1925 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
American football NFL championship – Chicago Cardinals (11–2–1) Chicago was awarded the championship controversially because the Maroons had been suspended from the NFL for playing an exhibition game against a group of Notre Dame All-Stars. Five new teams join the NFL: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Providence Steam Roller, a new Canton Bulldogs team and the Pottsville Maroons. Rose Bowl (1924 season): The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 27–10 over the Stanford Indians to win the college football national championship Dartmouth Big Green – college football national championship shared with Alabama Crimson Tide 3 October – Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech) plays its inaugural intercollegiate football game.
Association football Events The IFAB reforms the offside law, reducing the number of opposing players required to be in front of the attacker for him to be onside from three to two. England The Football League – Huddersfield Town 58 points, West Bromwich Albion 56, Bolton Wanderers 55, Liverpool 50, Bury 49, Newcastle United 48 FA Cup final – Sheffield United 1–0 Cardiff City at Empire Stadium, Wembley, London Germany National Championship – 1. FC Nürnberg (0–0) 1–0 FSV Frankfurt at Frankfurt Greece Olympiacos F.C., officially founded in Athens. Russia FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, officially founded on May 30.(former Zenit Lenninglad in Soviet Union)
Australian rules football VFL Premiership Geelong wins the 29th VFL Premiership: Geelong 10.19 (79) d Collingwood 9.15 (69) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Brownlow Medal The annual Brownlow Medal is awarded to Colin Watson (St Kilda) Events Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne join the league from the VFA
Bandy Sweden Championship final – IF Göta 7-5 Västerås SK
Baseball World Series 7–15 October — Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) defeats Washington Senators (AL) to win the 1925 World Series by 4 games to 3. The Pirates are the first team to win a Series in a comeback down three games to one. Negro leagues Hilldale (ECL) defeats Kansas City Monarchs (NNL) 5 games to 1 in the 1925 Colored World Series Mexico Mexican Baseball League, a first officially game held on June 28.
Basketball Events The American Basketball League is formed as the first major league of professional basketball.
Boxing Events 15 January — Benny Leonard, arguably the greatest-ever lightweight champion, retires from boxing to leave the World Lightweight Championship temporarily vacant 2 July — World Middleweight Champion Harry Greb outpoints World Welterweight Champion Mickey Walker over 15 rounds in one of the all-time great boxing matches at New York's Polo Grounds.Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved on 21 November 2009.Harry Greb site. Retrieved on 21 November 2009. 14 July — death of current World Flyweight Champion Pancho Villa from blood poisoning after a dental operation goes wrong. Lineal world championsCyber Boxing Zone World Heavyweight Championship – Jack Dempsey World Light Heavyweight Championship – Mike McTigue → Paul Berlenbach World Middleweight Championship – Harry Greb World Welterweight Championship – Mickey Walker World Lightweight Championship – Benny Leonard → vacant → Jimmy Goodrich → Rocky Kansas World Featherweight Championship – vacant → Louis "Kid" Kaplan World Bantamweight Championship – Eddie "Cannonball" Martin → Charley Phil Rosenberg World Flyweight Championship – Pancho Villa → vacant
Canadian football Grey Cup 13th Grey Cup in the Canadian Football League – Ottawa Senators defeat Winnipeg Tammany Tigers 24–1 at Lansdowne Park
Cricket Events Marylebone Cricket Club organises an England tour of Australia in the 1924–25 season. Australia retain The Ashes by winning the five-match Test series 4–1. England County Championship – Yorkshire Minor Counties Championship – Buckinghamshire Most runs – Jack Hobbs 3024 @ 70.32 (HS 266*) Most wickets – Maurice Tate 228 @ 14.97 (BB 8–91) Wisden Cricketer of the Year – Jack Hobbs Australia Sheffield Shield – Victoria Most runs – Herbert Sutcliffe 1250 @ 69.44 (HS 188) Most wickets – Maurice Tate 77 @ 19.01 (BB 7–74) India Bombay Quadrangular – Muslims New Zealand Plunket Shield – Otago South Africa Currie Cup – Western Province West Indies Inter-Colonial Tournament – Trinidad and Tobago
