SOCCER CAREER
OF
ROBERT C. CORBETT (BOB)

SOCCER CAREER OF
ROBERT C. CORBETT (BOB)

1927-1931 SEASONS: ST. JAMES GRADE SCHOOL PAROCHIAL LEAGUE

Bob Corbett's recollections were that St. James usually won its league championship, but was not able to get by St. Matthew's in the play offs.

Grade school soccer was much less organized than today. There was only one team per school, an all boys team. Managers and coaches were luxury items and equipment was scarce in these economically depressed times. Bob recalls being teased by his brothers for playing in his coat and tie, the required dress at St. James. His school shoes were his soccer shoes.

The players ran the team and Bob recalls going down to the school office on Lindell (prior to the existence of the CYC) to get the league trophy. The team trophy was a tiny thing, but treasured by the boys.

In his final year on the team, the 1930-31 season, his mother promised him a party if he would score 16 goals. That season he scored 22 goals and was treated to an ice-cream and cake party for himself and team mates.

Despite the fact that Bob's teams and the earlier years of St. James simply couldn't get by St. Matthews, the year after he graduated the 1932 team with his brother Ed (Spider) took St. Matthews to 5 games, but lost. Finally, in 1933 St. James won the championship. Click here to see that story.

1931-32 SEASON: ST. MARY AND JOSEPH'S JUNIORS

Upon graduation from St. James Bob was offered a chance to play with Mac Sandwich Shop team in the senior Muny league. At this time there was a professional league, followed by the Muny Senior league as the next best quality play. Bob's older brother, Bill was playing with the St. Louis Stix team in the professional league. (I have found newspaper accounts of Bill being at right halfback for Stix in a 3-3 tie with New Bedford, Conn. on March 28, 1932.) Bill advised Bob not to go immediately to the senior level, but to take a year in the juniors. This was hard for Bob to do. The offer from Macs was attractive and his brothers Red and Rooster played for Macs at this time. But Bob followed Bill's advice. It may have been good advice, but, as fate would have it, Mac's won the coveted Muny league city championship in that 31-32 season and Bob missed the opportunity.

Pet and Joe McLaughlin ran the junior team for St. Mary and Joseph's. They had to be satisfied with second place in their league that season.

1932-33 SEASON. SUNSHINE LAUNDRY TEAM, MUNY LEAGUE

Mascots: Irv Shurwan and Ed Corbett

1st row, kneeling: Bob Corbett, John Rooney, Joe Phelan, Bud Carney, Bill O'Shaughnessy and Grimm.

2nd row, standing: Joe O'Hara, Charlie Bat Gallagher, Charles Rooster Corbett, Larry Stamps, name missing and John Red Corbett.

3rd row, standing, Coach, O.J. Norman, John Mahon, Louis Joker Columbo, Mike Delaney, Ed Alex Delaney, Matt McLaughlin, Mr. Hense.

O.J. Norman, much later the starter for golf at Forest Park, was the coach of this team which had three Corbett boys playing (Red, Rooster and Bob). Even Ed (Spider) was the mascot. (Much later Bob would have two brother, Bill and Spider, as team mates on the Burkes in the pro league.)

This was an experimental period for soccer. On Dec. 11, 1932 a St. Louis newspaper reported:

"The 'penalty box,' an innovation in soccer in these parts, will be introduced at the double-header. Players ejected for infractions of the rules will be set down for a period of time to be determined by the referee and then permitted to return to the game."

This indicates a level of violence in the game at this time which was of serious concern. This experiment from the pro league was not tried in the MUNY league, but well it might have been. The story below of the St. Ambrose game indicates the difficulties of the time.

The Sunshines had a good year. On Dec. 18, 1932 we read that it was the season's 8th game before the Sunshines were scored upon. L. (Geese) Murlo scored or St. Ambrose, but Bill O'Shaughnessy tied it. The 1-1 draw preserved the Sunshine's unbeaten string.

Jan. 8, 1933 brought about a rematch of Sunshines and St. Ambrose and the Sunshines were now 10-0-1 with 29 goals for and 1 against. Joe Phelan, with 13 goals, was the gun to stop. St. Ambrose was up. Alex McNab and Billy McPherson, stars of the Stix team were the St. Ambrose coaches. Sunshines proved too much, however, and goals by Phelan, Carney and O'Shaughnessy gave them a 3-0 victory.

Newspaper photo of Sunshine / St. Ambrose game

The St. Ambrose keeper has just cleared the ball. Backs Bottini and Viviana are blocking out Sunshine player, John Mahon, in the white shorts.

The following week on McLaughlin's goal (a substitute), Sunshine went to 12-0-1. Both Phelan and Carney had to go to Barnes Hospital for stitches.

The playoffs began easily enough for the Sunshines. On Feb. 12, 1933 they beat Meyers 8-1. Bobby Corbett scored his first goal playing as a senior and Phelan added 4, Carney 2 and Rooney 1.

The Sunshine's had they season come to a close in the MUNY semi finals. However, they didn't go down without a fight! On Feb. 26,1933 they battled the German Sport Club to a 2-2 draw. Phelan scored twice more. The newspaper report said:

"Fine combination play, with short passes playing an important part, featured the match between the Germans and Sunshine. Each team scored a goal in the first half, O'Mara tallying or the Germans (ah, where is ethnic purity here) and Joe Phelan for the Sunshines. The Carondelet representatives had more opportunities, but could not break through the stout defense of the Forest Park title winners.

"Starting the closing half, Dumas, German goalie, was tested with hard shots, but he warded off all efforts until after 11 minutes, when Phelan again found an opening. The Germans tied the score 10 minutes later when Hennessy (another good German!) headed in a fine cross from O'Mara (need I even comment). The extra period failed to break the tie.

The next Sunday was a big soccer day in St. Louis. The pro Stix team was in a home and home series with the New York Americans for the U.S. Open championship. The 1922 Scullin Steel team was the last St. Louis team to win it. Stix edged the Americans 1-0 here and later won the U.S. championship with a 2-1 victory in New York. 15,200 people turned out to see the pro match, while another 8,000 came back for the rematch of the Germans and Sunshines. There is no report as to whether Kate and John Corbett went to watch Bill play with Stix, or went to see the other 3 boys play with Sunshines.

At any rate, the Sunshines went down to defeat 3-2. The newspaper recounts that both Sunshine goals came on mistakes by the Germans. The winning goal, however, came on a mistake by keeper Mike Delaney. Bob Corbett remembers it well. Mike went down to field a routine ground ball and it hoped over his head. Bob did not play in the Sunshine's only loss. The week before he had worn a pair of soccer shoes which were too small and his toe nail turned black and came off. His foot was too sore to allow him to play.

The Germans went on to win the MUNY championship against the Cleareys.

Oddly enough, Mike Delaney was to make a very similar mistake in the next season. More about that next.

Here is a play-off story from a St. Louis newspaper.

1933-34 SEASON SUNSHINE LAUNDRY IN THE MUNY LEAGUE

Front row left to right: Whitie Zurfluh, Matt McLaughlin, Bob Corbett, Joe Phelan, Charles (Rooster) Corbett, Bill O'Shaughnessy, Art Wack, John Griffin or Larry Stamps (not sure), Mascot Irv Schurwan.

Back row left to right: Bud Carney, Charlie (Bat) Gallagher, Jim Andreatta, Dude O'Neil, Mike Delaney, Joe O'Hare, Ed (Axel) Delaney, John (Red) Corbett, Bill Corbett, Elmer (Banty) Schurwan, John Rooney

This season the Sunshines changed managers and Johnny Rooney became their head. This team seemed to have great promise. The 32-33 season was a good one. The younger players had aged and Bill Corbett had returned to the MUNY league from the U.S. championship Stix team. The lineup included 4 Corbett's now.

The league was a breeze for the Sunshines. On Nov. 12, 1933 they blasted Grandmas 7-0. Phelan took up where he'd left off last year with 4 goals. Rooster and Bill Corbett and Carney added goals.

The next week St. Ambrose fell 2-0. Rooster and Carney scored. Bobby Corbett scored the next week, along with Zurfluh, Phelan and Rooster again.

In this Glode-Democrat photo, Bobby Corbett heads the ball to Bat Gallagher

However, the Blanchfields scored once in the 4-1 Sunshine victory, destroying their scoreless string.

