1940 - THE END FOR THISTLES AND TERRIERS
This would be the final season of Senior lacrosse in Fergus and Orillia.
Both would drop down to Intermediate for some time to come. In the
Thistle's case it was understandable. They slipped to the bottom of the
league and won only two games during the '40 campaign. The end had been
coming for some time. The momentum created by Fergus' Junior
championship in 1931 had long passed and the scotsmen's regulars, like
the Bergins and Rusty White, were ageing. In the late thirties Fergus
had become a retirement home for old lacrosse players. So many former
greats, such as: Toots White, Max McGregor, Hal Wallace and Dunc
Littlefair, wrapped up their careers with the Thistles. The death blow
fell when an injury sidelined Rusty White for the entire 1940 season.
The scots summer was downhill after that.
The fall of Orillia was more puzzling. In 1940 their record was 16-14
and they made the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year. Most
importantly, they had the best juniors in the country. Arnold 'Onions'
Smith, Marlowe Woods and Merv McKenzie had already joined the club, plus
John Hewitt, Tom and Bun White were poised to graduate from the Tiny
Terriers after another Minto Cup winning season. Also, Orillia
continued to attract out of town talent with the likes of Bill Brunskill
and Bucko MacDonald in the lineup. Unfortunately support for the team
had fallen off, partly due to the war and partly due to the fans being
spoiled by too much success too soon. Even the press coverage, still
very good, was not as intense. The idea may have been to take refuge in
Intermediate until the war passed. In fact Orillia returned to senior
in 1946, with disasterous consequences. By that time all the local
talent had bolted to other clubs and none came rushing home. Thus ended
Orillia's days at the top of lacrosse. For the next half century the
town would be regarded as a 'B' centre.
At the other end was St.Catharines. The Athletics were better than
ever. They comfortably finished first, while Hamilton, Orillia, Mimico
and Brampton were all bunched together, well back. The Double Blues
then ended the Terriers' Senior career with a two game sweep. Orillia
had been without Bucko MacDonald, injured for the year. He was the last
of many casualties which began with Bill Brunskill being out for six
games, Ernie Curran missing five games and Bill Allum three weeks. In
mid season, the Terriers had to bring in Huntsville blond bombshell,
George Snowden. The oddest moment in the playoff match-up came courtesy
of that great showman Bill Whitaker. In Orillia, the hostile Terrier
fans so displeased the netminder that he delayed the game as only
Whitaker could. He sat down in his crease, took off his shoe, then
began to massage his foot!
The surprise of the year was Brampton. The Excelsiors finished with a
15-15 record, eleven wins better than the previous summer, then went on
a playoff run which took them to the Final. They were led by the four
Thompsons: longhaired Moe, Mush, Barney and Fish. In the best of three
Semi Final they upset Mimico, despite blowing the opening game. They
led the Mountaineers 9-7 with five minutes remaining but surrendered 4
unanswered goals to lose it. At the Rose Bowl they took a convincing
11-3 decision. That set the stage for a thrilling one goal finale.
Toronto Star writer Andy Lytle caught the third game in poetry:
The glue of gloom was falling fast
As through a Mimico village passed, tall youths
Who bore'mid cries and strife
A banner with the odd device
EXCELSIOR!
"Oh stay" the savage maiden twit
"And let us clip thee with our mit"
No tears bedimmed the reddened eyes
As they all answered with no sighs
GET BRAMPTONIZED!
In english that all meant a dramatic 6-5 Excelsior win. Brampton led
4-3 at the half, then lost Bill Anthony in the third quarter. Anthony
was checked from behind in the goal mouth and forced to retire for the
night. Big Fred Hatton extended the visitors' lead to 5-3. Gordon Gair
then outwitted goaltender Arthurs to draw Mimico close. That was
followed by a Tony Worsencroft power play goal to tie it. In the last
quarter Chuck Davidson brought the Mountie fans to their feet with a
goal which was disallowed by referee Max Peart. Gair set the stage for
Mooney Gibson's winner by taking a penalty. The Brampton veteran broke
the tie with a tricky side shot which fooled goaltender Ray Mortimer.
The Excelsior defence spent the final 9 minutes checking Mimico's
offence to the ground.
