Professional Football's First Sidewinder (was it Gino Berret

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Professional Football's First Sidewinder (was it Gino Berret

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Professional Football's First Sidewinder (was it Gino Berretta?)
Started by GreenRider668907, Apr 28 2014 09:32 AM

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#1 GreenRider668907
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 09:32 AM
In 1961 the CFL's Montreal Alouettes roster included an 18 year old punting "specialist," named Gino Berretta. Berretta, a former Italian soccer player, was discovered by Montreal coach Perry Moss. There is mention in this article of Berretta using a "soccer swing" on certain kicks. He deployed the soccer swing, using his instep when kicking against the wind. He used the "straight kick" on regular/shorter kicks:

http://news.google.c...pg=2149,1222041

Beretta's cflapedia bio adds that Moss allowed Berretta to kick soccer-style on long-range field goal attempts, but insisted he kick straight on (conventional style at the time) for shorter attempts. This most likely would have been during pracitce & training camp because a review of Berretta's placekicking stats shows that he did not officially attempt any field goals during Moss' tenure as head coach:

http://www.justsport..._id=berregin001

In September 1963 Berretta took over placekicking duties for Montreal due to an injury to Bobby Jack Oliver. What I am trying to determine is if any of Berretta's 1963 kickoffs or field goal attempts were kicked "soccer-style?" If so, this would make him not only the CFL's first soccer-style kicker (not Ted Gerela), but it would also make him professional football's first sidewinder since Pete Gogolak of the AFL's Buffalo Bills didn't arrive on the scene until 1964. I have not been able to confirm whether or not if any of Berretta's 1963 kickoffs or eight FG attempts were done using the soccer-style approach, but I did find this brief article from Nov. 1963 which described his kicks as "rugby-soccer rockets:"

http://news.google.c...pg=7120,1912314

I would think that film from the 1963 Alouettes season must exist somewhere in some form (will the Canadian FB HOF ever archive all those cans of film?) that might shed some light on the subject. I'm curious if anyone on the PFRA fourm could provide additional information? I contacted both cflapedia and the person who wrote his biography, but neither source could confirm if Berretta used his soccer swing during an official 1963 CFL game.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Berretta's name was misspelled on his 1970 football card. Gino did not see any regular season action in 1970 as he was cut from the Montreal roster in favor of Pierre Guindon during training camp. Alouettes Head Coach Sam Etcheverry said afterwards, "It's not that I've got anything against soccer style kickers. It's just that I haven't had any luck with them."

http://www.cflapedia...rretta_gino.htm

#2 JohnH19
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 10:45 AM
Interesting post, Green Rider! I've always wondered about Gino because of that card. I don't remember him ever playing but I've never looked into his career. I thought Ted Gerela (Roy's older brother), who debuted in 1967, was the first soccer style kicker in the league as the media made a big deal about him and his long distance capabilities at the time.

It's ironic that the Als cut Berretta for Pierre Guindon, who kicked for Winnipeg in 1968 and 1969. Guindon had a late game extra point blocked that would have given the Bombers a 25-24 win in the 1969 Labor Day match with Montreal.

#3 GreenRider668907
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 10:58 AM
JohnH19, on 28 Apr 2014 - 10:45 AM, said:
Interesting post, Green Rider! I've always wondered about Gino because of that card. I don't remember him ever playing but I've never looked into his career. I thought Ted Gerela (Roy's older brother), who debuted in 1967, was the first soccer style kicker in the league as the media made a big deal about him and his long distance capabilities at the time.

It's ironic that the Als cut Berretta for Pierre Guindon, who kicked for Winnipeg in 1968 and 1969. Guindon had a late game extra point blocked that would have given the Bombers a 25-24 win in the 1969 Labor Day match with Montreal.
Etcheverry kept Guindon because he was the most consistent kicker in camp and could also play center. There was a third Gerela brother who had a brief stint with Montreal in 1968 (Dmetro Gerela), but he only saw brief action in two games without scoring a point. Ted Gerela converted to soccer style kicking in 1965 while at Washington State University. I do remember attending a Jets vs. Steelers exhibition game in 1972 when Roy Gerela booted five field goals, including a 51 yarder:

http://news.google.c...&pg=861,3672566

#4 Bob Gill
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 01:46 PM
I believe the first soccer-style kicker in an official professional game was Bob Kessler, who kicked for the Providence Steamroller in the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1962. Kessler was the ACFL's top kicker, making 33 extra points and 2 field goals during the regular season.