By Dec. 11, 1933 the Sunshines had won 6 straight games, but not without a battle. The newspaper headline and story was:

PLAYERS BATTLE AS SUNSHINES WIN SIXTH GAME IN MUNY SOCCER

Top gunner, Joe Phelan, received a one game suspension in the fight, but he wasn't much needed. The headline article was:

SUNSHINES SET SCORING RECORD 9-0.

Rooster had 2, so did Matt McLaughlin and Larry Stamps. O'Shaughnessy, playing manager Rooney and Carney each added singles.

The following week Phelan came back with a vengeance. The 9-0 score was equalled and Phelan scored an amazing 6 goals. Zurfluh, Carney and O'Neal added singles.

The Blanchfields fell 3-0 with Bob Corbett scoring once and Phelan twice. Then St. Ambrose again fell, 3-0. Again, Phelan scored twice, Bobby Corbett once.

The season ended 15-0 in Forest Park and it looked like this was the team to beat. Well, beaten they were. In the first round of the playoffs on March 4, 1934 the Spartans defeated the Sunshines 2-1.

Bob Corbett has painful memories of that loss. "Oh, I'll never forget it. Dart Miller kicked one from the middle of the field. Mike (keeper, Mike Delaney) was saying: 'I got it,' but it floated over is head." Bob allowed that Mike was great in his years past with the Henses, but by this time he was too old for this level of play.

I guess one must take that memory with a grain of salt. After all, Bob was 17 years old that season. "Old man Mike" might not really have been so old.

1934-35 SEASON: HELLRUNG-GRIMM IN THE MUNY LEAGUE
MEMBER OF THE MUNY LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM

Mon. Jan. 28, 1935

"A 12-0 triumph by the Hellrun-Grimm over the Russo New Dealers at Fairgrounds # 3 set a new record season's high score. Another tied the old mark of 11-1 as the Spanish Caballeros defeated a German Sport Club # 2 that had only seven players in its lineup.

"In each of the two top-heavy scoring bees, a player broke the individual single-game scoring record of seven goals. R. Corbett of the Hellrungs and O. Menendez of the Caballeros each counted seven goals. Corbett, who had had six goals, thus finished with a total of 13 goals, second highest in the league."

Bob Corbett says that he actually only tied the record of Howard Blaisdell.

Feb. 3, 1935.

Muny All-Stars vs. Marres

"Joe Phelan proved a very good leader and the Muny team worked best when he was at center, with Corbett at inside right. Phelan deserved a goal when he headed Luckett's cross to the far corner, but the ball hit the goal upright with Rodriguez beat."

Bob Corbett scored two goals. Marres 6 -- All Stars 3.

Game played at Sportsman's Park with 2110 in attendance. It cost 40 cents to get in, ladies for 25 cents.

Feb. 10, 1935.

"Hellrung's (Pros) vs. Ben Millers."

"Bob Corbett, the boy who recently scored seven goals in a municipal league game while at center forward for the Hellrung (Muny) at Fairgrounds Park, will be given a trial by manage Phil Kavanaugh this afternoon."

(However, as best I can tell, he didn't play that day.)

Bob Corbett himself says that he didn't play and never remembers hearing anything about this again.

March 31, 1935

Muny All-Stars vs. Southern Ill. All-Stars.

The line up is different. The first game was played without those players who were in the playoffs. This team was the full Muny All-Stars.

2-0 Muny.

Lineup:

"Sheldon, inside right, scored the first goal for the Muny leaguers, taking Hilker's shot as it rebounded from Witunski after he had made a good save, and tapping it into a clear goal. R. Corbett scored the other goal when Witunski on a goal kick tapped weakly to Corbett, standing on the edge of the penalty zone."

CORBETT PLAYS FOR RUSSOS IN THE CUP

The Russos won out in the cup and then Les Hachert got hurt. So they signed Bob Corbett. He played for them against the Irish Village in the cup playoffs in Sportsman's Park. They lost 5-3, but Corbett got 2 goals.

1935-36 SEASON: HELLRUNG GRIMM PROFESSIONAL TEAM
PRO LEAGUE ALL-STARS IN HIS FIRST SEASON

On September 29, 1935 the pro league made an announcement that admission would be 50 cents that year. The Hellrung Grimm team began practice on about September 8th.

Front row: 1. Butch Goeckel, 2. Ray Teber, 3. Bob Corbett, 4. John Worden, 5 ...... 6. ... Calvin.

Back row: 1. ..... 2. Ed Leahy, 3........ 4. Phil Kavanaugh, 5. Syl Goddard, 6. Ray Eagen and 7. Bobo Lyons

Oct. 6, 1935. Corbett scored 2.

Oct. 14,1934. Hellrungs beat the Marres 3-2.

"In the second game, the Hellrungs, led by a snappy little center forward, Bobby Corbett, had the Marres well beaten... the bright individual stars of this game were Corbett in the center of the Hellrung forward line, and Hilker at O.R. for Marres. Both are young and green but they proved they have a of fine talent.
Corbett scored 2 goals.

Nov. 3, 1935.

A new 5 team pro league was playing at the National Softball League Park, Kingshighway and Arsenal. The teams were: Centrals; Hellrungs -- Ben Millers -- Spanish Club -- Marres. 25 cents admission. Ladies free.

Then they formed a new group. The Centrals became the Shamrocks, and they were formerly Stix. Two teams pulled out, and Central Brewers came in.

Dec. 22, 1935.

"Phil Kavanaugh's fast Hellrung and Grimm team, with the promising young center forward Bob Corbett leading the attack opposes the Ben Millers in the opener.

Jan. 2, 1936. All-Stars 4 -- Shamrocks 3

All-Star goals: Fay, penalty. Aherns, Corbett, Nash

Game played at Sportsman's Park

The following Sunday the Shamrocks, led by Watson, Roe and McNab, crushed the Hellrungs 6-1 on a snow covered field.

Jan. 6, 1936

Hellrung's opened the second half of the season with a 2-0 victory over the Shamrocks.

"Hellrung's trailed midway in the first period when Corbett took the ball through the center and passed to Aherns, who made good on a hard shot from the side. In the second half during a scrimmage in from of the goal Corbett smashed a shot against the upright, the ball dropping back into the next."

March 8, 1936. Corbett scored one goal

1936-37 SEASON: CLUB LOTUS PRO LEAGUE
BOB CORBETT WAS PICKED ON THE ST. LOUIS ALL-STARS TO OPPOSE THE MACCABEES OF PALESTINE

The teams in the pro league this year were: Town Criers; Burkes; Club Lotus; Harts

Oct. 12, 1936. Phil Kavanaugh manager

"Fleming got two of the three first-half goals counting after 10 minutes on a pass from Corbett and again, 11 minutes later from scrimmage. The third Lotus goal of the half went to Corbett who headed the ball neatly in the net."

The Shamrocks were kicked out of the league and became independents.

Thursday, Oct. 15, 1936

"CORBETT STARS AS CLUB LOTUS WINS NIGHT SOCCER MATCH"
"When it comes down to the business of selecting the outstanding 11 individuals to represent the St. Louis Soccer League in the exhibition match with he Maccabee Club of Palestine at Walsh Stadium two weeks hence, Bobby Corbett, center forward of Phil Kavanaugh's Club Lotus team will come in for some special consideration. Bobby connected for two goals in the second half of an exciting game last night in beating the Town Criers club 3-2."

Losing 1-0, Kavanaugh shook up the line up.

"...within the next few minutes Bobby Corbett had the ball in the net. Five minutes before the end outside left Flemming headed in the tieing goal for Club Lotus, and Corbett scored the winning goal just before the final whistle."

The line up included Eddie Corbett at inside left.

Monday, Oct. 26, 1936

Corbett picked as center forward to oppose touring Maccabees of Palestine.

Oct. 27, 1936

Maccabees don't know what to expect.

"This will be the first time an All-St. Louis team has played against a foreign club since Sparta of Prague visited here almost 10 years ago. In more recent years touring club had to face several European players most of whom were members of the present Shamrock team."

Oct. 28, 1936

"Players of the type of Art Garcia, Bobby Corbett, Eddie Leahy and Jack Simmermann may have the old-country defenders worried for a while at least. If St. Louis can get the first goal the game should develop into a lively contest."

