Back Cover - Glace Bay Cinderella Miners

ISSUE : Issue 51

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/2/1

INTRODUCTION: Before there was even a prayer of the Glace Bay Miners becoming the "Cinderella" Miners, the sports page headlines told the story: "Xavier Juniors Swamp Glace Bay Miners 8-2," "Frank? lins Coast to 8-2 Win over Miners," "Franklins...Edge Glace Bay by 5- 3 Margin," "Xavier Junior College Downs Junior Miners 7-3," "East- mount Millionaires Humble Bay Miners 10-1." The Glace Bay Miners beat the league-leading Northside Franklins on December 3,1955, in front of 600 people. It was the first game with their new coach. Manning Mclntyre; and it saw Fred Courtney retum to the Bay lineup. After that game they continued losing. "Franklins Crash Short-Staffed Miners 10-3." "Eastmount Hands Bay Miners 11-3 Whipping"~despite 53 saves by the Miners' goalie, Mur? ray Matheson, said to be a Sydney Forum record. That weekend in mid-January the directors of the Glace Bay Forum decided to drop sponsorship of the Miners, but local sportsminded citizens decided to keep the team active. And still, "Victory once again slipped through the fingers of the hard-fighting, luckless Glace Bay Miners." They tied a game in late January, and won against the Northside Franklins the next Saturday. 300 people were on hand. And they started to take off.... Bill Sidney ("Cinderella Miners" wasn't their name originally.) It was the Glace Bay Junior Miners. (And had they been around for awhile?) Yeah. They had had Junior teams year after year after year. And the press actually labeled them--put that nickname on them-- the Cinderella Miners--at the end of the season, because (they) hadn't done any? thing all season.... The Glace Bay Forum dropped the franchise because they just couldn't afford it. So myself and two other fellows, original? ly, signed a note and picked it up. At the time it was to try and help keep the hock? ey going and help the Forum out. And then we acquired those 4 players formed a new Board of Directors of 9 guys, and went at it. "CINDERELLA MINERS" CONTINUES PAGE 65

Cape Breton's Magazine