1889 Crescent Athletic Club football team

The 1889 Crescent Athletic Club football team was an American football team that represented the Crescent Athletic Club in the American Football Union (AFU) during the 1889 college football season.^[1] The team compiled a 6–1 record (4–0 against AFU opponents), won the AFU championship, and played its home games at Washington Park in Brooklyn. William H. Ford was the team captain. Other key players included Harry Beecher at quarterback, Wyllys Terry at halfback, and Henry J. Lamarche at guard.^[2] Alex Moffatt has also been reported as a member of the team.^[3]

1889 Crescent Athletic Club football
AFU champion
Conference	American Football Union
Record	6–1 (4–0 AFU)
Captain	William H. Ford
Home stadium	Washington Park
Seasons ← 1888 1890 →

1889 American Football Union standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Crescent Athletic Club $	4	–	0	–	0			6	–	1	–	0
Orange Athletic Club	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
New York Athletic Club	1	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Staten Island Athletic Club	0	–	5	–	0			0	–	5	–	0

Prior to the start of the season, the Crescent Club merged with the Nereid Boat Club which, according to Allison Danzig, "placed the Crescents in the very front rank of athletic organizations of similar character."^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 27	at Bedford and Prospect Park Football Clubs (practice) *	Prospect Park Brooklyn, NY	W 23–0		[4]
October 5	vs. Columbia*	Erastina grounds Staten Island, NY	W 30–0		[5]
October 12	New York Athletic Club	Washington Park Brooklyn, NY	W 36–0		[2]
October 19	at Staten Island Athletic Club	West New Brighton, Staten Island	W 44–0		[6]
October 26	Orange Athletic Club	Grove Street grounds East Orange, NJ	W 22–0		[7]
November 5	Yale*	Washington Park Brooklyn, NY	L 0–18	4,000	[8][9]
November 9	Staten Island Athletic Club*	Washington Park Brooklyn, NY	W 78–0		[10]
November 16	Orange Athletic Club	Washington Park Brooklyn, NY	W 6–0	300	[11]
*Non-conference game

Roster

• Harry Beecher
• Hunter Brown
• Billy Bull
• Charlie Chapman
• Duncan Edwards
• Billy Ford
• Henry J. Lamarche
• John Lamarche
• Mat. Lamarche
• Paul Lamarche
• Harry Sheldon
• Wyllys Terry
• Fred Vernon
• Joe Vernon
• Frank Lawrence, manager

^[12]

References

1. "Setting the Ball Rolling". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 27, 1889. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Made the Ball Roll: Opening of the American Foot Ball Association's Series". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 13, 1889. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Allison Danzig (November 13, 1921). "Why Not a Revival of the Old Football Days When the Crescent A.C. Eleven Was in Flower". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Football At Prospect Park". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1889. p. 1. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
5. "Columbia College Beaten: The Brooklyn Crescents Defeat the Students at Staten Island". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 6, 1889. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "American Foot Ball Union: The Crescents Give the Staten Islanders a Beating". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 20, 1889. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "American Foot Ball Union: The Crescents Badly Defeat the Orange Athletic Club Players". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 27, 1889. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Yale Wins". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 6, 1889. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Yale Muscle Wins Again". The Sun (New York). November 6, 1889. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Foot Ball in the Mud: The Crescents Defeat the Staten Island Club by a Score of 78 to 0". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 10, 1889. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Goal Kicked None Too Soon: The Crescents Win From Orange After a Hard Struggle". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 17, 1889. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "The Champion 1889 Crescent Football Team". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 13, 1921. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.