Bob Corbett did not play. He had to work. The All-Stars won 3-2.

Night games were given up until Spring. The fog was too thick to see the lights.

Nov. 1, 1936

Club Lotus takes first place, defeating Burkes 3-0. Fleming (2) and Worden score.

The Shamrocks agreed to play the Pro All-Star teams which defeated the Maccabees, in two games.

Nov. 19, 1936.

CORBETT TO REPLACE NASH IN LINEUP OF ALL-STAR TEAM

Nov. 22, 1936.

Shamrocks defeat Stars 6-4

goals: Shamrocks: Nielsen 2, Gonsalves 2, Roe 2
All-Stars: Simmermann, Corbett, Murphy, A.Garcia
4000 people attended the game

Nov. 29, 1936 Shamrocks 3 All-Stars 0

"The series was well worth while but it only strengthened the belief that no combination of Pro League players could be put together to give the Shamrocks a real test. Even a bit off form, as the Shamrocks were yesterday, they are far superior to any team the league officials might put on the field."

Dec. 27, 1936

Club Lotus to show a brothers act.

"Halfback W. Corbett and forwards R. and E. Corbett will be on Club Lotus today."

Jan. 17, 1937

Cup game lineup: Featured 3 Corbetts

Feb 7, 1937. Club Lotus knocked out of cup.

TOWN CRIERS on water covered field won 5-1

"Bob Corbett, center forward, tallied his team's only goal a few minutes later when Kelly lofted the ball high in the air, but wide of the net, to Corbett's head. Corbett headed the ball into the corner of the net from about seven yards out."

Eventually the Shamrocks won the St. Louis region, but lost the national championship to the New York Americans on April 19, 1937.

1937-38 SEASON: ST. PATRICK'S for the first half of the season, BURKE'S the second half.

This was a troubled season for the pro league. The Shamrock team broke up, and there was a squabble for the Scottish players and Billy Gonsalves. Finally they went with the South Siders and won the cup. There seemed to be little interest in the season, only in the cup play.

Oct. 26, 1937

The season got off to a slow start. The Shamrock's Scots and Gonsalves quit and joined St. Patrick's. The Shamrock's filed a law suit.

Finally the dispute was resolved in a trade, but Gonsalves still wouldn't sign.

Bill Corbett was with Fouke Fur in the Muny. He played inside right and scored in an early benefit game.

Oct. 31, 1937 St. Pat's 2 -- Southside 1

St. Pat's couldn't use the Scots or Gonsalves. Corbett and Worden scored.

Nov. 14, 1937. Add Ed Corbett to outside left.

St. Pat's with Spider Corbett lost 3-1 to an All-Star team as a prelim to St. Matthew vs. a Chicago team.

Dec. 5, 1937. St. Pat's tied St. Matthew's 2-2.

"Bobby Corbett put the St. Pat's in the lead by blocking a kick by fullback Maurice Dalton for a score, but little Ed Kelly, a clever and promising right wing, tied it up before half. The Pat's took the lead again when Ed Corbett scored from Kickham's pass, but Dinty Moore hooked a nice shot to the corner to clinch a tie near the finish."

The struggle of the season continued as Billy Gonsalves would sign a contract with the Shamrock's. He accused St. Pat's of paying him not to. Finally Gonsalves moved to Beltmars in the Muny.

Dec. 16, 1937

McNab, Begley, Tom Erbe (all with the Shamrock's last year) were ready to sign with the South Siders if released.

Dec. 20, 1937 South Side 2 -- St. Pat's 1
Bob Corbett scored

Dec. 27, 1937 St. Matthew's 5 -- St. Pat's 1

"Bobby Corbett scored the Pat's lone goal and except for a few minutes in the second half Andy Fredrick's team was completely outplayed."

Jan. 2, 1938

Neither Corbett was in St. Pat's lineup. Pat's defeated the Burkes 2-0. Willie Welsher was at outside left for the Burkes.

Jan. 9, 1938 Bob Corbett moves to the Burkes

Much soccer realignment "With Henry Diaz, Joe Garcia and Bobby Corbett added to his roster since last Sunday, Manager Emil Cueto now has the dark horse of the soccer race in the Burke Club."

Burke's surprised St. Matthew's 2-2. The old Shamrock players were holding out until after the first cup games. Other teams did not want to pool players. Each felt it had a good chance for the cup. The Burke's looked good.

"Henry "Gemelo" Diaz, at outside left, and Bobby Corbett, inside left, were playing together for the first time this season and they will unquestionably be a more dangerous pair in their second game. The Burkes may prove too strong for the sensational Matthews..."

Jan. 17, 1938.

8 former members of the Shamrocks signed with South Siders and they beat St. Pat's (Bob Corbett was no longer with St. Pat's, but with the Burkes.)

Jan. 30,1938 CORBETT INELIGIBLE

St. Matthew's vs. Burke's cup game.

"Because he was not signed up to a contract before the cup game deadline, Bobby Corbett, who recently helped the forward line, will be ineligible for today's play. That gave Lou Mendez a chance to win a niche in the Spanish Club's hall of fame." (The Burke's, despite the Irish name, was a team heavily of Spanish-American players.)

Burke's won, 5-4 over St. Matthew's.

Feb. 6, 1938 Southside eliminated Burke's 1-0

Bob Corbett was back in the lineup, and after the game Watson and Gonsalves signed with the South Siders for the rest of the cup matches.

1938-39 SEASON: BURKE CLUB. AND THE BIRTH OF BOB'S WONDERFUL FIRST SON!!!!

Oct. 26, 1938

Bill Corbett at inside left with Ed Begley, functioned well for Fouke Fur in the Muny.

Oct. 30, 1938

"ALEC MCNAB AND CORBETT JOIN THE BURKE CLUB"
"Bobby Corbett will be at the inside right and Jimmy Kelly will be on the outside. Corbett, who has had several season's experience as a center forward finished up last season playing a brilliant inside left for the Burkes."

Andy Frederick's Lindell team was to play the Burkes at West Side Park, and beat them 2-1. Bob Corbett did not play.

Feb. 6, 1939

"Bill Corbett's goal with his head was the highlight of the German's victory over Carondelet. Corbett scored again and so did Rapplean in the second half."

Ed Corbett missed a couple of scoring opportunities, but he was the best man the Moloney's had in midfield.

1939-40 SEASON: GERMAN SPORTS CLUB

The next three seasons,

were rather poor ones for Bob, and his memory can't help explain it. Actually this first season, 1939 -- 40 is one which, as best the newspaper records show, he mainly sat out. The next year with Schumachers was a rather poor one in which he primarily rode the bench, and finally, before the full blossom of his career began, he played a rather uneventful season in 1941 -- 42 with St. James in the CYC league.

In the fall of 1939 the team to beat were the Schumachers. They had won the last two MUNY championships and simply had to win once more to retire the trophy, which went to the first team to win the championship three times. This travelling trophy will figure more in Bob's career later on. The German Sports Club was not in the MUNY league, but the left overs of the pro league and was sort of a semi-pro league playing in University City. The league opened with five teams:

  1. The German Sports Club
  2. Zeltman
  3. Burkes (with whom Bob had played the last two seasons)
  4. Frieskies
  5. Paramount.

In the second week of the season the German Sports Club's line up appeared, then they totally disappeared from the league. However, they didn't show up anywhere in the MUNY league either -- until the playoffs. Then, there they are, and they knocked Schumachers out of the playoffs, keeping them from winning the third leg on the trophy. As the newspaper report below indicates, Bob scored the winning goal against Schumachers, but I have no idea what happened in that year, or how The German Sports Club showed up in the MUNY playoffs. At any rate, the only two line ups I found for that year indicate it was a year in transition and unsteadiness!

The German Sports Club -------------Position-------The German Sport Club
Nov. 6, 1939 in the opening --------------------------in Spring, 1940 against Schumackers
of the U. City League --------------------------------in the MUNY playoffs.

"GERMANS DEFEAT SCHUMACHERS 1-0. CORBETT'S GOAL COMES LATE IN SECOND PERIOD"

"Bobby Corbett's score, a sort of Bert Patenaude classic in which he gave speed and direction to a ball shot by Ed Rapplean, found the extreme corner of the Schumacher goal, about seven minutes before the end of the game."
"The bustling tactics of Ortman and Molloy on defense and the unpredictable thrusts of rugged Bobby Corbett at center forward transformed the German team into a winning combination."

