The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-02
DEVELOP FROM OBSCURE VILLAGE
TEAM TO HIGHEST CIRCLE after
8YEARS OF CONSISTENT STRIDES

pios in eight years rs the achieve
ment cf Rock Islands nationally
famous Independents. one Of the
greatest professional football teams
that ever thrilled a crowd.
Tank team might not sound haf-
monious to sensitive ears that have
heard the vibrant cadences of vic
tory, but that is what the Independ-
ents were back in the fall Of 1912.
when the football bee first stung
the sporting folk Of Rock Island In.
to action.
Fans who have followed the ups
and downs OF the Independents
since their official organization in
the fall OF 1912, will remember that
lit was Moline that spurred the In
auguration Of Rock Island profes-
sioral football. For several years
previous to 1912. Moline had pro-
duced good semi-pro elevens. Fin
ally the bee stung Rock Island and
the abrasion has never receded.
Finally Get Started.
Somehow. Rock Island. after
starting several teams in the field.
could not figure strongly enough to
complete full seasons in the semi
pro field, causing annual disband-
meDts after three or four games.
But in 1912. the late Joseph Smith
and Jack Pot Roche got their
heads together and determined to
give Rock Island a real football
team.
Messrs. Smith and Roche had, in
organizing the Independents, tho
sole ambition to defeat the highly
| Wanted Moline Illini, who had met&
l-comers for several years and
wrought great havoc among tho
semi-pro teams of the Middle West.
Rock Island. at that time, was for
tunate in having goodly array OF
high school talent, which. ultimate
ly comprised the nucleus Of the In
dependents
After much dickering on Gates,
terms, ETC.. the Moliners agreed
finally to meet the Independents In
Rock Island. with the result that
Ethey were trimmed. 60. II is note
worthy that Walter Flanagan, now
manager and 1ack-of- all-trades for
the Independents, was substitute
end on the famous old machine that
went through that first season. not
only without defeat, but without
having their line crossed, either
above or below.
When Cash Didn't Figure.
The Independents were organized
with little thought OF financial
profit. and 1t was Flanagan who, at
the close of the first season. pro-
posed that the team be strengthen
ed sufficiently enough to make the
next season profitable one. Joe
Smith dropped from power and Jack
Roche assumed the duties OF man
ager, with Flanagan as assistant.
That was the first step toward
last years phenomenal success and
this seasons promising prospects.
Roche and Flanagan operated tho
club for the next two years. The
Independents were still in the EN-
bryonic stage and only broke even
on receipts at their best. However,
they continued to win consistently
and became universal tri-city favor
ties. The mos: momentous turn Oc-
CURED after the close OF the 1915
season. Jack Roche resigned as
manager and Walter Flanagan was
elected to succeed him.
| Invaders Repulsed.
| With the coming of the 1915 sea-
son, the Independents experienced
a preseason reverse in the fac.
that Douglas Park had been leased
to Jack Roche and several Moline
individuals as a counter attraction
in their field. After late start,
the Independents were forced to &C
cept a date in Rockford and lost
to the Rockford A. c., ESQ, on
Oct s.
Returning home. inside pressure
was brought to bear upon the in
vaders of Douglas Park, with the
result. that the lease was turned
l over to the Independents. They
met the Moline Red Men on Oct.
Is, and were defeated, 80. q field
goal turning the trick. But the
team got started with a vengeance
and, with the exception OF 60 de-
feat and . scoreless tie with Dav-
export, the team finished without a
defeat.
Nineteen Hundred and Seventeen
saw the Independents under full
stride Of their power as a local
: championship aggregation. They
lost two tough games to the famous
Minneapolis Marines, Of which Cr-
sella, Chicken, Marshall, Buland
and Noyak, now Independent veter-
lans, were members. The team also
won two out Of three with Daven-
port A. c. for the tri.city title.
! Keep Goal Line Free.
The war hit the club quite hard
in 1918, but it played five game.
without being scored on, the seaso,
opening Sept. 20, and closing Nov
"a.
Tri-city fans need not be told o
la& years brilliant achievement
when, at the instance OF Manage
Flanagan, the Independents steppe
out and defeated the best profes
SIGNAL teams in the country, say
this Canton Bulldogs and the Ham
mond All-Stars, the latter bein
lucky TO get al the breaks in . IL
gamA on Oct. IL.
The Independents are out to nal
new football history this year Will
ont anether logical rival In the r.