A Look Back At The Hill
This Saturday (September 28, 11 a.m.), Brien McMahon comes to Loeffler Field for a big morning match. As is traditional, The Hill will be packed.
But although The Hill has always offered a fantastic vantage point for soccer, it hasn’t always looked as handsome as today.
A 2006 project brought granite, wood-topped benches and a welcoming terrace at the top. Last year, a “Staples Soccer” entrance sign added even more class.
Things were a bit different back in the 1970s. Staples consisted of 9 separate buildings. The Hill was actually 2 hills — one steep, the other (higher) one less so — bisected by a road. The stand-alone gym is at the far right in this photo taken by Fred Cantor ’71, provided by Heidi Cornish McGee:
Note that the team benches were at the base of The Hill. The FCIAC moved all teams to the opposite side of fans in the early 1980s.
Meanwhile, a photo from far earlier — the late 1950s or early ’60s — shows that the grass was rough. Starting in the mid-’60s, though, the field was pristine.
Note the “W” on the Staples jerseys. Was it for Westport? Were they left over from the Weston recreation league that several of the 1st players played in? Inquiring minds want to know.