German Sport Club lineup

It is also interesting to note that Spider Corbett was playing for Maloney Electric this year.

1940-41 SEASON: SCHUMACHERS SOCCER CLUB

Mr. Schumacher really wanted to win the third leg on the travelling trophy for MUNY champions, and the team stocked up. As best Bob Corbett can remember he rode the bench a great deal that year. This memory of his matches the newspaper records in which he only turns up in the line ups every few weeks.

What is interesting is that the Schumachers never did win the third leg on the trophy. Rather, the El Rey Chili team, which only existed for three years, won the MUNY championship for three straight years and Bob Corbett played with them during this period. There is an interesting story about the response of Mr. Schumacher when the El Rey's took the trophy on Corbett's goal -- but I'll save that story for that year, 1944-45.

The Schumacher line up early in the season showed as follows:

I was able to find one newspaper photo of the 1940-41 Schumachers, but the photo is not of very good quality.

THE 1940-41 SCHUMACHERS

Front row: Bill Laganke,trainer, 1. Edward McInerney, 2. Bill Connors, 3. Bob Corbett, 4. Paul Greco, 5. Bill Fogarty, 6. Edward Gerard, 7. Walter Davis, 8. Lloyd Vasquez, and Manager George McGann.

Back row: George Steffin, trainer, 1.Bob Pawlak, 2. Wildred Murphy, 3. Otton Seidel, 4. Edward Dueker, 5. John Gross, 6. Pat Reidy, 7. Bill Rogles, 8. Jerry Julius, 9. Edwin Dueker and Eddie Mayer, trainer.

The season was one in which the Schumachers were not much in contention for the league championship. Fehls was the team to beat, and they eventually won the league, but didn't win the championship.

On Feb. 24, 1941, despite a very tough season, the Schumachers advanced in the playoffs beating St. Ambrose. This set up an important game with the favorite Fehl-Weis team, which had won the league championship.

The semi-final game was Feb.24,1941 and in a big upset Schumachers defeated Fehls handily, 4-1.

On March 10, 1941 Schumachers tried to win the MUNY championship for its third time against the Stokers. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, setting up a replay on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1941. Corbett was back in the Schumacher line up, but couldn't do anything and the Schumachers fell 2-0.

One interesting note from this season was that early in the fall there was a benefit game in which Bill Corbett played for Fouke Fur. The newspaper account (Oct. 20, 1940) indicates that Fouke Fur did not have a team in competition, but that once a year they fielded a team for a benefit game, and this team was made up exclusively of players who also worked for Fouke Fur.

1941-42 SEASON: ST. JAMES SENIOR TEAM
ST. LOUIS ALL-STAR
CYC LEAGUE ALL-STARS

The 1941-42 season marked the last of Bob Corbett's three seasons in relative obscurity. This season he played with the St. James team in the MUNY league, but it wasn't even a team in the "major" league of the MUNY.

However, despite the fact that St. James neither won its own division or advanced to the playoffs, Bob Corbett was selected for the MUNY league All-Star team, and also played on the CYC All-Stars. The MUNY All-Stars lost to MUNY champions, the Raftery Egans, a team with which Bob would play a couple of season in the late 1940s.

During this year Spider Corbett played for the Bender Market in the MUNY league.

"The Municipal All-Star soccer team, which went down to a 1-to-0 defeat at the hands of the Raftery-Eagans, Municipal senior division champions, yesterday in a benefit game at Fairgrounds Park, is shown above. The players are:"
Front row: 1. Bill Connors, Ed Kuchner, Ted Kirchhoefer, Joe Spica, Joe Lanigan, Milton Valdez, Ed Marsck,Amiel Muniz, and Ted Werner.
Top row: Joe Phelan, comanager, Larry Kicham, Pete Jones, Bill Cohan, Charles McCArthy, Bob Corbett, Bill Osterholt, Gus Alberici and Steve Mertz, comanager. Mascot Murphy is in the front."

1942-43 SEASON: EL REY CHILI: MUNY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
BOB AND HIS WIFE LOUISE TURN HIS CAREER AROUND

The 1942-43 season dramatically turned Bob's soccer career around. After a splashy start as sort of wonder-kid in 1932 and playing extremely well for a few years, the three seasons prior to 1942-43 we're not so good. My mother used to maintain that dad has suffered a bit from what she called "the big head" and through he was just too good. On her view this brought him down and he just had to change himself around, which, she claimed, he did in this season.

On the other hand, my dad and his manager Eddie McHugh had a different story. They gave a great deal of the credit to my mom. She knew Eddie McHugh and liked him. After dad signed with the El Rey she went to see Eddie and told him "Bob is being wasted at center forward. He'd be the best inside man this city has ever seen." Then, according to Eddie McHugh, she went on to make her case. He said he was astonished at her detailed knowledge of soccer and decided to give it a try. Dad never played center forward again until he couldn't run as much in his last years in semi-retirement. On dad's view my mother had turned it all around.

What is the real story? Did dad just get his head together and go forward? Did mom's convincing Eddie McHugh to shift his position do it? Was it some of both or none of either? I don't know. What is clear is that this was a water-mark season, and by the end of it Bob Corbett was well on his way to being the best inside forward St. Louis had in the 1940s and perhaps before and after as well.

The first mention of Bob Corbett in the papers in this season was a December 28, 1942 game against Jefferson-Barracks, in which Bob scored two goals.

As the season neared its end, two teams stood out as leaders. They met Feb. 7, 1943:

"With a couple of the town's best football players directing the rival teams, Eddie Begley for the El Reys and Larry Kickham for Solidarity, the game at Carondelet Park was interesting from the start. The speed of the El Rey wing forwards Joe Stratmann and Ed Sudgen, compensated in a measure for the failure of Center Bobby Corbett and his inside forward, Pete Joyce and Bill Rogles to get their mid-field game organized in the first half. It was then that the Camp team had control of the game, Harold Travis and his forward mates getting in some solid blows at Goalie Art Pagnini.
"So much smoother were the Camp players that when they took the lead 1-0 on Kickham's penalty kick, they looked good for a victory. Goalie Albrecht made a sensational stop of a penalty by Rogels, protecting for the moment the slim advantage. But, in the change of sides at half time, the El Reys were a new team. The bright sun worked in their favor, hampering the Camp defenders and the ground conditions were more favorable for El Rey forwards. It was not long before Corbett and Joyce had the ball in Albrecht's net for a pair of goals and before the final whistle, busy little Outside Left Sudgen scored the third goal." (Dent McSkimming)

The El Reys won the league and then MUNY playoffs began. On March 8, 1943 they coasted 5-0 over Schumacher II team. This Schumacher team is interesting, since it was a junior team playing senior, and later won the U.S. Junior championship, but had it taken away since some of the players had played senior. This team include Harry Keough, Gino Pariani and Herman Wecke among others.

The semi-final round pitted El Reys against the Schumachers (not their II team, but the major league team), and the Natural Set Up (whom Bob Corbett would play for in two years) were against the defending champion Rafterys.

On March 15, 1943 the El Reys defeated Schumachers 2-1, setting up the final three game series against the National Set Ups, who defeated Rafterys.

The March 15th line up of El Reys was:

March 22, 1943 the Natural Set Ups won the opener 3-1. Corbett gave the El Reys a 1-0 lead in the opening minute of the second half, but after that it was all Naturals.

March 29, 1943 the El Reys roared back 6-1, setting up the final match. In this easy victory Corbett scored one, but there were several injuries to both sides and some line up revamping was going to have to go on.

On April 5,1943 there was a breather in the MUNY play as El Reys defeated the Royal Netherland Air Force team 4-2. Since the El Reys were injury-ridden, Corbett played center half, a position he often played with El Reys since El Begley, the regular center half, was a policeman who often couldn't get off work on Sunday.

Actually Dent McSkimming was quite upset about Corbett playing. He had announced in Sunday's paper that Corbett wouldn't play (see transcribed article below), and when he played Dent blasted the management for giving him bad information!

