Atlantic Coast Football League

The Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.^[1]

For the first few years, Joe Rosentover served as league president. He had served in the same capacity for the American Football League (formerly the American Association) from 1947 to 1950; a relative, John Rosentover, had run the league from 1936 to 1947. In fact, several of the teams from the AA were revived in the ACFL, including the Providence Steam Roller, Newark Bears and a team in Paterson, New Jersey. By 1968, Rosentover had left the organization and been superseded by commissioner Cosmo Iacovazzi, who had briefly played for the New York Jets.

In 1965, three of the franchises (the Hartford Charter Oaks, Newark Bears and Springfield Acorns) joined with five teams from the United Football League to create the Continental Football League. The league picked up four franchises from that league when it folded in 1969 (Norfolk Neptunes, Orlando Panthers, Jersey Jays and Indianapolis Capitols); the Neptunes and Panthers were exactly the same teams as the Acorns and Bears respectively, having relocated during their time in the CoFL.

In 1970, the Orlando Panthers signed a husband and wife duo, Steven and Patricia Palinkas, as a kicker and holder respectively. Steven did not make the team, but Patricia did, making her the first female professional football player.^[1]

Most of the ACFL's teams, including all of the teams that had been in the Continental league, folded following the 1971 season. The Hartford Knights and Bridgeport Jets survived, and both moved down to the Seaboard Football League in 1972. Hartford accrued a perfect season in that league in 1972, including several games with margins of victory over 40 points, and after much dissatisfaction with the league announced it was leaving with the intent to reform the ACFL.^[2] The ACFL returned for one final season in 1973 with Hartford, Bridgeport, and several teams promoted up from the SFL (which led to a trickle-up that brought Empire Football League teams upward to the SFL to fill the old SFL teams' void). The return, however, was short lived; the league determined it would not compete with the World Football League and folded after the 1973 season.

ACFL Seasons[]

1962[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1962	Ansonia Black Knights	1962-1963
ACFL	1962	Paterson Miners	1962
ACFL	1962	Stamford Golden Bears	1962
ACFL	1962	Frankfort Falcon	1962
ACFL	1962	Portland Sea Hawks	1962-64
ACFL	1962	Providence Steam Roller	1962-64
ACFL	1962	Boston Sweepers	1962-64

1963[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd	Wins	Losses	Ties	%
ACFL	1963	Ansonia Black Knights	1962-1963	4	8	0	.333
ACFL	1963	Baltimore Broncos	1963	2	10	0	.167
ACFL	1963	Boston Sweepers	1962-64	2	9	1	.167
ACFL	1963	Springfield Acorns	1963-64	7	5	0	.583
ACFL	1963	Hartford Charter Oaks	1963-64
ACFL	1963	Jersey Giants	1963-64	8	4	0	.667
ACFL	1963	Newark Bears	1963-64	11	1	0	.917
ACFL	1963	Mohawk Valley Falcons	1963-65	5	7	0	.417
ACFL	1963	Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen	1963-65	6	6	0	.500
ACFL	1963	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69	8	3	1	.667
ACFL	1963	Westchester Crusaders	1963-64,73	8	4	0	.667
ACFL	1963	Portland Sea Hawks	1962-64	4	8	0	.333
ACFL	1963	Providence Steam Roller	1962-64	6	6	0	.500

1964[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd	Wins	Losses	Ties	%
ACFL	1964	Atlanta Spartans	1964	4	9	0
ACFL	1964	Boston Sweepers	1963-64	10	3	0	.000
ACFL	1964	Springfield Acorns	1963-64	9	5	0	.000
ACFL	1964	Hartford Charter Oaks	1963-64	8	5	1
ACFL	1964	Jersey Giants	1963-64	11	2	0	.000
ACFL	1964	Newark Bears	1963-64	12	1	1	.000
ACFL	1964	Mohawk Valley Falcons	1963-65	2	12	0
ACFL	1964	Richmond Rebels	1964	8	5	1
ACFL	1964	Scranton Pros	1964	1	13	0
ACFL	1964	Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen	1963-65	9	5	0
ACFL	1964	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69	4	10	0
ACFL	1964	Westchester Crusaders	1963-64,73	3	10	1
ACFL	1964	Portland Sea Hawks	1962-64	5	8	1
ACFL	1964	Providence Steam Roller	1962-64	8	5	1

