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The Founding of the Conshohocken "Midgets"
The Conshohocken “Midgets” or Golden Bears were founded in 1961. At that time the Golden Bears were part of the Pop Warner league. The first year saw Conshohocken field two teams. There were 52 players and 20 cheerleaders. The 52 players were split into a 110 lb. Team and a 90 lb. Team.
In 1962, the Golden Bears won their first ever championship by defeating the Dedham Dynamos from Massachusetts in the Pop Warner Iron Bowl at the A-Field in Conshohocken.
In 1967, the Conshohocken Golden Bears joined the Keystone State League (KSL), which they are still part of to this day. At the time of the move to the KSL, the Golden Bears had 175 boys playing on 7 different weight class teams.
In 1972, the 115 lb. Golden Bears went undefeated. They went on to win the Burt Bell Bowl, which at the time was played indoors at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
The mid 1980's saw the Consy Bears once again win KSL championships. In the late 1980's the Bears moved into the Pop Warner league again briefly, but just long enough to win the local championship and go on to play in the Pop Warner National Champioships in Florida.
In the early 1990’s the Bears moved back to KSL, the Conshohocken Golden Bears had over 200 players on 7 weight Class Teams with cheerleaders for all seven teams. The Equipment Building and snack stand were constructed on the B-Field. In the later 1990’s enrollment had dropped again and the organization then came under the current leadership.
Since the change in leadership, the Golden Bears now field 7 teams in different weight classes with cheering teams for all the weight classes.
In 2003, the 65 lb. team and 90 lb. team won the KSL championship for their weight class, bringing a new era of Championship Football to Conshohocken. Then in 2004 the Cheerleaders won a spot in the 2005 National Champinships.
To this day, Conshohocken has posted more combined victories than any organization in KSL history.
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Have you ever wondered where the name "Golden Bears" came from?
Thousands of players and cheerleaders have been part of the history of the Conshohocken Golden Bears Midget football Organization. Have you ever wondered why the Midget team is named the Golden Bears and why we wear blue, white, and yellow as our colors?
The name Golden Bears actually was the name of the old Conshohocken High School. Conshohocken High School’s football team was known as the Golden Bears. The Golden Bears played many football games at the A-Field in Conshohocken. Many people do not even realize that there was a Conshohocken High School. It officially closed its doors in 1966. The Conshohocken High School Golden Bears football teams, cheerleaders, and band all wore the blue, white and yellow which our players still wear to this day.
The Golden Bears of Conshohocken High School’s greatest games were played against in town rival St. Matt’s High School. St. Matt’s High School moved and was renamed to Archbishop Kennedy in 1966. At that time, with Conshohocken High School being closed and most students moving to Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Kennedy was the only high school football played in Conshohocken. Kennedy played at the A-Field until 1993 when they merged and the high school moved to its current location and became Kennedy-Kendrick.
Conshohocken High School Golden Bears and St. Matt’s played an in town game every Thanksgiving morning at the A-Field in Conshohocken. At the time of Conshohocken High Schools closing, St. Matt’s lead the series with 11 wins to Conshohocken High’s 6 wins. The teams also tied 3 times. The Thanksgiving game was packed each year with thousands of spectators, cheerleaders, and each school’s marching bands, which would march up Fayette St. right into the front gates of the A-Field.
So the next time some asks you where the name Golden Bears came from, make sure to tell them about old Conshohocken High School.
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History of The Albert A. Garthwaite Stadium - Home of the Golden Bears
The Albert A. Garthwaite Stadium (seen above in the late 1920's or 30's), is located on 11th Avenue and Harry Street. Commonly referred to as the "A" field, is rich in the sports tradition of Conshohocken.
The A-Field was not always known as Albert A. Garthwaite Stadium. In 1914, Bob Crawford a local owner of a Cigar Shop located at 2nd and Fayette had the land cleared at 11th and Harry for a football field for his professional football team. The field was surrounded with a stockade fence and the visiting teams used the firehouse as their locker room.
In 1921, a covered Grandstand was added to protect the fans from the elements. The covered Grandstand was located on what is still the Home Sidelines. During much of the 1920' the field was known as the Conshohocken Community Center Field.
In the mid 1940's, Albert Garthwaite, President of the Lee Tire and Rubber Company located in Conshohocken, donated thousands of dollars to help renovate the field. The stands were replaced and a wall was built in place of the stockade fence. The lockerooms and the main entrance were also constructed with this money. The same entrance that stands today.
In 1967, Albert A. Garthwaite passed away and the Borough named the field Albert A. Garthwaite Stadium. Which was referred to as the "A-Field" by the locals. It is still called the A-Field to this day. In 1975, the deed for the land at 11th and Harry St. was donated to the Conshohocken Borough by the Lee Tire and Rubber Company.
Since it was created in 1914, the A-Field has seen thousands of football games. Professional football games have been played their by the Conshohocken Steelers and Conshohocken Professional League. Conshohocken High School would play on Friday nights and St. Matt's would play on Saturday afternoons. Today the field is still used by local high schools. Roman Catholic and Kennedy-Kendrick play some home games on Friday nights. The Conshohocken Steelers play their home games their as do the Conshohocken Golden Bears.
The A-Field is also used for Rugby games and is the home field in the spring to the Conshohocken Bulldogs Youth Lacrosse team. The true history and tradition of the A-Field lies in Conshohocken's ties to football.
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Conshohocken Youth Football Association
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