#5 GreenRider668907
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 03:18 PM
Bob Gill, on 28 Apr 2014 - 1:46 PM, said:
I believe the first soccer-style kicker in an official professional game was Bob Kessler, who kicked for the Providence Steamroller in the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1962. Kessler was the ACFL's top kicker, making 33 extra points and 2 field goals during the regular season.
Thanks Mr. Gill, that sheds a whole new light on the subject ... was the ACFL considered a "semi-pro" or professional league at the time? Also, should Kessler be recognized as the first sidewinder in professional football and not Pete Gogolak? As for any film records of the early 1960's Alouettes, I have been informed that most of the clubs archive material (film,paper and even trophies) was thrown out following the bankruptcy of the team in 1981. The rest of the material went into the dumpster following the 1987 collapse of the Concordes/Alouettes.

#6 Bob Gill
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 04:26 PM
The ACFL was certainly not on the level of the NFL, and not on the level of AFL and CFL (it seem to me that those two were pretty similar in 1961). I guess you could call it semi-pro, because although the players were paid, I think most of them had other jobs during the season. On the other hand, at the time all NFL players had other jobs during the offseason, and probably some still worked at these jobs during the season when they could work it out. The point is that the ACFL was a lot closer to the NFL than a "semi-pro" league would be today, when the term generally means the players are not paid and are playing in their spare time.

For those reasons, I think "minor league" is the best way to describe the ACFL.

#7 luckyshow
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Posted 28 April 2014 - 06:01 PM
I found a few references to Andy Bieber of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicking a conversion (what Canadians call the extra point) with his in-step, from "the side" I didn't find a newspaper article from back then, The score of this 10/26/1940 game was 23-1 against the Regina Roughriders (only in Canada can they score one).. The Western Interprovincial Football Union became the Western Conference of CFL in 1961.. Were they pros at this time, 1940? The Blue Bombers have an "On this date" page. The write up on this game is under October 26.

Gino Berretta (with the two <r>s): I did find newspaper mentions in 1963 of his kicking sidewinder style on kickoffs. Very long kickoffs. On one I was reading about, the other side was so flummoxed, and the Alouettes recovered. The kicker recovered the ball like on an on side kick. How would you spell his name?

Ted Gerela may have kicked in 1967, it was hard to tell....

#8 GreenRider668907
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Posted 29 April 2014 - 01:11 PM
luckyshow, on 28 Apr 2014 - 6:01 PM, said:
I found a few references to Andy Bieber of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicking a conversion (what Canadians call the extra point) with his in-step, from "the side" I didn't find a newspaper article from back then, The score of this 10/26/1940 game was 23-1 against the Regina Roughriders (only in Canada can they score one).. The Western Interprovincial Football Union became the Western Conference of CFL in 1961.. Were they pros at this time, 1940? The Blue Bombers have an "On this date" page. The write up on this game is under October 26.

Gino Berretta (with the two <r>s): I did find newspaper mentions in 1963 of his kicking sidewinder style on kickoffs. Very long kickoffs. On one I was reading about, the other side was so flummoxed, and the Alouettes recovered. The kicker recovered the ball like on an on side kick. How would you spell his name?

Ted Gerela may have kicked in 1967, it was hard to tell....

I posted this question on riderfans.com yesterday and a CFL history buff also came up with Andy Bieber's convert from Oct. 26, 1940:

"The first soccer style kick in Canadian football may have occurred on October 26, 1940. It was the final game of the WIFU season and Calgary's Jimmy Gilkes was the leading scorer with 25 points (his season was done). In the 4th quarter, Art Stevenson of the Blue Bombers scored a TD to tie Gilkes in scoring. Stevenson then kicked the convert to take the lead with 26 points.
Later in the 4th quarter, Andy Bieber of the Bombers scored his second TD of the game to give him 25 points. This time Coach Threlfall allowed Bieber to attempt the convert; Bieber was successful and he finished in a tie for the scoring lead with 26 points.
The Winnipeg Free described Bieber's kick like this; "Andy's side wheeling stance as he tried for the extra point was really something to see." The Winnipeg Tribune described the kick; "He plunged across for the score, and then Fritz Hanson held the ball while Andy batted it with the side of his boot between the posts."
That sounds like a soccer style kick to me. It was the only kick of Bieber's career".

