Paterson Professional Football History

Paterson Panthers (1934-1950)

Paterson Pros (to 1931)

Paterson Night Hawks (1932-1933)

Paterson Giants (1933)

(New Jersey)

Home Field: Hinchliffe Stadium
Old postcard of Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson, New Jersey. c.1932

 Paterson Pros
 1930 
11/23 L  0-12 at Saracens, Green Brook Park, Bridgewater

 1931 
10/18 L  0-6  at Saracens, Cedarbrooks Park, Plainfield

 Paterson Night Hawks
 1932 (4-2-0) [Eastern Football League (4-2-0)]
10/2  L  0-12 at Passaic Red Devils
10/12 W 20-7     Passaic Red Devils (H) 2,500
10/16 L  0-13 at New Rochelle Bulldogs, City Park 5,000
10/23 W  7-6  at Mount Vernon Indians, Memorial Field 2,500
10/27 W 20-0     Newark Fighting Irish (H)
10/30 W 13-0  at Newark Fighting Irish, Schools Stadium 3,000 
11/11 canc.      Jersey City Skeeters (H)
11/24 W 25-0     Silk City Bears (H) [doubleheader. 1st game: Central HS v. Eastside HS]

 1933 (1-4-1) [Independent]
9/17  L  0-20    New York Giants (N.F.L.) (H) 7,000
9/24  L  0-20    Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H)
10/1  L  0-12    Philadelphia Eagles (N.F.L.) (H)
11/5  L  6-13 at Orange Tornadoes 5,000
11/12 T  0-0     Paterson Giants (I.F.L.) 2,500
11/26 W  9-2  at Clifton Wessingtons (I.F.L.)

 Paterson Giants [Independent]
 1932
10/23 L  0-6     Portsmouth Spartans (Va.) (NFL), (H) Hinchcliffe Stadium  3,500

 1933 (3-6-2) [Interstate Football League (2-3-1)]
9/20  L  0-20 at Staten Island Stapletons 2,500 [non-league]
9/24  W  7-0  at Newark Blue Eagles [non-league]
10/1  W  6-0  at Bayonne Vikings 3,000
10/8  L  0-12 at Shenandoah Presidents, Cooper Memorial Stadium [non-league]
10/15 L  6-7  at Clifton Wessingtons 6,000
10/22 L  0-19 at Passaic Red Devils 5,000
10/29 T  0-0     Frankford Legion (H) 1,200
11/5  L  6-7     Clifton Wessingtons (H)
11/12 T  0-0     Paterson Night-Hawks (H) 2,500 [non-league]
11/19 canc.      Bayonne Vikings (H)
11/26 W  7-0  at Passaic Red Devils 2,000
12/10 L  0-7  at Clifton Wessingtons [exhibition game]

 Paterson Panthers
 1934 (8-2-3) [Independent]
9/23  W  6-0     Frankford Yellow Jackets (H) 2,500
9/30  L  0-7     Shenandoah Presidents (H) 3,000
10/7  W 19-0     Washington Federals (H) 3,000
10/10 W 18-0  at Freeport Bulldogs, Freeport Municipal Stadium
10/11  ?      at East Orange Tornadoes, Ashland Stadium
10/13 W 21-0     Paterson Rose Bowl Lions (H) 1,500
10/14 W 13-7  at Baltimore Irvingtons, Ollemar Stadium 2,500
10/21 W 27-7     Clifton Wessingtons (H) 7,000
10/28 W 26-0     Philadelphia Quakers (H) 3,000
11/11 T  0-0     Passaic Red Devils (H) 10,000
11/18 W 13-0  at Clifton Wessingtons 7,500
11/25 T  0-0     Passaic Red Devils (H) 10,000
12/2  T 13-13    Shenandoah Presidents (H) 5,000
12/16 L  0-10    New York Giants (N.F.L.) (H) 5,000

