A recent and extremely interesting email from Colin Jose, a reader of DA and historian at the Soccer Hall of Fame in Vaughan, Ontario.

The specific issue Colin refers to is DA 54, Spring/Summer 2004.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Colin Jose
To: Devil’s Artisan
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:55:31 -0400
Subject: Louis Blake Duff

Good morning,
In surfing the internet last night I came across the blog in your spring edition on Louis Blake Duff.

Nowhere in that blog is it mentioned that Louis Blake Duff, just like his great-grandson, Duff Gordon, won an Olympic Gold medal.

While Mr. Duff’s literary career is generally known, it seems that his sporting career has been forgotten.  Not even the University of Toronto, which has many of his books, knew about it, until I asked what they knew.

Mr. Duff was in fact the manager of the Galt Football Club team that won an Olympic Gold Medal at the Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904.

In an abbreviated competition Galt defeated Christian Brothers College of St. Louis 7-0 and St. Louis School, also of St. Louis 4-0.  The team was presented with their gold medals immediately following the game.

A player himself in his youth Louis Blake Duff also managed the tour of the Galt Football Club to Manitoba in 1903, was President of the Western Football (Soccer) Association of Ontario in 1906 and 1907 and in addition of the Ontario Hockey Association for a while.

Sincerely,
Colin Jose,
Historian,
The Soccer Hall of Fame,
Vaughan, Ontario.