BY G.J. FERGUSON
Gloucester City, NJ (1993)–It has been nearly three decades since the last City-Series game was played in 1965. At times, it feels like it was only yesterday, but sadly, it was not. With the final whistle on that sunny autumn day, the City-Series faded into memory—memories that have endured over the years, living in the hearts and minds of those who remember the series and hold it dear.
It is with those memories in mind that the idea for this program began. What started as a history of the series has transformed into more of a memoir. While a true history would require a book of several hundred pages, this program aims to evoke nostalgia. As you read the game stories and look at old photographs, I hope it brings back not just memories of the games themselves, but also of old friends, teammates, and a different time.
In the old industrial city on the Delaware, the year 1948 marked the beginning of annual football games between Gloucester High and Gloucester Catholic. This was a time when semi-pro and town teams still thrived and attracted sizable crowds. However, the largest and most loyal following was for high school football. Across the country, in rural towns and cities large and small, thousands filled the bleachers to cheer for their local teams.
In some areas, the games drew crowds of 25,000 to 30,000 or more. Closer to home, the games between Collingswood and Camden High attracted 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. While the City-Series games never reached those numbers, crowds of over 4,000 were common. For a small city of 15,000 people, this level of support was remarkable.
In terms of duration, the City-Series was not long. Many football rivalries in South Jersey began in the 1920s or earlier; Vineland and Millville’s rivalry dates back to the 1890s. In comparison, the City-Series was played only from 1948 to 1965. Nevertheless, during those eighteen years, the people of Gloucester had a game that somehow touched the very soul of their proud, old city.
In a small town like Gloucester City, everyone seems to know each other. This familiarity made the games much more personal. When playing against a school miles away, the opposing players were just numbers. But in the City-Series, those “numbers” had names, and you better not forget them! If not brothers facing each other, surely there were cousins or childhood friends’ kids battling it out for 48 minutes. It was a neighborhood rivalry in the truest sense of the word.
Like the town it was played in, the games themselves were rough and tumble. They showcased hard-nosed, smash-mouth football—literally true before the facemask was introduced. The atmosphere was charged and emotional, played in front of large, fervent crowds.
Given all this, the remarkable thing is that emotions rarely got out of hand—neither on the field nor in the stands. For the most part, the games were played cleanly. Hard hits came before the whistle, not after. This is not to say the games were perfect; they weren’t. Nevertheless, any minor disputes that did occur were soon forgotten.
The very nature of the series enabled this amicability. All the ingredients that made for fiercely contested games worked in reverse as soon as the final whistle blew. It was high school football as it was meant to be.
The first five years of the series were dominated by Gloucester High. The Raiders (also known as the “Paiseleymen” at the time) won the inaugural game in 1948 by a close score of 18-12. Matters only worsened for the Irish/Ramblers over the next four years, as the Raiders completely dominated the series, winning by scores of 21-2, 56-7, 19-6, and 25-7.
In 1953, Gloucester Catholic, tired of being the underdog, secured its first win, triumphing 12-7. The Ramblers must have found their momentum, as they set out on a winning streak, achieving victories of 20-13, 52-7, 26-0, and 12-7 over the next four years.
With the series tied at five games each, the Raiders pulled ahead by winning the 1958 game 18-7. However, the trend of long winning streaks came to an end. The following year, the Rams defeated the newly-named Lions 19-0. In 1960, the powerful Catholic Eleven continued their success, rolling over the Lions 34-0 to take their first lead in the series.
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