 1935 (9-3-1) [Eastern Independent Champions]
9/15  W 25-0     New Rochelle Bulldogs (H) 5,000
9/17  W 14-7  at Irvington Camptowners, Ollemar Stadium 3,500   9/18?
9/22  L  6-7     Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H) 8,200
9/29  W 14-7     Providence Steam Roller (H) 5,000
10/6  W 13-0     Brooklyn Bay Parkways (H) 5,000
10/13 W 20-0  at Reading Keys, Lauer's Park 5,000
10/20 W 20-0     Passaic Red Devils (H) 13,000
10/27 W 12-0     Shenandoah Presidents (H) 19,000
11/3  canc.      Reading Keys (H) 
11/3  W 13-0     Clifton Wessingtons (H) att: 800
11/10 L  6-21    New York Giants (N.F.L.) (N.F.L.) 13,000
11/24 W 19-0     Clifton Wessingtons (H) 3,500
11/28 canc.   at Stapleton Buffaloes, Thompson Stadium
12/8  T  7-7     Orange Tornadoes (H)
12/11 L  6-20    Orange Tornadoes (H) 1,500

 1936 (11-3-0) [American Association (4-1-0)•1st Place, New Jersey Division] Coach: Hap Moran
9/10  W 20-6     New York Black Hawks (H) 2,500
9/13  L  7-13    Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H) 6,000
9/20  W 20-0     Stapleton Buffaloes (H) 4,000
9/27             Providence Steam Roller (H) 5,500
10/4  W 10-0     Danbury Trojans (H) 5,000
10/11 W 20-0     Maryland Yellow Jackets (S.A.L.) (H) 5,000 [a.k.a. Washington Pros]
10/18 L  3-6     Wessington Red Devils (H) 10,000 [a.k.a. Passaic Red devils]
10/25 W 23-7     Tamaqua Braves (H) 4,000
11/1  W 16-7     Wessington Red Devils (H) 12,000
11/8  L  0-7     Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H) 4,500
11/15 W 13-3     Shenandoah Presidents (H) 5,000
11/22 W 10-0     Wessington Red Devils (H) 9,000
11/29 W 13-7     Alexandria Celtics (H) 4,500
12/6  canc.      Mount Vernon Cardinals (H)
12/13 W 10-0     Orange Tornadoes (H) 3,500
       Championship Game
12/20 canc.      Brooklyn Bay Parkways (H) [Panthers canceled game due to injuries, but probably low attendance was real reason] 

 1937 (12-2-1) [American Association (4-1-1)•2nd Place, Southern Division] Coach: Frank Kirkleski
9/9   W 27-0     Connecticut Yankees (H) 3,000
9/12  W 28-0     Brooklyn Eagles (H) 6,000
9/19  W 17-0     Mount Vernon Cardinals (H) 6,000
9/26  W 14-0     Washington Presidents (H) 7,000
10/3  L  7-9     Shenandoah Presidents (H) 7,500
10/10 W 17-0     Alexandria Celtics (H) 4,000
10/17 T  0-0     Newark Tornadoes (H) 12,500
10/24 W 38-0     Reading Keys (H) 4,000
10/31 W 41-0     Brooklyn Bushwicks (H) 4,500
11/7  W 21-13    Providence Steam Roller (H)
11/14 W  7-0     Brooklyn Eagles (H) 6,500
11/21 L  2-7     Newark Tornadoes (H) 11,000
11/28 canc.     New York Giants (N.F.L.) (H) [rain]
12/5  W 20-0     Danbury Trojans (H) 4,000 [exhibition game]
12/12 W 27-7     Newark Tornadoes (H) 6,000 {American Association Champion} [exhibition game]
12/19 W 20-0     White Plains Bears (H) 4,000 [exhibition game]

 1938 (11-5-0) [American Association (6-3-0) 3rd Place, league] Coach: Frank Kirkleski
9/8   W 52-0     Hollis Cardinals (H) 3,000
9/11  L  0-3     Danbury Trojans (H) 8,000
9/16  W 10-9  at Danbury Trojans 3,500
9/18  W 14-3     Allentown Bears (H) 2,500
9/25  L  9-10    Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H) 10,000
10/2  W 38-0     Washington Presidents (H) 7,500
10/9  L  7-10 at Brooklyn Eagles, Ebbets Field 6,500
10/12 L  0-13 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 12,800 [a.k.a. Little Giants]
10/16 W 25-6     Clifton Wessingtons (H) 6,500
10/23 W 19-7     Newark Tornadoes (H) 5,500
10/30 W 34-14    Providence Steam Roller (H) 5,500
11/6  W 30-2     Clifton Wessingtons (H) 5,000
11/13 W  7-3     Jersey City Giants (H) 17,500
11/20 W 16-7     Brooklyn Eagles (H) 8,000
11/27   p.p.  at Jersey City Giants [exhibition game]
12/4  L  7-17 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 17,643 [exhibition game]
12/11 W 32-7     Danbury Trojans (H) 3,500 [exhibition game]
12/18 canc.      Hazleton Redskins (H)