The morning of the game McSkimming has written the article below:

JOYCE TO REPLACE CORBETT AT FORWARD IN SOCCER GAME

Bob Corbett, inside left forward on tire El Rey Chilies, will not play in Sunday's game with the whirlwind Royal Netherlands Air Force soceer team at Fairgrounds Park, according to announcement made today by Manager Eddie McHugh of the local team. "Corbett's knee Injury," said McHugh, "has not sufficiently healed to take a chance Sunday. Bob has a chipped cartilage in his right knee which he favored in last Sunday's game with the Set-Ups. He developed undue strain in the other leg resulting In a severe charleyhorses.

Joyce As Substitute

Eddie continued: "I'm not singin' inidigo, but this would have to happen just when my team is clicking 100 per-cent. I will not risk a permanent injury to Bob, although I know he would gladly get out there if I gave the go ahead, which I'm not going to do.

"I expect to use Pete Joyce at inside left. His style differs from Corbett's but I think he will fit in with our general scheme of play," concluded McHugh.

"Joyce is a strapping big fellow. He handles the ball considerably, and during his many years in soccer competition has shown ability as a top dribbler. On the other hand, Corbett is aggressive, very speedy and relies on taking and giving the ball to team members.

"Both players have been with the El Reys this season."

The El Reys finally did win the MUNY championship that year, but while Bob's bad leg didn't keep him out of the line-up, he didn't play his best ball in this series. On April 26, 1943 the El Reys beat the Nationals 3-2. Dent McSkimming reported the game in the following story.

The El Reys then entered an inter-city play off round robin to determine the mid-west champion. On May May 23rd they first lost to the Chicago Vikings 1-0, and then had to play the Milwaukee Falks. On May 30, their season came to an end when they tied Falks Wisconsin 2-2. Since the Vikings had slaughtered the Falks, they Vikings took the championship.

THE EL REY CHILI'S 1942-43 TEAM

Standing from left: Mouse Dietrieck, coach, Chubby Lyons, Bill Rogles, Ed Begley, Poplowski, Eddie McHugh (manager/coach), Jack Beckman, Pete Joyce, and Bobo Lyons.

First row: Tom Duffy, Morris Kramer, Ed Sudgen, Art Paganini, Bob Marshall, Joe Stratmann and Bob Corbett

1943-44 SEASON: EL REY CHILI: MUNY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
BOB CORBETT'S MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON
ALL-STAR TEAM AND VOTED BY THE FANS AS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

The El Reys started off slowly on Oct. 25, 1943 with a 1-1 tie with the Rafterys.

Nov. 1, 1943 El Reys defeated the Schumachers 1-0, and an innovation came to soccer in St. Louis:

UNLIMITED SUBSTITUTION BEGAN

"The game was frequently interrupted by the unlimited substitution of players, under a new rule, and by the softening of the ball."

El Rey was part of a 4 team major league. They kept winning and on Nov. 15, they again beat the Rafterys.

"When Eddie Begley was unable to continue in the second half because of police duty, Manager Eddie McHugh of the El Reys surprised the fans by shifting Bobby Corbett to center halfback and keeping Larry Kickham in the forward line. It was a wise move for Corbett found himself in his new berth while the forward line was better for not have been broken up."

Again El Reys defeated Rafterys on Dec. 6, 2-1 and on Dec. 15 defeated the Schumachers 3-1.

"The great difference between the teams was better ball control and more accurate passing by El Reys with Begley, Kickham and Corbett doing the heavy work."

The El Reys first loss after 10 undefeated games was on Jan 3, 1944, a heafty 5-2 loss to the Schumachers.

The next week they were back on target with an easy 5-0 win over Camp Solidarity, and once again defeated the Rafterys 3-1 on Jan. 17th.

In this great action photo from the newspaper, Raftery forward, Joe Numi has locked arms with Bobo Lyons of El Rey. Bob Corbett stands ready behind Numi and Lyons. In this game El Rey beat Raftery 3-1.

On Jan. 24, 1944, signaling a tough MUNY playoffs, the Schumachers once again defeated the El Reys. The El Reys still were the league leaders, but Dent McSkimming, the knowledgeable soccer writer for the Post Dispatch, believed that any game played on a bad field would advantage the Schumachers.

The season concluded on Jan. 31, 1944 with an easy victory over Camp Solidarity, the league's doormat, 5-0.

16 teams from various men's leagues entered the playoff for the MUNY championship."

On Valentine's Day, 1944 the El Reys once again eliminated Schumachers II as they had done the previous year. And the next week, Feb. 21, they easily eliminated Maloney Electric 6-0. However, they lost forward Chubby Lyons for the rest of the season with an injury.

LOUISE CORBETT'S FAVORITE STORY

The crazy game of Feb. 28, 1944 provided my Mom, Louise Corbett with her favorite story. The El Reys had what should have been an extremely easy semi-final game against the Navy Ordinance team, winner of the War Workers League. But, let Dent McSkimming first tell the basic story of the game:

"A scrappy team of ordinance Plant workers were within a few minutes of victory over the Champion El Reys in a Municipal Soccer Association semi-final at Fairgrounds Park yesterday, but a penalty kick, a mob scene and two El Rey goals intervened to snatch the triumph from the war workers in a thrilling overtime struggle.

"Until the moment when Referee Joe Schultz whistled signifying a foul committed by the defending Ordinance team, near the close of regular time, the El Reys were a beaten team, 2-1. It took almost 15 minutes and half dozen police and appeals from league officials over the loud-speaker to restore order, so vehement were the war workers in their protests against the referees ruling.

"At the height of the rebellion, Harry Exler, brilliant forward, picked up the ball and kicked it over the fence. Then he and most of the Ordinance players walked off the field. Only the wiser counsel of Allie Walsh, the plant athletic director, brought the disgruntled players back and then Referee Schultz insisted that Exler had kicked himself out of the game."

"So, after the long delay, play was resumed, the ordance team reduced to 10 men, and Bobby Corbett promptly scored the typing goal for El Reys from the penalty spot."

Later Kickham scored the winning goal, 2-1

LOUISE'S CONTRIBUTION

Mom always told us about this game. Very few women ever went to the games in these days, and this particular February day was extremely cold. Mom was standing on the sidelines as most fans did, only a few sitting in the bleachers. When the long delay came it was clear that Dad would be taking the penalty. As the delay dragged on, so did the tension mount over the coming penalty. By the time the game was restored, Mom was weeping her eyes out in nervousness and fright. The man standing next to her leaned over and said: "Mrs. Corbett, I'm sure as hell glad it's Bobby taking that penalty and not you.!"

TROPHY TO BE RETIRED

That crazy and lucky victory set the stage for a fantastic championship playoff between the El Reys and the Schumachers. There was a travelling trophy that went to the MUNY champion each year, and then was passed on to the next winner. If a team won the trophy three times, then they got to keep it. In the 30s the Schumachers had won the trophy twice. The El Reys had won it twice, once in 1943, but I don't know when else they won it. Nonetheless, the trophy was also at stake, and not only the championship. Mr. Schumacher very much wanted that trophy. The opening game was on my 5th birthday, March 12, 1944. This was an extremely great series, and recall, the Schumachers had defeated the El Reys in their last two regular season meetings. The line ups for the opening game were:

The Schumachers made it 3 in a row over the El Reys with a 3-1 victory, and made it seem that the El Reys may be on their way out as MUNY champions.

However, on March 27, 1944 the El Reys evened up the match, also by the score of 3-1.

"El Reys had a half-time lead 1-0, due to Bob Corbett's score from close in, a play that started with Larigan's pass to Stratmann."

Just as in the previous year, this was not going to be an easy championship to end. On April 3rd they tied 3-3. One event from that game was talked about for years after in St. Louis soccer circles:

CORBETT KNOCKS ERBE COLD WITH SHOT

"Tom Erbe was knocked cold when he caught Corbett's shot on his chin."

EL REYS CHAMPS AGAINS AND RETIRE TROPHY

Finally on April 17, 1944 the El Reys repeated as champions and Corbett stared for the champions.

DAD'S FAVORITE STORY: AFTER THE FINAL GAME:

Dad always loved to tell how Ollie Bohlman was so furious about this loss. Mr. Schumacher really wanted to win and retire the travelling trophy. So he recruited heavily, and that's how he came up with a revised team in late season, which defeated the El Reys in the last two league games and then the first playoff game. But, when the were walking to the club house at Fairgrounds Park, which was right next to the large lake, Ollie was complaining bitterly to my Dad. "Bob," he said, "you know we're better than you position by position. How could you possibly win?" Dad's simply reply, "Well, Ollie, I guess we just scored more goals that you." This so infuriated Ollie that he flung his soccer shoes way out into the lake!