While this may have been the first soccer style kick in a professional game, it was a one-time event (much like Deacon Jones' XP in 1974 and Doug Flutie's dropkick XP in Jan. 2006). Bieber, listed as a Fullback/Halfback, never kicked again in the pros. So while this appears to answer the question of when the first soccer-style kick was attempted/made, it does not tell us who the first designated soccer style kicker was in the major professional ranks.

Can you post (or email me) a link to the 1963 Gino Berretta article you're referring to? His name was sometimes misspelled, but it should be spelled "BERRETTA." Your reference to his "sidewinder style" on kickoffs is the most definitive bit of information I've heard yet.

Thank you (and Bob Gill) for providing such great information.

I should also mention that Ted Gerela began his professional career with the CFL's British Columbia Lions in 1967. He was voted the Western Conference's Rookie of the Year that season. Here's a breakdown of his playing statistics:

http://www.justsport..._id=gerelted001

http://www.beckys-pl...com/gerela.html

#9 JohnH19
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Posted 29 April 2014 - 06:26 PM

luckyshow, on 28 Apr 2014 - 6:01 PM, said:
I found a few references to Andy Bieber of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicking a conversion (what Canadians call the extra point) with his in-step, from "the side" I didn't find a newspaper article from back then, The score of this 10/26/1940 game was 23-1 against the Regina Roughriders (only in Canada can they score one).. The Western Interprovincial Football Union became the Western Conference of CFL in 1961.. Were they pros at this time, 1940? The Blue Bombers have an "On this date" page. The write up on this game is under October 26.

Gino Berretta (with the two <r>s): I did find newspaper mentions in 1963 of his kicking sidewinder style on kickoffs. Very long kickoffs. On one I was reading about, the other side was so flummoxed, and the Alouettes recovered. The kicker recovered the ball like on an on side kick. How would you spell his name?

Ted Gerela may have kicked in 1967, it was hard to tell....
-Canadian broadcasters still sometimes call the extra point a convert.
-Teams in the WIFU, and the IRFU in the east, were definitely professional in 1940. That's how we got Americans to come up here to play.
-Ted Gerela kicked 21 converts, 16 field goals and 8 rouges for the B.C. Lions in 1967. He played for the Lions until 1973.

#10 luckyshow
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Posted 30 April 2014 - 03:43 AM
There is also a possibility with Baretta (Barretta?), he also may have been punting "soccer-style" When Hope Solo decides to kick it upfield, she kicks it with the instep, the side of the foot. One newspaper report could have been read this way, and his brother may be doing that in the card image....

#11 GreenRider668907
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Posted 30 April 2014 - 10:44 AM
luckyshow, on 28 Apr 2014 - 6:01 PM, said:
Gino Berretta (with the two <r>s): I did find newspaper mentions in 1963 of his kicking sidewinder style on kickoffs. Very long kickoffs. On one I was reading about, the other side was so flummoxed, and the Alouettes recovered. The kicker recovered the ball like on an on side kick. How would you spell his name?

Lucky:
Can you post (or email me) a link to the 1963 Gino Berretta newspaper article you're referring to? His name was sometimes misspelled, but it should be spelled "BERRETTA." Your reference to his "sidewinder style" on kickoffs is the most definitive piece of information I've heard yet.
Thank you!

#12 NWebster
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Posted 30 April 2014 - 01:57 PM
GreenRider668907, on 28 Apr 2014 - 3:18 PM, said:
Thanks Mr. Gill, that sheds a whole new light on the subject ... was the ACFL considered a "semi-pro" or professional league at the time? Also, should Kessler be recognized as the first sidewinder in professional football and not Pete Gogolak? As for any film records of the early 1960's Alouettes, I have been informed that most of the clubs archive material (film,paper and even trophies) was thrown out following the bankruptcy of the team in 1981. The rest of the material went into the dumpster following the 1987 collapse of the Concordes/Alouettes.