 1939 (8-7-1) [American Association (7-5-1)•1st Place, Northern Division•(7-6-1 after championship game)] Coach: Frank Kirkleski
9/10  W 24-0     Alexandria Celtics (H) 4,000
9/17  L  0-7     Wilmington Clippers (H) 6,500
9/20  W 14-6  at Danbury Trojans, Lee Stadium 2,000
9/24  W 17-6     Brooklyn Eagles (H) 12,500
10/4  W 26-0     Danbury Trojans (H) 4,500
10/8  T  7-7  at Union City Rams, Roosevelt Stadium 7,000
10/12 W 14-7  at Providence Steam Roller, Cranston Stadium 3,500
10/15 W 16-10    Union City Rams (H) 8,000
10/18 L  7-9  at Wilmington Clippers, Pennsy Field 5,000
10/22 W 22-13    Newark Bears (H) 10,000
10/29 L  0-24    Jersey City Giants (H) 13,000
11/5    p.p.     Union City Rams (H) [exhibition game]
11/12 L  6-9  at Newark Bears, Schools Stadium 11,359
11/19 W 14-0     Providence Steam Roller (H) 5,500
11/26 L  2-17 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 9,757
12/3  L  0-3     Union City Rams (H) 1,500
       Championship Game
12/17 L  7-27 at Newark Bears, Schools Stadium 15,365

 1940 (8-6-0) [American Association (6-4-0) 2nd Place, league•(6-5-0 after 1st round playoff game)] Coach: Dale Burnett
9/8   W 12-0     Norristown Lions (H) 4,200
9/12  L  0-10 at Long Island Indians, Dexter Park 5,500
9/15  W 20-19    Providence Steam Roller (H) 5,500
9/22  L  7-27    Brooklyn Dodgers (N.F.L.) (H) 10,000
9/29  L  0-27    Wilmington Clippers (H) 7,000
10/6  W 34-0     Washington Presidents (H) 3,500
10/13 W 13-0  at Providence Steam Roller, East Providence Stadium 3,500
10/20 W 16-7     Newark Bears (H) 8,000
10/27 W 16-7  at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 11,457
11/3  W 17-14    Long Island Indians (H) 7,500
11/10 L  3-22 at Newark Bears, Schools Stadium 11,200
11/17 L  0-7     Jersey City Giants (H) 11,620
12/1  W 21-20 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 4,000
       Playoffs First Round
12/8  L  8-11    Wilmington Clippers (H) 5,187

 1941 (10-3-2) [American Association (6-2-2) 2nd Place, league•(6-3-2 after 1st round playoff game)] {N.F.L. New York Giants farm team} Coach: Dale Burnett
9/7   W 34-0     Norristown Presidents (H) 4,000
9/14  W 23-0     Long Island Indians (H) 6,500
9/21  W 35-0     Fort Totten (H) 6,000
9/28  T  0-0     Wilmington Clippers (H) 6,500
10/5  W 21-7  at Churchill Pros, at Pynchon Park, Springfield, Mass. 1,800
10/7  L  3-6  at Long Island Indians, Valley Stream Firemen's Memorial Stadium 3,000
10/12 W  7-6     New York Yankees (H) 6,000
10/19 W 28-12    Newark Bears (H) 9,000
10/26 T 13-13    Jersey City Giants (H) 12,000
11/2  W 31-7     New York Yankees (H) 6,000
11/9  W  6-0  at Newark Bears, Schools Stadium 10,500
11/16 W 10-0  at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 12,000
11/23   p.p.     Frankford Yellow Jackets
11/30 L 21-28 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 6,000
12/7  W 27-0     Frankford Yellow Jackets (H) 1,500
       Playoffs First Round
12/14 L  0-33 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 4,500 