INTER-CITY PLAYOFFS AGAIN: SAME RESULT AS LAST YEAR!

On May 8, 1944 they played to a tie against the Falk team of Milwaukee, 0-0, thus ending their season, since once again the Vikings defeated Falk to win the round robin tourney. The Vikings also defeated the El Reys 2-1 in Sparta Stadium in Chicago.

However, at this game which was played in St. Louis, Bob Corbett was awarded the Most Valuable Player Award, the first time such an award was ever given. Despite the loss, McSkimming wrote:

"Bobby Corbett, who in a pre-game ceremony received the Missouri Soccer Commission 'most valuable player award,' was the most effective worker in the local forward line."

The official photo of the 1943-44 El Reys Championship team is below:

Kneeling: Jim Woods, Tom Duffy, Bob Marshall, Art Paginini, Ed Leahy, John Dooley, Ray Marsek

Standing: Scotty Wilson (trainer), Ed Begley, Maury Kramer, Bobo Lyons, Dan Neaf, Frank Pastor, Chubby Lyons, Bob Corbett, Larry Kickham, Joe Stratmann, Jim Lanigan, Irv Rhinehard (sponsor) and Ed McHugh, (manager)

As mentioned above, Bob Corbett won the trophy for most valuable players. This was from a pole in the newspaper in which fans could vote for some weeks before the award. Dad was always most proud of this award since it came from the votes of the ordinary fan who went to the game week after week in all weather. Below is Bob on the day he received his trophy up in Chicago in the game with the Vikings.

1944-45 SEASON: NATIONAL SLUG REJECTORS
(For the actual MUNY league season)
RAFTERY'S
(For the National Amaeur Cup in post season)
2ND PLACE IN THE NATION IN AMATEUR CUP

The El Rey team disappeared from the scene, but most of the same players turned up on the National Slug Rejector team, a team which had been around a while, and always a strong competitor.

On Nov. 6, 1944 they opened their season with a 1-0 loss to the Rafterys, the team that went on to win the MUNY, and whom Bob would then join to play in the National Amateur Cup.

The early line up for Nationals was:

On Nov. 27, 1944 they played an exhibition game against a Mexican team and Corbett scored in their victory.

Dec. 4th they walked over the perennial major league doormat, Camp Solidarity, 4-0.

On Jan. 8, 1945 They played Carondelet and won 4-0. Once again, as happened in each of the past two seasons, Corbett played center half because Begley was doing police duty.

The Nationals made a strong run for the National Open Championship and moved into the semi-finals in Missouri with a victory over the Natural Set Ups, 6-1 on Jan. 15, 1944. Corbett got two of the goals.

"Corbett opened the scoring at the five minute mark in the first half when he dented the net from 30 yards out." (It is interesting to note that Bob scored many goals from way out, often they are described as blistering shots.)

Jan 22, 1945 The Nationals took the lead in the MUNY Major league with another victory over the Naturals, 3-1.

Then on Feb. 12, 1945 they held on for a 1-1 tie, but clinched the championship of the Major MUNY League.

It looked like the old gang from El Reys might win their third straight MUNY title and they opened the final 3 game series with the Rafterys. But the Rafterys had eliminated the Nationals from the National Cup play, 5-3.

On April 9, 1945, after several weeks of rain delay, the championship series opened and the Nationals took the lead with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Rafterys.

The Rafterys evened the series with a 2-1 victory on April 16, 1945.

Then, in a weird final, the Raftery's won the MUNY with a 4-1 victory. However, the Nationals were playing without 3 of their key players. Begley again out with work, but both Kickham' and Connors refused to play! There had been some huge row with the referees and these two refused to take the field!

Front row: Maurie Karemer, Joe Strattman, Bob Corbett, Chubby Lyons, Frank Paston, Ed Hart, Bill Rogles

Back row: Ebby McHugh, manager, Ed Leahy, Mickey Connors, Art Pagnini, Tom Duffy, Earl Kestler, Harry Hebberger, Danny Neaf, Larry Kickham, Joe O'Mara, business manager.

CORBETT JOINS UP WITH THE RAFTERYS FOR THE AMATEUR CUP

Despite the loss of the National Slugs, Dad's season was not over. He was signed by the Rafterys for their upcoming run at the national amateur championship.

The Rafterys had won both the Open and Amateur Cups in St. Louis, but eventually lost the Open in a game against Cleveland at Walsh Stadium here in St. Louis. (Walsh Stadium was an fully enclosed stadium situated where the St. Louis Science Center now sits on Oakland Avenue.)

On June 17, 1945 Bob played with Rafterys in the regionals.

"Two players have been released by the Rafterys. They are Ollie Bohlman, halfback, and George Thie, reserve back. To replace them Bobby Corbett of the National Slugs and Earl Koestler, formerly with the Carondelet A.C. have been signed."

That Sunday the Rafterys defeated Nacaxa, a Mexican-American team in Chicago, 3-1.

On July 2, 1945 they traveled to Pittsburgh and beat Morgan Strassers. The headline story in the Post read:

Rafterys in Amateur Soccal Final After 2-1 Victory Over Morgan in Rough Game. Corbett and Travis got goals.

The article went on to say that after a scoreless first half,

"The second was only three minutes old when a mistake by the Raftery defense enabled Nick DiOrio to score from close in. That's the way it remained until the 30 minute mark, when Bobby Corbett drove a terrific shot into the net for the equalizer after taking a pass from Welsher."

Travis then scored in the overtime period.

Dad always remembered this game. He said it was the roughest game he ever played in. But, he said the Pittsburgh team, made up mainly of coal miners, were wonderfully friendly off the field, and treated them to an exceptional party after the game. Actually, they had one the night before the game in which the Rafterys thought they were trying to get them to drink too much!

On July 8, 1945 the Rafterys lost the national championship in a 1-0 loss to the Eintracht team in New York. It was the only chance Bob Corbett had to play for the national championship in his long career. I got to go on that trip as a young six year old boy. And I remember the wonderful train ride, where I ordered and ate a whole duck in the dining car, and I remember the trip up the Statue of Liberty. Dad and Earl Koestler (the two who signed on late) took turns carrying me up the winding stairs of the arm, all the way to the top. At Dad's funeral in May, 1994 Earl told me that both of them were suffering tired legs in the game against Eintracht from the trip up the statue.

But most of all I remember the awesome sight of the sea black with ships. A huge portion of the Atlantic fleet, fresh from the ending of the war with Germany, was in New York, and it seem that the ships crowded the sea all the way to the horizon.

But I remember nothing of the game, even being there. Perhaps its just as well. The newspaper account tells nothing of the story that Dad often repeated that after the game scrappy Willie Welsher chased one of Eintracht's players right out of the stadium in full uniform!

The Post reported that an accidental handling of the ball by Dan Murphy led to the goal on a free kick. "[The Raftery defense] surviving the pressure the Western Title holders swarmed in with Bob Corbett and Harold Travis both coming very close with rasping shots."

1945-46 SEASON: RAFTERYS
MUNY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
MEMBER OF ST. LOUIS ALL-STAR TEAM

The early season of the MUNY was dominated by the defending champion Raftery team, which Corbett had now joined after playing with them at the end of cup play in the previous season.

Jan. 14, 1946 the Rafterys had an impressive 2-2 tie with the Schumachers, having played most of the game with 9 men. Fiery Willie Welsher and Johnny Galimberti had both been ejected for vehement protesting of a penalty call.

Jan. 21, 1946 Rafterys took a commanding 4 point lead with just 3 games to play by defeating Carondelet 3-2.

Jan. 28, 1946 the Rafterys clinched the title in the Major Muny League on Corbett's goal.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Jan. 28,1946:

CORBETT'S GOAL GIVES TITLE TO RAFTERY ELEVEN

"A goal by Bobby Corbett in the opening minutes of the second half gave the Rafterys a 1-0 victory over the Noels at Fairgrounds Park yesterday afternoon. With that triumph the Rafterys retained the Big Six championships in the Municipal Soccer League.