This, sadly is the story of so many franchises in both sides of the border. Be it fires (Bears), facility relocations (Steelers) or arrogant new owners/GM's (49ers) the histories that many franchises maintain on themselves is surprisingly limited.

I've advocated - selfishly, of course - that there should be an NFL freedom of information act whereby anything greater than 49 years old should be released, at least tk the Hall Of Fame. Coaches notes/films, financials, correspondences, etc. As protective as the league is its hard to imagine that, for example, Blanton Colliers' notes on the Browns Championship could do much harm to the franchise.

#13 luckyshow
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Posted 30 April 2014 - 02:28 PM
I didn't send a link last time as I no longer have any account with these guys so it was read off the big block mess of transcripts of the page at bottom. Now I have no idea what it was or can find it.

BUT my feeling it was just a punt perhaps may be bolstered by this :
http://newspaperarch...4/10-13/page-29

In this one he punts and runs under it causing a fumble which he recovers. In the other newspaper I saw maybe it was this play they were mentioning. Not sure. That he punted "soccer-style" may be what it was. He did, though kick convert and some field goals, though the Alouettes only considered him a temporary substitute for their usual kicker. Is he alive to ask, I wonder?

#14 GreenRider668907
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Posted 01 May 2014 - 11:35 AM
Yes, Gino Berretta is still alive. Here's an updated biography (he's currently the Honourary Chairman of the Montreal Shrine Bowl):

http://www.montreals...-honourary.html

Thanks for posting the newspaper link. I've never heard of a soccer style punter, but some of the articles I've read may very well have been describing his punting style. I think it's a good bet that he kicked soccer style on kickoffs & possibly some of his (longer) field goal attempts in 1963. I will keep trying to find a definitve source for this information. I only get about half of what I used to receive from google news searches. For whatever reason, links to several newspapers that I used six months ago (Regina Leader Post, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Calgary Herald, B.C. Sun, etc.) are no longer there.

Also, I enjoy your sports lists - especially the placekicking/punting page (thanks for updating it with the new information):

http://www.luckyshow...rds or more.htm

Adding to your CFL list, the first soccer style place kicker in the Grey Cup was not Gerry Organ, it was Ivan MacMillian of the Toronto Argonauts in 1971. MacMillan actually preceded Organ in Ottawa in 1970. He signed with Toronto in '71 after Organ got the PK job with the Rough Riders. The second soccer style place kicker in Grey Cup play was Scottish-born Ian Sunter in 1972. He kicked the winning field goal for Hamilton in the '72 Grey Cup Final.

How about the longest field goal attempt in Canadian Football? I didn't see anything listed on your page, but I did find a news article from 1977 which mentions that Edmonton's Dave Cutler missed a 71 yard field goal at Saskatchewan on Sunday October 16. This report said that his 71 yard attempt hit the goalpost. An article in a different newspaper said he "grazed it." Cutler also attempted a 64 yard field goal in the same game. The kick was reported long enough, but went just wide of the goalpost. He did make a 54 yarder:

http://news.google.c...pg=3630,3779379

#15 luckyshow
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Posted 01 May 2014 - 08:47 PM
I'll put that data on the kicking page after I look for scores, etc.

On punting "soccer-style" I think it would more often be called "rugby-style" It is used a lot in rugby and Australian rules, both which use a fatter football. Also I believe in Irish football. In soccer, as I said, it is used by the goalie at times to kick it far downfield, even trying to pass....I believe I have seen it by kickers when the snap is bad. Maybe Bob Timberlake ("timbertoes" on the awful 1960s Giants team thatc ouldn't hit a FG), but maybe such as that short Dolphins kicker. (Ypremium). I never saw it done very well, but they did it in a rush, even while running around trying to avoid tacklers... Not sure it would have an advantage over regular style punting...

I have been surprised this week at how many various football programs/leagues/etc are from Costa Rica...
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
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