 1942 (4-2-1) [Player co-op•American Association suspended (1-2-1 v. league teams)] Coach: Dale Burnett
9/20  W 23-19    Washington Lions (Pa.) (H)
9/27  canc.   at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park
10/11 T  7-7  at Hartford Blues, Municipal Stadium 2,000
10/18 W 10-7     Chester Tornadoes (Pa.) (H) 5,000
10/25 W 21-6     Hartford Blues (H) 4,000
11/1  canc.      Wilmington Clippers (H)
11/8  L 13-22    New London Diesels (H) 4,000
11/15 W 22-9     Camden Cruisers (H) 1,300
11/22 L  0-16    Long Island Clippers (H) 1,000
11/29  canc.     Camp Upton (H)

 1943-1945 no team

 1946 (2-10-0) [American Football League (2-8-0)•4th, last, Eastern Division] Coach: Bob Trocolor
9/15  L  0-55    Pittsburgh Steelers (N.F.L.) (H) 11,000
9/22  L  0-3     Wilmington Clippers (H) 6,000
9/25  L  9-27 at Bethlehem Bulldogs, Liberty Stadium 8,000
9/29  L 14-30    Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) 3,000 [exhibition game]
10/6  L  7-27    Scranton Miners (H) 1,559
10/13 L 13-19 at Long Island Indians, Valley Stream Firemen's Memorial Field 2,500
10/20 L 21-40    Akron Bears (H) 1,000
10/27 W 10-7     Newark Bombers (H) 5,000
11/3  W 25-14 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 12,000
11/10 L  3-14    Long Island Indians (H) 5,500
11/17   p.p.     Jersey City Giants (H)
11/19 L  0-25 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 8,000
11/24 L 14-21 at Newark Bombers, Schools Stadium 4,173
12/1    n.g.     Scranton Miners (H)

 1947 (12-5-0) [American Football League (8-2-0)•1st, Eastern Division•(8-3-0 after championship game] Coach: Joe Maniaci {N.F.L. Detroit Lions farm team}
9/7   W 12-0     Staten Island Stapletons, at Passaic 5,000
9/14  W 46-0     Providence steam Roller (H) 6,000
9/17  W 21-14 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 3,900 [exhibition game]
9/21  W  7-0     Long Island Indians (H) 7,000
9/24  L 14-27 at Bethlehem Bulldogs, at Allentown, Pa. 4,000 [exhibition game]
9/28  W  7-6     Wilkes-Barre Barons (H) 7,000
10/1  W 20-10 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 4,500
10/5  W 28-0     Philadelphia Yellow Jackets (H) 6,000
10/12 W 32-28 at Richmond Rebels, City Stadium 5,000
10/20 L  0-20    Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) 8,500
10/26 L  0-3     Jersey City Giants (H) 7,500
11/2  W 13-7     Bloomfield Cardinals (H) 8,000
11/9  W 24-17 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 8,200
11/16 W 35-7     Wilmington Clippers (H) 6,000
11/23 L 14-23 at Charlotte Clippers. Memorial Stadium 2,500
11/30 W 14-13 at Bloomfield Cardinals, Foley Field 11,500
       Championship Game
12/7  L  7-23    Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) 10,587

 1948 (11-1-2) [American Football League (7-1-2)•1st Place, league•(9-2-1 after playoff games) Champions!] Coach: Allie Sherman (N.F.L. Philadelphia Eagles farm team)
9/15  W 33-13    Newark Bears (H) 6,829
9/19  W 55-0     Long Island Indians, at Passaic School Stadium 6,218
9/26  W 20-7     Wilmington Clippers (H) 6,800
10/3  W 30-7     Wilkes-Barre Bullets (H) 6,000
10/10 L 14-31 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 8,000
10/13 W 48-13 at Bethlehem Bulldogs, Liberty Stadium 4,000
10/17 W 17-0  at Wilkes-Barre Bullets, Artillery Park 4,000
10/25 W 24-3     Jersey City Giants (H) 7,000
10/31 W 20-14    Richmond Rebels (H) 9,862
11/7  T 21-21 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 4,000
11/14 T  7-7     Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) 7,588
11/21 W 23-0  at Richmond Rebels, City Stadium 4,500
       Playoffs First Round
11/28 W 30-7     Jersey City Giants (H) 6,898
       Championship Game
12/5  W 24-14    Wilmington Clippers (H) 7,434 CHAMPIONS!!

