, the mid
dies grabbed the laurels of victory on
nine occasions, against seven for the
soldiers, and one game resulted in
a tie. The sailor lads are extremely
anxious to increase this lead, and the
cadets, on the other hand, are equal
ly eager TO reduce the margin.
lit was back in 1890 when the foot
football rivalry cropped out between
the two institutions, and the fact
that only eighteen games have been
/ played in the lapse of twenty-three
years, was due to the intervention Of
the authorities, as a result of which
there were NJ games between the
years of 1898 and 1899, and there
was no game in 1909 because of a
fatality at West Point.
The beginning of the series was
due to a challenge ent from Annapo-
lis to West Point in the fall of 1890,
/ which the latter promptly acceptt d.
Football was then in its crude stages
at both institutions. although the
| midshipmen were much further ad-
vanced than their rivals up the Hud-
son. The Army cadets in fact, had
not even organized team until the
receipt of the challenge from the
middies.
The result was that Armv was
overwhelmed by Navy in the initial
struggle "a to 0. The game con-
stantly increased in favor at both in
situations, and with each succeeding
year, stronger and stronger teams
were developed until now, the elevens
of the service schools rank with the
big te ans of the country, 1t was
arranged, at first, to play the annual
games alternately at West Point and
Annap Ills. and such conditions pre-
vailed for four years after the be-
ginning of the series.
Though the soldier lads were hu-
inflated in their initial bow, they
came back strong the following year
and got sweet revenge, trimming the
middies to the tune of 80 to 16. But
the sailors copied the games Of 1892
and 1898. Then there came break,
and no games were played until 1899.
In the early part of that year, repre-
sentatives of the two institutions got
together and agreed upon resump-
tion of the series of contests. 1t
was also agreed at the same time that
the games should be staged on some
neutral ground. -
The result was that Franklin Field,
the grounds of the University Of
Pennsylvania, was chosen, the Quaker
| City being the most central point be-
tween the two academies. So, in the
fall of 1899, when the rival teams
again came together, Army emerged
the victor by count of IL to 8.
Navy won in the following year, but
the Army then took five games in a
row.
By this time the interest in the
games, both in the service az we'll as
amonE the general public, had in
! crease q TO such an extent that the
athletic authorities Of the academies
| were unable to meet the demands of
| their friends for admission tickets,
because of the limited seating capsc.
| ity Of the Franklin FIELD stands, de-
spite the willing action of the Penn
sylvania officials in erecting number
| of temporary bleachers for the occa-
sion. SO the Army and Navy officials
began to lock around for another
place to stage the game, where great
er accommodations could be secure q,
and the scene in 1905 shifted to
Princeton.
That game resulted in tie, S to 6.
| But the experience in transportation
facilities to and from the Jersey
town proved too much. Princeton
was eliminated from further consij-
| Grafton. In the Princeton game the
Navy team was captained by Lieut..
| Douglas L. Howard. who for the last
I-three years has been head coach of
the MILDLY elevens. and he has achieved
much success. Relati ms With Penn.
svlvania, which while not unfriendly,
during the interim, were again re-
newed for the purposes of the big
service classic. and it was arranged
that each Academy should receive 8
greater allotment of tickets than be.
fore.
Franklin Field, therefore, coatin.
ued as the scene of the battles from
then up to and including the game u
1919. although no game was played
in 1909, because of the death Of
Cadet Byrne. of West Point. as re
suit of injuries sustained in a game
with Harvard. The demand for tick
cts still continued to exceed the sup
DIV. however, and the playing of this
wears game on the Polo Grounds il
more of an exps riment.
The plan was strenuously opposed
bv the Navy management because OF
the long and tiresone journey tol
the midshipmen and naval contingent
hut the West Point Athletic Coun,
I'll was insistent in its demands, and
had virtually decided to call of the
game unless it should be played on
I A