Portsmouth Spartans
The Portsmouth Spartans were an American football team based in Portsmouth, Ohio. The team began play in 1929 as an independent professional team, one of many such teams in the Ohio and Scioto River valleys. For the 1930 season, the Spartans formally joined the National Football League (NFL) as the other area independents folded because of the Great Depression. Despite success within the NFL, they could not survive in Portsmouth, then the NFL's smallest city. The team was purchased and moved to Detroit for the 1934 season.
Football Almanac is pleased present a comprehensive Portsmouth Spartans history menu which includes links to every Portsmouth Spartans roster in history (every roster has every player who appeared in a game so this means every Portsmouth Spartans player is just a click away as well), some Portsmouth Spartans franchise facts, Portsmouth Spartans regular season records, Portsmouth Spartans Hall of Famers and other Portsmouth Spartans historical facts.
Important Note: See Detroit Lions team page for a comprehensive franchise history.
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| Comprehensive Rosters With Links to Player Pages |
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Year Established:
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1929
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Team Colors:
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Home Town:
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Portsmouth, Ohio [1929-1933]
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Mascot:
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None
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| Detroit Tigers Rosters Regular Season Records |
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| Portsmouth Spartans Postseason Records |
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Ravens Rosters
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| Portsmouth Spartans Items of Interest |
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Portsmouth Spartans Hall of Famers
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Portsmouth Spartans Retired Numbers
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No Hall of Fame Players
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No Retired Numbers
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| Portsmouth Spartans History by Football Almanac |
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Did you know that in 1929 the Portsmouth Spartans played as an independent professional team called the Portsmouth Spartans? In 1930 they joined the National Football League, and despite their success on the field, poor revenues and the Great Depression threatened the Spartans' survival. In 1934, a group led by Detroit radio executive George Richards (owner of Detroit's powerful WJR) bought the Spartans and moved them to Detroit. Richards renamed the team the Lions, as a nod to the Detroit Tigers. He also said that the lion was the monarch of the jungle, and he intended for his team to be the monarch of the NFL.
The Portsmouth Spartans played only four years in the National Football League, but had an overall record of 28-16 with only one losing season in team history.
Who was the best Spartans player in team history? Was it Gene Alford, Chuck Bennett, Dutch Clark, Roy Lumpkin or Glenn Presnell? Tell us your opinion on Pigskin Fever today!
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