Haverford Fords football

Haverford Fords football
First season	1879
Last season	1972;53 years ago (1972)
Location	Haverford, Pennsylvania
Rivalries	Swarthmore
Colors	Red and Black

The Haverford Fords football team represented Haverford College in college football. The team started in 1879, just the third school in Pennsylvania to field a football team. ^{[1] [2]} The team was rivals with Swarthmore. ^{[3] [4]}

Haverford football team of 1904

The 1894 game claims to have the first "action shot" photograph of a game. ^[5] College athletic director James Babbitt was an important figure in the 1905 rules negotiations that brought the forward pass, 10-yard first down and other innovations into the game. ^[6]

Haverford no longer has a team. The school ended the football program in 1972, after only 9 players joined the team of the expected 30, an insufficient number to field a team. This resulted in the cancellation of all eight games scheduled for the 1972 season. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. "Lack of Players Cancels Football at Haverford". The New York Times. September 15, 1972.
2. https://tripod.swarthmore.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?vid=01TRI_INST:SC&search_scope=SC_All&tab=Everything&docid=alma991012377669704921 ^{[ bare URL ]}
3. "Haverford Is Victorious.; Conquers Its Ancient Rival, Swarthmore, by 10 to 7". The New York Times. November 26, 1916.
4. "Long lost football team recalled by its star lineman". April 17, 2021.
5. "Haverford Vs. Swarthmore 1894 - First Known Action Shot Of A College Football Game". June 29, 2021.
6. Fichman, Michael (Fall 2012). "Football Furor". The Magazine of Haverford College. p. 13. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
7. "Frontline: Retrospect". July 10, 2008.
8. "Lack of Players Cancels Football at Haverford". The New York Times. September 15, 1972.