The Wilmington Football League, also known as the Wilmington Football Association (1930–1935, 1940–1941), was a semi-professional American football league that existed from 1929 to 1956. It was based in Wilmington, Delaware. From 1932 to 1935, the league was split into the Wilmington City Football League and Wilmington Football Association.
Origins The first known American football league based in Wilmington, Delaware, was called the "All-Wilmington Football League" and operated in 1913. Little information is known about it.
From 1922 to 1924, another league based in Wilmington, Delaware operated under the "Wilmington Football Association" name. Teams in 1922 included the Seventh Ward Chicks, Parkside, Defiance Academy Bulldogs, and the St. Mary's Cats. Ben Greenstein, editor for The Evening Journal, was named president. Defiance clinched the 1922 championship by winning 78–0 against Seventh Ward. Seventh Ward left in the second season, bringing the league down to three teams. They set up a six-game schedule, with Defiance winning out again. In a meeting held on September 16, 1924, seven teams planned to join and Ed Fegley replaced Ben Greenstein as league president. Teams who planned to join on September 16 included, the Shamrock A.C., Eleventh Ward, Ninth Ward, the Defiance Academy Bulldogs, the South Side-Eden Snappers, Hillside, and the Rockford Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets did not join and were replaced by Parkside; they soon after left and were replaced by the "Hibernians".
By November 17, 1924, the Defiance Bulldogs led the league with a 7–0 record, second was Shamrock, and third was South Side. A possible deciding game on Dec. 1 between Defiance and South Side was called at 12–12 in total darkness. The teams protested the game and the arbitration board (George N. Boggs, Ben Greenstein (former president), and Joseph D. M'Laughlin) declared that the game would not count, due to errors in the officiating. By week 12 the Defiance Bulldogs (10–1) and South Side-Eden Snappers (10–2) were tied for 1st due to the standings running on points rather than win-loss percentage. A protest-play-off game was scheduled for January 3 between Defiance and South Side. The game was postponed due to the field being covered in snow. A meeting was held between the league officials a few days later. The Snappers won a game against Defiance on March 29 in front of 1,200 fans, making another game necessary to decide the league champions. Eventually the Shamrock A.C. were in position to play in the league championship and won against Defiance, 25 to 6. The Shamrock A.C. were awarded two championship trophies, one provided by Bottomley and Company, and the other by Norman I. Harris Jewelers.
Another league named "Wilmington Football Association" was founded in 1925. Shamrock, St. Ann's, St. Anthony's, and Eleventh Ward were the four teams reported to have joined. The third league folded on November 4, 1925, citing financial difficulties, and the inability to find another team after the folding of St. Ann's as causes. A final meeting was held on November 10.
Season by season 1929 season The league was founded in September 1929. There were six teams in the first season, the Penn-Del A.A., Ninth Ward Ducks, Shamrock Reserves, Polish American Military Alliance (P.A.M.A.), Defiance Academy Bulldogs, and Kentmere Red Sox.
The rankings went on points instead of win-loss percentage. A win was worth two points and a tie was worth one.
The Penn-Del A.A. won the league title after posting an 8–1–1 record, scoring 17 points. It took until the last game of the season, a redo of a disputed game, for the A.A. to be named champions.
Results
+1929 Wilmington Football League standings Team Penn-Del Athletic Association 8 1 1 .850 Ninth Ward Ducks 6 2 2 .700 Polish American Military Alliance 4 3 3 .550 Defiance Academy Bulldogs 4 5 1 .450 Shamrock Reserve 1 6 3 .250 Kentmere Red Sox 1 8 1 .150 Wilmington Football League champions.
1930 season Two teams left and two joined for the second season. The Shamrock Reserves and Ninth Ward Ducks left, and were replaced by the St. Mary's Cats and St. Anthony's Catholic Club, known more popularly as, the "Tonies".
Penn-Del won their second consecutive league title, beating the P.A.M.A. on Thanksgiving Day 6–0 for the league championship. They then played and won against the independent "First Engineers" to be named "Delaware champions".
Results
+1930 Wilmington Football Association standings Team Penn-Del Athletic Association 9 1 0 .900 Polish American Military Alliance 8 2 0 .800 Defiance Academy Bulldogs 4 4 2 .500 St. Mary's Cats 2 4 1 .357 Kentmere Red Sox 1 5 2 .250 St. Anthony's Catholic Club 0 5 3 .187 Wilmington Football Association champions.
1931 season Results for the 1931 season have not been found. In mid-September a meeting was held to discuss plans of continuing the league. Representatives from each team were requested. Two other teams, Fort duPont and the Claymont Dragons, also had representatives.
Another meeting was held on September 29 at the Defiance Academy building.
By December 7, Penn-Del had only one loss with two games remaining and were considered a top team in the state championship race.
In a November 1932 article, it was stated that the "Eleventh Ward team, [were] champions of the 1931 Wilmington Football Association League".
1932 season In 1932 standings, six teams were listed in the "City Football League", the "Tonies", St. Ann's, Eighth Ward, Price's Run, the "Black Diamonds", and Brandywine Hawks. The "Tonies" were league champions.
However, another article stated the top team in the Wilmington Football Association was Eleventh Ward, meaning there were two Wilmington Leagues at the time. A few days later, an article about Penn-Del, champions in '29 and '30, said they were an independent team. It then described that they would play the Eleventh Ward Whitejackets, champions of the Wilmington Football Association, in a Thanksgiving game. Penn-Del won the game, 7 to 0.
In the Wilmington Football Association, there were four teams in the 1932 season, the Eleventh Ward Whitejackets, Defiance Bulldogs, St. Mary's Cats, and the Brandywine Athletic Association. Defiance and St. Mary's were the two teams from the 1930 season still in the league.
Results (WCFL) Results of the Wilmington City Football League, as of week 8. +1932 Wilmington City Football League standings Team St. Anthony's Catholic Club 7 1 0 .875 St. Ann's 5 0 3 .812 Eighth Ward 4 0 4 .750 Price's Run 3 1 4 .625 Black Diamonds 3 0 5 .687 Brandywine Hawks 1 0 7 .562 Wilmington City Football League champions.
Results (WFA) Results of the Wilmington Football Association, as of week 4. +1932 Wilmington Football Association standings Team Eleventh Ward Whitejackets 4 0 0 1.000 Defiance Bulldogs 2 1 1 .625 St. Mary's Cats 1 2 1 .375 Brandywine Athletic Association 0 0 4 .000 Wilmington Football Association champions.
1933 season In the Wilmington Football Association, the Fifth Ward Democrats, Delaware Panthers, and Ninth Ward Ducks, a charter member of the league, all joined. The Brandywine Athletic Association left, however. The Eleventh Ward Whitejackets clinched their third consecutive league title by week 4.
In the Wilmington City League, one team left and two joined, bringing the league to 7 teams. The Brandywine Hawks left, while the South Side Terrapins and Defiance (not to be confused with the Defiance Bulldogs of the Wilmington Association) joined. The Black Diamonds won the league championship against Eighth Ward, winning 13 to 6.
Results (WFA) Results of the Wilmington Football Association, as of week 4. +1933 Wilmington Football Association standings Team Eleventh Ward Whitejackets 4 0 0 1.000 Delaware Panthers 2 1 1 .625 St. Mary's Cats 1 1 2 .500 Defiance Bulldogs 1 1 1 .500 Ninth Ward Ducks 0 2 0 .000 Wilmington Football Association champions.Note: The Fifth Ward Democrats (0–2–1) forfeited their franchise in week 4. The results of their games were removed from the standings.
Results (WCFL) Standings for the 1933 Wilmington City Football League are unavailable.
1934 season In the Wilmington City Football League, four teams left, and one joined, bringing the total to the original number of four. The 1933 champion Black Diamonds left the league as well as Eighth Ward, Defiance, and St. Ann's. The remaining four teams were the South Side Terrapins, Price's Run, St. Anthony's Catholic Club, and the St. Mary's Cats, who joined from the Wilmington Association. The South Side Terrapins were named champions.
In the Wilmington Association, the Ninth Ward Ducks left for the second time, the St. Mary's Cats left for the City League, while the Brandywine Athletic Association who left the year prior, joined. Another team that joined were the newly formed "White Eagles". The rules were changed for there to be two championships, one for the first half of the season, and one for the second. In the first half playoffs the "White Eagles" got a bye, while the Brandywine A.A. and Eleventh Ward Whitejackets battled for the remaining spot in the championship. Eleventh Ward advanced, but lost to the White Eagles, 15 to 12. The White Eagles won the second half championship as well, winning 2–0 against the Defiance Bulldogs.
Results (WFA) Results of the Wilmington Football Association, first half. +1934 Wilmington Football Association standings Team White Eagles 3 1 1 .700 Eleventh Ward Whitejackets 2 2 1 .500 Brandywine Athletic Association 1 2 1 .375 Defiance Bulldogs 1 2 1 .375 Wilmington Football Association champions (first half).Results for the second half are unavailable.
Results (WCFL) +1934 Wilmington City Football League standings Team South Side Terrapins 5 1 3 .722 Price's Run 4 2 3 .611 St. Anthony's Catholic Club 3 2 3 .562 St. Mary's Cats 0 8 0 .000 Wilmington City Football League champions.
1935 season For the first time, the Wilmington Association had no changes, each team stayed. The season started on October 13 with the White Eagles and Eleventh Ward Blue Jackets (previously named Whitejackets) winning by 6 points. Eleventh Ward would win the first half championship as well as the second half. In a game to be named "Delaware State champions", the Blue Jackets lost to Fort duPont. They played a game against the Wilmington City League champion Tonies on December 15 and won on a game-winning safety near the end of the fourth quarter. After the Wilmington Association season was over, The News Journal published an All-Star team written by a fan.
In the City League, the St. Mary's Cats left, and the Brandywine Hawks, who had previously had a stint in the league, joined. The "Tonies" won the league championship against Price's Run. They compiled a record of 7–1–1.
Results (WFA) Results for the 1935 Wilmington Football Association are unavailable.
Results (WCFL) +1935 Wilmington City Football League standings Team St. Anthony's Catholic Club 7 1 1 .833 Price's Run 5 3 1 .611 South Side Athletic Club 4 4 0 .500 Brandywine Hawks 0 8 0 .000 Wilmington City Football League champions.
"All-Association" team First team Left End: E. Pennock, Eleventh Ward Left Tackle: Lavan, Defiance Left Guard: Elliott, White Eagles Center: S. Fahey, Defiance Right Guard: Cross, Brandywine Right Tackle: Malice, Eleventh Ward Right End: J. Pennock, Eleventh Ward Quarterback: Smith, Eleventh Ward Left Halfback: Ziggy, Eleventh Ward Right Halfback: Haley, Defiance Fullback: Steck, White Eagles
Second Team Left End: O'Connor, Defiance Left Tackle: Lundberg, Eleventh Ward Left Guard: Finochi, Eleventh Ward Center: Burowski, White Eagles Right Guard: Nash, Eleventh Ward Right Tackle: Shenton, White Eagles Right End: Manista, White Eagles Quarterback: Ademski, Defiance Left Halfback: Drennen, Eleventh Ward Right Halfback: Miske, Eleventh Ward Fullback: Koppe, Brandywine
1936 season