Cycling Tour de France Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy) wins the 19th Tour de France
Figure skating World Figure Skating Championships World Women's Champion – Herma Szabo (Austria) World Men's Champion – Willi Böckel (Austria) World Pairs Champions – Herma Szabo and Ludwig Wrede (Austria)
Golf Major tournaments British Open – Jim Barnes US Open – Willie Macfarlane USPGA Championship – Walter Hagen Other tournaments British Amateur – Robert Harris US Amateur – Bobby Jones
Horse racing England Cheltenham Gold Cup – Ballinode Grand National – Double Chance 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Saucy Sue 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Manna The Derby – Manna The Oaks – Saucy Sue St. Leger Stakes – Solario Australia Melbourne Cup – Windbag Canada King's Plate – Fairbank France Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Priori Ireland Irish Grand National – Dog Fox Irish Derby Stakes – Zionist USA Kentucky Derby – Flying Ebony Preakness Stakes – Coventry Belmont Stakes – American Flag
Ice hockey Stanley Cup 21–30 March — Victoria Cougars defeats Montreal Canadiens in the 1925 Stanley Cup Finals. The Cougars are the last non-NHL team to win the Cup. Events The first-place Hamilton Tigers of the NHL go on strike for an increase in pay. The team is suspended and the players sold to become the New York Americans. 2 December — the expansion New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates of the NHL play their first-ever game against each other at Pittsburgh. The Americans defeat the Pirates 2–1 in overtime. 15 December — the first NHL game is played at Madison Square Garden between the New York Americans and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens win the game 3-1 and are awarded the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Motorsport
Multi-sport events Far Eastern Championship Games The 7th Far Eastern Championship Games are held at Manila, Philippine Islands
Nordic skiing FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The inaugural world championships are held at Johannisbad in Czechoslovakia for men only. Winners are: Cross-country skiing (18 km) – Otakar Německý (Czechoslovakia) Cross-country skiing (50 km) – František Donth (Czechoslovakia) Nordic combined (individual) – Otakar Německý (Czechoslovakia) Ski jumping (individual large hill) – Willen Dick (Czechoslovakia)
Rowing The Boat Race 28 March — Cambridge win the 77th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Rugby league England Championship – Hull Kingston Rovers Challenge Cup final – Oldham 16–3 Hull Kingston Rovers at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds Lancashire League Championship – Swinton Yorkshire League Championship – Hull Kingston Rovers Lancashire County Cup – Oldham 10–0 St Helens Recs Yorkshire County Cup – Wakefield Trinity 9–8 Batley Australia NSW Premiership – South Sydney (outright winner)
Rugby union Five Nations Championship 38th Five Nations Championship series is won by Scotland who complete the Grand Slam
Speed skating Speed Skating World Championships Men's All-round Champion – Clas Thunberg (Finland)
Tennis Australia Australian Men's Singles Championship – James Anderson (Australia) defeats Gerald Patterson (Australia) 11–9 2–6 6–2 6–3 Australian Women's Singles Championship – Daphne Akhurst Cozens (Australia) defeats Esna Boyd Robertson (Australia) 1–6 8–6 6–4 England Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – René Lacoste (France) defeats Jean Borotra (France) 6–3 6–3 4–6 8–6 Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Suzanne Lenglen (France) defeats Joan Fry Lakeman (Great Britain) 6–2 6–0 France French Men's Singles Championship – René Lacoste (France) defeats Jean Borotra (France) 7–5 6–1 6–4 French Women's Singles Championship – Suzanne Lenglen (France) defeats Kitty McKane Godfree (Great Britain) 6–1 6–2 USA American Men's Singles Championship – Bill Tilden (USA) defeats Bill Johnston (USA) 4–6 11–9 6–3 4–6 6–3 American Women's Singles Championship – Helen Wills Moody (USA) defeats Kitty McKane Godfree (Great Britain) 3–6 6–0 6–2 Davis Cup 1925 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – 5–0 at Germantown Cricket Club (grass) Philadelphia, United States
Gymnastics The wheel was invented in 1925 by German Otto Feick in Schönau an der Brend.
References