July 30, 2018
In the 1940’s and continuing until the mid-1950’s, Electric Boat fielded a semi-professional football team composed of shipyard workers. The team, called the Electric Boat Diesels, would play other semi-professional teams throughout New England. Partly due to their reputation as a very good football team, in November of 1943, an agreement was reached for an exhibition game between the Diesels and the Green Bay Packers of the National Professional [football] league.
Over 10,000 spectators attended the game, which took place on Sunday, November 28, at what was then Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut.
During the first quarter of the game, the Diesels played exceedingly well and kept Green Bay in check. At the end of the quarter, the score was Green Bay 7, Diesels 0. Because they were having trouble scoring on the ground, Green Bay began a relentless passing attack and pretty much scored at will. The Diesels did not score until the last quarter when the score was 55-0. The final score was Packers 64 and EB 14.
The following morning the Packers team took a train to Philadelphia where, the next weekend, they walloped the Philadelphia Eagles. The EB team members reported back to work at the shipyard to build submarines for the war effort.
(Excerpted from “Electric Boat Diesels” by Jim Streeter, February 6, 2006)
Thanks to Jacqui Copp, Development Director of the Avery-Copp House Museum, for sending the article to EB Communications.