 1949 (9-4-1) [American Football League (6-3-1)•2nd Place, league•(7-4-1 after playoff games)] Coach: Augie Lio {Both Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants' farm team}
9/14  W 61-0     Brooklyn Eagles (H)
9/18  W 34-6     Hawaiian Warriors, at Foley Field, Bloomfield, N.J. 5,500
9/25  L  7-13    Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) 5,222
10/2  W 27-0     Wilmington Clippers (H) 3,500
10/9  W 16-7  at Jersey City Hiants, Roosevelt Stadium 5,000
10/12   p.p.  at Wilkes-Barre Bullets, Kingston High School Stadium 
10/16 T 17-17    Richmond Rebels (H) 6,000
10/19 W 21-7  at Bethlehem Bulldogs, Liberty Stadium 5,500
10/31 W 35-7     Wilkes-Barre Bullets (H) 2,500
11/6  W 41-27    Jersey City Giants (H) 3,500
11/13 L  7-24 at Richmond Rebels, City Stadium 14,777
11/16 W  1-0  at Wilkes-Barre Bullets, Kingston H.S. Stadium [forfeit•franchise revoked 11/4]
11/20 L 21-39 at Wilmington Clippers, Wilmington Park 1,500
       Playoffs First Round
11/27 W 16-7     Bethlehem Bulldogs (H) att: 350
       Championship Game
12/5  L 14-35 at Richmond Rebels, City Stadium 12,000

 1950 (7-4-0) [American Football League (4-4-0)•3rd, league] Coach: Angelo /Bertelli {N.F.L. Philadelphia Eagles farm team}
9/8   W 44-7     Bellville-Nutley Iron Dukes, at Newark 2,000
9/17  W 42-7  at Long Island Bears, Valley Stream Firemen's Memorial Field 3,500
9/24  W 46-0     Wilkes-Barre Bullets (H) 2,000
10/1  L 14-22    Erie Vets (H) 3,300
10/4  W  1-0  at Bethlehem Bulldogs, Liberty Stadium [Bulldogs disband before game•forfeit]
10/8  W 12-10 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 9,500
10/15 L  7-21 at Jersey City Giants, Roosevelt Stadium 5,500
10/22 W 31-0  at Erie Vets, Erie Stadium 3,081
10/29 W 24-16    Richmond Rebels (H) 3,100
11/5  L  6-7     Jersey City Giants (H) 3,500
       (Panthers withdraw from league on 11/8)
11/12 L  0-1  at Richmond Rebels, City Stadium [forfeit] 
Notes:
  Home Field- Hinchliffe Stadium  opened 1932.
  Paterson Panthers Team Colors- Deep Maroon, Gray & White.
  Official Program, Paterson Panthers/Eastern Independent Champions vs. Wessington Red Devils/Sunday, October 18, 1936/Hinchliffe Stadium/Paterson, N.J.
  1936- The Wessington Red Devils, a.k.a. Wessie Red Devils, were a merger between the Passaic Red Devils and the Clifton Wessingtons.
  7/24/1932- The first sporting event at the Stadium, was a House of David v. Paterson Pros semi-pro baseball game. Gil Burgess, Paterson first baseman, hit the first home run.
  8/15/1932- The 1st night baseball game was between the Cuban Stars and the Paterson Truckers.
  9/22/1933- The “Colored Championship of the Nation” was held at Hinchliffe Stadium between the two top Negro baseball teams. Score: Philadelphia Stars 14 - New York Black Yankees 8. Hinchcliffe Stadium was the home ballpark for the New York Black Yankees (NNL), 1937, 1939-1945. The New York Cubans used Hinchliffe in 1936.
  On March 22, 2004, Hinchliffe Stadium was put on the National Historic Register. In 2013, it was designated as a National Landmark

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This list is compiled and designed by Paul S. Luchter

   Updated 3/23/2019
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