1965[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1965	Jersey Jets	1965
ACFL	1965	Mohawk Valley Falcons	1963-65
ACFL	1965	Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen	1963-65
ACFL	1965	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69
ACFL	1965	Holyoke Bombers	1965
ACFL	1965	Scranton Miners	1965-66
ACFL	1965	New Bedford Sweepers	1965-66

1966[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1966	Atlantic City Senators	1966
ACFL	1966	Jersey City Jets	1966
ACFL	1966	Rhode Island Steelers	1966
ACFL	1966	Waterbury Orbits	1966-67
ACFL	1966	Wilmington Clippers	1966-67
ACFL	1966	Virginia Sailors	1966-68
ACFL	1966	Lowell Giants	1966-68
ACFL	1966	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69
ACFL	1966	Scranton Miners	1965-66
ACFL	1966	New Bedford Sweepers	1965-66

1967[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1967	Waterbury Orbits	1966-67
ACFL	1967	Wilmington Clippers	1966-67
ACFL	1967	Virginia Sailors	1966-68
ACFL	1967	Lowell Giants	1966-68
ACFL	1967	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69
ACFL	1967	Westchester Bulls	1967-1968

1968[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1968	Virginia Sailors	1966-68
ACFL	1968	Lowell Giants	1966-68
ACFL	1968	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69
ACFL	1968	Westchester Bulls	1967-1968
ACFL	1968	Pottstown Firebirds	1968-69
ACFL	1968	Richmond Roadrunners	1968-69
ACFL	1968	Roanoke Buckskins	1968-71
ACFL	1968	Bridgeport Jets	1968-71,73
ACFL	1968	Hartford Knights	1968-71,73

1969[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1969	Quincy Giants	1969-71
ACFL	1969	Harrisburg Capitols/Colts	1963-69
ACFL	1969	Long Island Bulls	1969-70
ACFL	1969	Pottstown Firebirds	1968-69
ACFL	1969	Richmond Roadrunners	1968-69
ACFL	1969	Roanoke Buckskins	1968-71
ACFL	1969	Bridgeport Jets	1968-71,73
ACFL	1969	Hartford Knights	1968-71,73

1970[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1970	Jersey Jays	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Jersey Tigers	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Quincy Giants	1969-71
ACFL	1970	Indianapolis Capitols	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Norfolk Neptunes	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Orlando Panthers	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Pennsylvania Firebirds	1970-71
ACFL	1970	Richmond Saints	1970
ACFL	1970	Long Island Bulls	1969-70
ACFL	1970	Roanoke Buckskins	1968-71
ACFL	1970	Bridgeport Jets	1968-71,73
ACFL	1970	Hartford Knights	1968-71,73

1971[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1971	Jersey Jays	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Jersey Tigers	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Quincy Giants	1969-71
ACFL	1971	Indianapolis Capitols	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Norfolk Neptunes	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Orlando Panthers	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Pennsylvania Firebirds	1970-71
ACFL	1971	Roanoke Buckskins	1968-71
ACFL	1971	Bridgeport Jets	1968-71,73
ACFL	1971	Hartford Knights	1968-71,73

1972[]

No Season

1973[]

League	Year	Team	Years Plyd
ACFL	1973	Long Island Chiefs	1973
ACFL	1973	West Massachusetts Pioneers	1973
ACFL	1973	New England Colonials	1973
ACFL	1973	Mount Vernon Crusaders	1973
ACFL	1973	Westchester Crusaders	1963-64,73
ACFL	1973	Bridgeport Jets	1968-71,73
ACFL	1973	Hartford Knights	1968-71,73

ACFL Championship Games[]

1962- Paterson Miners 17, Providence Steam Roller 14 (Double OT), played indoors in the Atlantic City Convention Center