"The only goal of the match came when the Noels had only 10 players, because Glenn Schaeffer, goalie, was late getting back on the field. Corbett scored on cross from Chubby Lyons. "

Dad and I got to this picture rather late in his life and between us didn't do so well with names. As best we could figure:

Top row from left: 1......... 2. Leo Lang, 3. John Galimberti, 4........., 5. Earl Kessler, 6.... Muellner, 7. Dan Murphy, we couldn't identify the last three.

Front row: 1. Tony Mecurrio, 2. ........., 3........, 4. Willie Welsher, 5. Gino Pariano, 6. Irv Schurwan, 7........., 8. Bob Corbett, and two others we couldn't get. Nor did we know the mascot.

CUP PLAY BEGINS IN 1945 -- 46 SEASON

The Rafterys began cup play by defeating the Nationals, Bob's old team, 3-2. However, this victory was annuled by the USSFA for reasons not specified. The Nationals had not competed in this season. They played in the first four weeks of the season, then were suspended for something they did in an exhibition game in Chicago.

At any rate, Rafterys won the rematch 2-1.

The Raftery line up at that time was:

On Feb. 17, 1946 Rafterys won the state amateur title with a 5-1 win over Carondelet. Perhaps this started thoughts of one more shot at the national championship, but alas, this was not to be.

The Rafterys began their defense of the MUNY title. On March 4 they advanced over the tough Schumachers on a break.

RAFTERYS WON SEMI-FINAL ON SCHUMACHER PAGNINI'S MISPLAY

"Scoreless through the first half the defending champions took the lead four minutes after the restart through Bob Corbett's very well hit long shot. Then, six minutes later, a ball was lofted from outside the penalty area, near center. It wasn't low and fast, but high and arched, a lob not a shot at goal. Goalie Art Pagnini caught the ball in his arms and took a step, preparatory to throwing the ball to safety. The whistle sounded; Referee Tom Erbe ruled Pagnini had inadvertently carried the ball across the goal line."

Rafterys thus survived this difficult team 2-1.

On March 17, 1946 the Noels gained the right to play Rafterys for the MUNY championship. But Dent McSkimming thought they lacked the proper defense. His headline read:

NOELS HAVE DEFENSE PROBLEM IN MEETING RAFTERYS MUST STOP STRONG PAIR OF FORWARDS

"Last Sunday the Noels almost tossed away victory by not assigning men to cover the Carondelet inside forwards. Both these men, Ed Marsak and Dinty Moore, were credited with goals. Welsher and Corbett are rated far stronger than Marsak and Morre as a unit."

The game was very rough and played in the rain. It ended in a 2-2 tie, but Corbett had to leave the game with an injury.

The line ups were:

March 24, 1946 the Rafterys took a 1-0 lead in the series I with a 3-2 victory.

"Scoring plays win or lose the game, but they are not the whole show. Danny Murphy, Gino Pariani, Bobby Corbett and Willie Welsher and others of the Rafterys didn't have a hand directly in the scoring of those three goals, but all turned in important tricks in the winning."

On April 1, 1946 the Rafterys won the MUNY championship with a 3-1 victory over the Noels, but the injured Bob Corbett did not play.

April 14, 1946 the underdog Carondelet A.C. knocked the Rafterys out of the U.S. Open cup defeating them 4-2. Corbett contributed, even if in a losing cause:

"The Rafterys scored twice them [after Carondelet got up 3-0], once five minutes later when Wallace's cross to center landed directly on the left foot of Corbett who hooked the ball out of the air and hard into the Carondelet goal."

The Schumachers went on to defeat Carondelet for the Open Cup, and Rafterys had won the Amateur. Rafterys began to move, first defeating Bayern-Schultz of Milwaukee on May 5, 1946. Corbett contributed importantly in that game.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on May 6, 1946:

RAFTERYS AND SCHUMACHERS WIN CUP GAMES:

(Recall, Rafterys were playing in the U.S. Amateur Cup and the Schumachers were playing in the U.S. Open Cup. While this story must have covered both games, my mother seems only to have put the Rafterys story in her scrapbook.)

From Milwaukee, May 6)

"A crazy hopper which caromed off goalie Al Mucha's fingers timps into the net, gave the St. Louis Rafterys a 2-1 U.S. Amateur soccer cup triumph over the Bayern Schlitz of Milwaukee here yesterday afternoon. Bob Corbett's kick won the game after six minutes of the second overtime period.

"The Rafterys, who came here as heavy favorites, found themselves behind after sever minutes of the first period when clever foot work by Frank Trimmel enabled Herman Rostack to drive an 18-foot try through the uprights, Corbett came back to tie the count after 17 minutes of the second half, however, and so it remained until Corbett pulled the contest out of the first in the second extra period.

"Fine defensive play by the older Schlitz eleven held the rallying Rafterys in check through the first 30 minutes overtime. But, the youthful stamina of the invaders began to tell and the outcome became inevitable as the last session opened.

"Corbett stood out for the winners in the closely fought contest. The Milwaukee team lost two men before regulation time ended because of injuries. Heinz Schramm was sent to the hospital for several stitches on a scalp cut and Stanley Mickling was replaced after suffering a leg injury. "The St. Louis Club will travel to Bridgeville, Pa. to meet the Castle Shannon team May 12 in another U.S. Amateur cup game.

RAFTERY HOPES ENDED MAY 20, 1946

The Rafterys hopes of getting another chance to win the national title came to an end on May 20, 1046 in Bridgeville, PA. when they were defeated 3-1 by Castle Shannon Club.

1946 ST. LOUIS ALL-STARS AND THE GAME AGAINST LIVERPOOL

Despite the loss to Castle Shannon, the soccer season was not quite over for Bob Corbett.

He was named to the St. Louis All-Stars and destined to score the only goal against the visiting British team which demolished the All-Stars 5-1 before the largest crowd to ever see JUST a soccer game in St. Louis. More on that later.

THE 1946 ST. LOUIS ALL-STARS

In front row from left: Herm Mugaverio, Frank (Peewee) Wallace, Bob Corbett, Larry Kickham, Bill Bertain, Dick Lodderhose, Herm Wecke, Jack Keenoy, Art Garcia, and Amiel Muniz

Second row: Manager Paul Spica, Ollie Bohlman, Charlie Pozza, Gino Pariana, Ed Buckley, Henry Merlo, John Finn, Leo Lange, and assistant coach Joe Lyons

Third row: Head coach Harry Ratican, Earl Kestler, Bob Annis, Charlie Colombo, Danny Murphy, John Galimberti and assistant coach Ed McHugh.

Back row: Trainer Tom Martin, Frank Borghi, Bill Meehan, Mil Valdez, and trainer vince Costello

GLOBE DEMOCRAT: JUNE 1, 1946

Bob Burns

"Methodical and automatic in everything they did, the Liverpool Reds wore down the St. Louis All-Stars last night at Public Schools Stadium and whipped them 5-1 before 12,493 fans in the international match sponsored by the Globe-Democrat and the Missouri Soccer Commission.

"So far as is known, this is the largest crowd every to see a soccer contest unpaired with any other sport, in the history of the game in St. Louis. About 20,000 turned out for the National Cup contest 14 years ago, played in conjunction with a baseball game at Sportsman's Park. On another occasion approximately 16,000 were on hand for a soccer game played in a twin bill with a professional football game.

CORBETT TALLIES

"For 76 minutes of the 90-minute contest St. Louis was in the battle. At that point, however, the All-Stars scored their lone goal, Bob Corbett connecting from close range after nice combination work with Bill Cohan and Joie Spica, and then seemed to fall apart. Liverpool had a 3-0 lead at that time and, after Corbett tallied, the British squad added two more quick goals to wind it up.

"In their sixth straight triumph in the current United States trip, the Liverpool squad scored twice in the first half with Captain Willie Fagan and Bob Friday uniting. Then, as the second half started, Jack Balmer connected and after St. Louis obtained its marker, Cyril Done connected and Fagan scored for the second time, this one being on a penalty kick.

"There was nothing cheap about any of the goals save the final one on the penalty. But Liverpool, smart all the way, took advantage of every opportunity and made every shot count.

