1940 Pine Grove Football (Soccer) Club
The Pine Grove team of the 1940’s was arguably the best ever to play soccer in the Ottawa and surrounding district. Unfortunately, the greatness of the team was never fully realized because of a three year suspension of playing during World War II and the tragic loss in combat of the classy Campbell MacGillivray, perhaps the best all-round athlete of the time.
The Pine Grove Football Club began play in 1938 when Kirk Hill and Laggan, each facing a scarcity of players, joined forces. From its initial game (a 7-1 win over Lochiel) to the club’s last season of play in 1948 when it amassed a 12-1-1 record during regular season play, Pine Grove dominated the Glengarry Soccer League and the best teams that Ottawa and Montreal could field.
In the four years prior to the suspension of play in 1942, Pine Grove lost only five of 66 games and won the league title four times and the championship three times. When play was suspended at the end of the 1941 season, Pine Grove had a 36-game undefeated streak that included victories over the Ottawa and District champions in 1940 and 1941.
After the war when the Glengarry Soccer League resumed play in 1945, the Pine Grove line-up was missing perennial all-star goalie Archie MacGillivray, the previously mentioned Campbell MacGillivray, Keith MacMaster and Donald MacMaster. The 36-game undefeated string that carried over from the 1941 season was stretched to 39 as Pine Grove opened the season with three successive ties.
Although failing to win the league title, the team worked its way into its old form and defeated Dunvegan for the championship. With the nucleus of the pre-war team in the line-up for 1946, 1947, and 1948, Pine Grove won the league title on each occasion and the championship in ’46 and ’47. During each of these years they defeated the Ottawa and District champions for Eastern Ontario supremacy.
Over eight years of play in organized competition, Pine Grove won 98 games, tied 31 and lost 13. Those statistics would read 94-22-10 if the 1945 season (when a number of regulars had not yet returned from combat) is removed.
Although it is difficult to compare Pine Grove teams over a number of years, the 1940 and 1941 clubs were in a class by themselves. Were it not for the war, this line-up would have undoubtedly set all-Canadian records for performance.
In 1940, Pine Grove won 18 and tied one on the way to victory in the Ottawa and Valley championship with Ottawa. In 1941, the record was 13 wins and four ties and Pine Grove again defeated Ottawa for the Valley championship.
This was the club that disbanded for war with a 36-game undefeated streak and this was the club that wore the black and white with the greatest success.