1963- Newark Bears 23 Springfield Acorns 6

1964- Boston Sweepers 14, Newark Bears 10 played in Newark

1965- New Bedford Sweepers 13, Jersey Jets 9

1966- Virginia Sailors 42, Lowell Giants 10

1967- Virginia Sailors 20, Westchester Bulls 14

1968- Hartford Knights 30, Virginia Sailors 17

1969- Pottstown Firebirds 20, Hartford Knights 0

1970- Pottstown Firebirds 31, Hartford Knights 0

1971- Norfolk Neptunes 24, Hartford Knights 13

1973- New England Colonials 41, Bridgeport Jets 17

ACFL teams[]

Ansonia Black Knights 1962-63
Atlanta Spartans 1964
Atlantic City Senators 1966
Baltimore Broncos 1963
Boston Sweepers 1963-64
Bridgeport Jets 1968-71, 1973 (affiliated with New York Jets in 1969)^[3]
Frankfort Falcon 1962
Harrisburg Capitols/Harrisburg Colts 1963-69 (affiliated with Baltimore Colts in 1969)^[3]
Hartford Charter Oaks 1963-64
Hartford Knights 1968-71, 1973 (affiliated with Buffalo Bills in 1969)^[3]
Holyoke Bombers 1965
Indianapolis Capitols 1970-71
Jersey City Jets 1966
Jersey Giants 1963-64
Jersey Jays 1970-71
Jersey Jets 1965
Jersey Tigers 1970-71
Long Island Bulls 1969-70 (affiliated with New York Giants in 1969)^[3]
Long Island Chiefs 1973
Lowell Giants 1966-68 (affiliated with Boston Patriots in 1969)^[3]
Mohawk Valley Falcons 1963-65
Mount Vernon Crusaders 1973
Newark Bears 1963-64
New Bedford Sweepers 1965-66
New England Colonials 1973 (affiliated with Boston Patriots)^[4]
Norfolk Neptunes 1970-71
Orlando Panthers 1970-71
Paterson Miners 1962
Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen 1963-65
Portland Sea Hawks 1962-64
Pennsylvania Firebirds 1970-71
Pottstown Firebirds 1968-69 (affiliated with Philadelphia Eagles in 1969)^[3]
Providence Steam Roller 1962-64
Quincy Giants 1969-71
Rhode Island Steelers 1966
Richmond Rebels 1964
Richmond Roadrunners 1968-69 (affiliated with New Orleans Saints in 1969)^[3]
Richmond Saints 1970
Roanoke Buckskins 1968-71 (affiliated with Washington Redskins in 1969)^[3]
Scranton Miners 1965-66
Scranton Pros 1964
Springfield Acorns 1963-64
Stamford Golden Bears 1962
Virginia Sailors 1966-68
Waterbury Orbits 1966-67
West Massachusetts Pioneers 1973
Westchester Bulls 1967-68
Westchester Crusaders 1963-64, 1973
Wilmington Clippers 1966-67

References[]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Associated Press (1970-09-04). "First woman to earn place on pro grid team is also suspended." Retrieved 2010-12-25.
↑ "Hartford quits Seaboard loop." Associated Press (1972-11-23). Retrieved 2010-12-20.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 "Franchises.htm". Pottstownfirebirds.com. http://www.pottstownfirebirds.com/ACFL%20football/Atlantic%20Coast%20Football/Franchises.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
↑ Woods, Mark (2009-10-22). Smith is Pats' UK connection. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-12-20.

Gill, Minor League Football 1960-1985 (McFarland Press, 2002)

[ap-palinkas-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Associated Press (1970-09-04). "First woman to earn place on pro grid team is also suspended." Retrieved 2010-12-25.

[2] "Hartford quits Seaboard loop." Associated Press (1972-11-23). Retrieved 2010-12-20.

[affiliations-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 "Franchises.htm". Pottstownfirebirds.com. http://www.pottstownfirebirds.com/ACFL%20football/Atlantic%20Coast%20Football/Franchises.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-21.

[4] Woods, Mark (2009-10-22). Smith is Pats' UK connection. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-12-20.

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