STARS DEFENSE SPOTTY

Particularly was this true in the first half when two mistakes by the St. Louis defense cost the All-Stars two goals. On the first, they under-estimated the booting ability of Goalie Cyril Sidlow. On a goal kick, Sidlow sailed one down two-thirds of the field, over the heads of the defenders who were drawn up tight to midfield. Balmer, anticipating the kick turned quickly, trapped it, passed to Friday who fired only to have Goalie Mil Valdez, brilliant all evening, save. But he couldn't check the hard crashing rebound off Fagan's foot, which came after 12 minutes of play.

"Half-back Larry Kichham and Fullback Leo Lange became confused trying to catch up with a kick and Halfback Phil Taylor broke between them, drove the ball far to the left where Friday caught it on the fun and scored.

"Balmer's goal early in the second half caught the Stars by surprise as he trapped the ball just outside the penalty area and instead of passing as anticipated, fired dead into corner.

"Except for those moments, the Star's defense was brilliant. Done's goal was almost the only time he had his foot on the ball all night as Ollie Bohlman stuck with him constantly. The tight man-for-man defense used by the Stars effectively bottle the Reds most of the way… (few words blurred).

INVADERS CHANGE STYLE

"The Liverpool defense was smartly set up as well, changing to meet whatever occasions was demanded. Early in the game they played well into the center, but finding that Center Harold "Whitey" Gunning was not too dangerous they let him roam at will and concentrated on the wings.

"They quickly noted the need for this when Frankie Wallace, with a clever move, almost put St. Louis in the lead before the game was five minutes old. Halted by Fullback Jim Harley, Wallace reversed himself, passing into the center with his right foot. There Spica met the ball perfectly with his left foot on a turn-around shot but the tearing drive hit the cross bar right at the corner -- and bounced out as the crowd groaned.

"From then on, Liverpool moved its fullback out to the wings to contend with Wallace and Art Garcia. Corbett and Spica tried desperately to feed either Gunning or the wingmen and exhibited brilliant ball control but their well-aimed passes were stopped by the nice setup Liverpool defense.

"By no stretch of the imagination was Liverpool spectacular. The forwards were not as alert or sharp-shooting as those on other European teams that have played here. But the team as a whole had that excellent knack of always being in the right place at the right time, and as is always the plaint of a soccer crowd, there were 'just too many Red Shirts bobbing up with ball at all times."

Some years later in some unnamed publication, my mother had clipped a small article which looked back to that game:

"When the Liverpool Club of England met and defeated the St. Louis All-Stars by 5-1 in '46, the Irish kicker from Dogtown scored the only goal for the local squad. In his less active years Corbett is still a definite scoring threat having made good on strategic 'english' shots in recent games against the Chicago Maroons and the Chicago Slovaks.

"Murphy, a defensive bulwark for many seasons in the backfields of St. Louis teams, starred at center-half back and at fullback in the old pro circuits at Sportsman's park and West End Softball Park and with MUNY clubs, and will be the brains behind the Steamfitters this season.

"Murphy and Corbett have been teammates at various periods in past seasons and each was selected as the Most Valuable player, receiving the Ed Rice Trophy, during past MUNY seasons."

The line-ups for the game of the All-Stars vs. Liverpool were:

SPECIAL NOTE AT THIS POINT AFTER THE 1945-46 SEASON AND BEFORE THE 1946-47

As I prepare these pages to put on my web page, I realize this must have been as far as I got back in the 1980s when I did much of this research. From here on out the information I have is quite spotty, suggesting I relied only on the few clippings my mother had of this period and did almost no primary research myself. Or, if I did, the ways things were in those days before computer files were so easily kept, my hand written and later typed files are simply gone. I'll finish out what I know from the collected files and scrapbook items from my mother, but from this point on it is quite unsystematic.

1946-47 SEASON: ST. LOUIS RAIDERS

Things picked up for ME in the 1946-47 season. The North American Soccer League was formed and the St. Louis Raiders was St. Louis' entry in the league. Dad was playing with them. Home games were played at Sportsman's Park and the team travelled a lot, most travel by train. Dad took me with him on quite a few of the trips, so I got to do some travelling in the years of the touring league.

1947-48 SEASON: ST. LOUIS RAIDERS
PLAYING COACH

I'm a bit confused by this season. While my father was the palying-coach of the Raiders, the Raiders now seem to be playing in a pro league that is made up of 4 St. Louis teams. Yet I have conflicting data I'll have to work out as time permits.

Below is my photo of the 1947-48 Raiders.

Top row from left: Tony Mercurio, trainer, Leo Puttin, Bill Mehan, Bill Murphy, Bill Keogh, Harold Dia, Phil Kavanaugh, Ollie Bohlman, Bob Corbett, Amiel Munuz and Nick Jost, sponsor

Bottom row: Mike (Tusky) Montani, Gus Alberici, Frank Licavoli, Blow Muniz, Abe Fitzgerald and Harry Keough

This was Bob Corbett's first time as a coach. Jack Giesler somehow got this photo from Frank Nazzoli and sent it to my father.

From the left: Mike Montani, Ollie Bohlman, Coach Bob Corbett, Gus Alberici and Al Fink

1948-49 SEASON: PAUL SCHULTE MOTORS

Standing from left: Nick Jost, Joe Hennessy, Tony Mercurio, Gino Pariani, Larry Kind, Bob Fitzgerald, (unknown man in suit) Jack Rooney, Al Fink, Phil Kavanaugh, Blow Muniz, Willie Murphy, Hal Weigel, Warren Bockwinkle, Paul Schulte

Front row: unknown kid, Ollie Bohlman, Bob Corbett, Mike Montani, Oscan Corona, Harry Keough, Herman Wecke, Emil Muniz, Gus Alberici, Ray Bordeau

1949-50 SEASON: AFTER ACTUALLY RETIRING, BOB PLAYED A FEW GAMES FOR SPANISH AMERICAN YOUTH IN THE CUP PLAYOFFS

Dad's best running days were over. He didn't quite have the incredible speed and endurance which made him such an overpowering inside man. He decided to retire, but did agree to play for SAY at the end of the season in either cup or league playoffs. I do recall that they had him playing center forward again, which he hadn't done in many years. He didn't have to run as much. I do remember him heading in some critical goals off corner kicks in a game down at Carondelet.

Other than Bob Corbett (top row, third from left), I don't know any other players on this photo. If you know any of the others, please e-mail me. Thanks.

Special thanks to Debbie (Muniz) Marconi, Amiel's daughter, for the two identifications below:

Bottom row, 1. Shopie Menendez, 3. Frank Muniz, far right is Raymond " Westy" Gaurdado

Middle row from left to right # 3 is Henery "Pinky" Fernandez

Top row, 1st on the left is Chick Fernandez, I'll bet he was the coach or at least the representative from the Spanish Society, last player on top is Armand "Judge" Verdin.

1950-51 SEASON: ST. JAMES CYC SENION TEAM
BOB CORBETT WAS THE COACH, PLAYED IN A FEW GAMES

Kneeling from left: Bill Dowling, Jack (Weed) McVey, Tom (Rusty) Crowe, Frank Pilla, Bill (Shorty) Connors, Jim Brady

Standing from left: Ed Brennan, Tom Troll, Mickey Mayor, Bob McVey, Irv Shurman, Bill Hense, Bill Meehan, Jim McEvoy, Jim Moral, Bob Corbett, coach

Bob Corbett was retired, although he played a couple of times. People tended to think he was much older than he was -- perhaps he did himself, given the on-set of knee problems that plagued him the rest of his life. Howerver, St. Louis fans were just used to him being around so long. He had hit the serious level of soccer running in 1932 at the age of 16. Now, only 18 years later, and Bob only 34 years old he was much younger than most would have believed. Perhaps the general view of Bob, including, as I suggested, himself, was captured by a fan in the world of sports writer Bill Kerch who overheard the comment:

THIS ENDS THE CURRENT RESEARCH I HAVE DONE ON MY FATHER'S SOCCER CAREER. I DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DATA, PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTS ON HIS POST-CAREER DAYS OF AWARDS AND CONTINUED SOCCER ACTIVITY. ALL THAT IS COMING SOON.

Additionally, I will so post a story on the Corbett family and soccer. Bob was the best known of the five Corbetts, but his four brothers are also members of the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame, and I will present a bit about them in a follow-up story --
COMING SOON.

HOME GENEALOGY

Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu