Our first year--1956—the year before the league.

This was our first year in the league. The excitement in me as we headed into that year was palpable. We had first played football as a group the year before when we all joined the team that Jim Dolan was coaching. I remember being in Farmers oval with a few others (probably Charlie for sure) and we were watching Jim Dolan's team (basically the Woodbiners--Ray, John D. Frank White, Dennis O'toole, Walter Simmons, Pat Schweger, Jojo Miller and other ) play against a team from Greenpoint (this group was in the league either). We all agreed we could easily beat these guys. Yeah right. The Irish have a saying "All the best players ore on the fence".

Anyway we decided to form a team--the next step was to get equipment. I said I would borrow my brother's. When I asked him he told me about Jim Dolan's team and we (the guys who hung out in the Affatato's cellar: Charlie and Eddie Affatato, Bob Kletcher, Vinny Manaoco, Freedy Paulus, Sal Salidono, and John Trezzel and myself) that we should join the guys we had seen playing up the park--which was Jim Dolan's team. So now I had equipment and a team to try out for.


FIRST PRACTICE
I remember the first practice I attended it was on the side street outside the park, The park was closed, It musts have been middle or late October, since the leaves were ankle deep in the dead-end street where the team practiced under what little illumination filtered through the trees from the street lights. I can only imagine what the people living in the houses thought.

Someone asked me what position did I play? I really didn't know what to say (and didn't want to admit that I didn't know_) so I said I was a center. (actually now I wonder how I even knew there was such a position). They said ok. Next thing I am in a huddle and Frank White is calling plays and saying ON 3? We line up and he was calling the count and nothing happens and everyone turns and looks to me. Frank explains that the "ON 3" means to snap the ball to him on the 3rd count! OH! sure now you tell me. (Since that point in life I have occasionally found myself in a few not too dissimilar positions--you take on the job and learn as you go.)

FIRST GAME.
We played that Greenpoint team again and they sent me in as a right defensive tackle. I took a step forward and across the line of scrimmage and was amazed to find myself alone looking in towards the center when I see someone coming at me from the inside--they had trapped the tackle (me) successfully. Actually that is how I learned what a trap play was. I don't recall anything else from that game. I think we beat them.

The next game was against Ronnie Marmion and the boys (these guys were good atheletes and a little bit oler than us--I think some of the Lynvets from Ridgewood played with them also, Maybe Eddie Steffs, Teddy Speize, John Schmauser, George Sheikie--but I'm not really sure). I am sure I am spelling Ronnie's name wrong and I vaguely remember what he looked like. At a recent book signing Eddie Steffen's and I were talking he said that Ronnie was a terrific athlete. I am vague on details about him--but his stature was such that we referred to his team by his name.

Anyway that game was a disaster. They beat us 48-0. That ended the 1956 pre-league year.

But this is the year I made life long friends such John Dougherty. Ray Petty, and a whole bunch of great guys from Woodbine street) It was a good year.