The final series started with a huge 18-5 St.Catharines win. Ted
'Ginger' Hall lasted only three quarters before being chased from the
Brampton goal. Once again Columnist Lytle waxed poetic:
These are the saddest of possible words:
"McMahon to Morton to Fitz"
Trio of snipers fitter than birds
McMahon and Morton and Fitz
Ruthlessly pricking our tiny bubble
Running our boys into fuddle-duddle
Names they are heavy with nothing but trouble
McMahon to Morton to Fitz
Over 3,000 fans crowded into Maple Leaf Gardens for the second
encounter. Ted Hall played with an injured thumb. Joe Cheevers struck
15 seconds in and it looked like the Double Blues would once again go
through the Brampton big boys they Germany had marched through Poland.
A goal and assist from Don Arthurs settled the Excelsiors down. Yet
they still struggled to cope with the A's speed. St.Catharines
dominated loose balls and built up leads of 7-4 and 9-6. Brampton
rallied with two late goals and Mooney Gibson just missed tying it at
the end. $99.88 was raised for the Red Cross.
The third contest was a 25-10 rout. Normally three consecutive wins
would have clinched the championship but this year the OLA had decided
on a best of seven final. So the Double Blues made the trek to the Rose
Bowl for an ugly fourth game.
Brampton won 18-11 in a game described as lacrosse in slow motion - best
enjoyed reading a book or snoozing on a girlfriend's shoulder. There
were a half dozen significant scuffles to slow proceedings further. At
one point a rotten tomato was thrown from the stands. On another
occasion George Coles claimed to have been bitten. If all that wasn't
bad enough, a section of seating gave way with a loud crash, dropping
the spectators seven feet below. Fortunately all were unhurt. Fine work
by Ginger Hall won it for the home team. His rival Bill Whitaker was
beaten easily.
It was a much faster fifth game. Too fast for the Bramptonites.
St.Catharines clinched the title with a resounding 22-3 victory. Pung
Morton had six goals as a dozen different players scored for the Double
Blues.
The Mann Cup final commenced October 7th. The Vancouver Burrards hit
Toronto and the Blue Bombers were ready to challenge for their first
Dominion championship. Blue Bombers? "Where are the Blue Bombers?" the
crowd of 5,125 wondered throughout the opening game. The A's led 9-8 at
three quarter time and looked poised to turn it up and win going away.
Then the Blue Bombers arrived! Four goals in 3 1/2 minutes. John
Cavallin, Bo Bradford, Bill Dickinson and John Dale started the final
frame off in style. It was the Burrards who turned it up and won going
away. Six unanswered goals for a 14-8 triumph.
Next came the Battle of the Sweaters. The team colours of Vancouver and
St.Catharines were very similar. The A's had been forced to wear
Toronto Maple Leaf white jerseys for the opening contest. Their
conclusion following the loss was simple: "They jinxed us! We won't
wear 'em again!" "You will," replied the CLA triumvirate of McConaghy,
Dopp and Kelley, "or else!" The threat of default did not impress the
St.Catharines management. Jim McConaghy's bluff called he went to the
Burrards and Vancouver pulled their club off the floor to don those
dreaded white sweaters. The A's agreed to wear white Friday and toss
after that.
The match began fifteen minutes late. For Double Blue supporters it was
worth the wait. They humbled the western champs 15-5. Did the uniforms
really make that much of a difference? On this night the real
difference was Bill Fitzgerald's six goals. Twenty-nine years after his
father had led Vancouver in scoring and helped them win their only Minto
Cup, Bill Jr. turned the tables in a Mann Cup against Vancouver. As
Andy Lytle saw him, "the thin wispy fellow, runs stoop shouldered as his
father did and looks as though a light breeze would whiff him away. He
sneaks along the side, gets a quick pass then breaks like a startled
deer." The Burrards were unable to stop him.
The largest crowd of 6,922 witnessed the Friday night contest. They saw
the Blue Bombers defused. Vancouver was listless, without fire, venom
or organised attack. Their defence wasn't much better. Twice Jack
McMahon, while ragging the ball, beat tree defenders to score.
St.Catharines rolled to a 17-10 win. Only great goaltending from Walt
Lee avoided a more onesided score. But it was an ugly game. The
Montreal referees called 23 penalties. To be more precise, Langevin
handed out 21, often for the most minor of infractions. His partner
Mullins appeared to be on vacation.
The fourth match was held Monday, October 14th. Another crowd of over
6,000 witnessed another easy A's win. Bill Wilson set up a Fitzgerald
break away 44 seconds into the contest and it was 1-0. A minute later,
Fitz waltzed in alone again for a second goal. From that point on
St.Catharines proceeded to embarrass the Blue Bombers 18-5.
