Football games that were closed to the public

[rockhawk]

Major league baseball's decision to close White Sox-Orioles game to the public reminded of two such occurrences in football:

1918, October 26: Illinois 0, Municipal (Navy) Pier 7 - This game was played without an audience due to the Spanish flu pandemic. The gates to the field were locked and only those involved with the game (players, coaches, trainers, waterboys) were allowed admittance.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1918/10/27/page/21/

1939, August 24: Chicago Cardinals 18, New York Giants 8 (Superior, WI) - This "scrimmage" was more like a game; at least that's what the reporters alluded to. I don't recall the exact rule, but this game was played behind closed doors because by league rules the Giants weren't permitted to play against a league opponent before the College All-Star game.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1939/08/25/page/23

[Citizen]

I don't have links handy, but there have been numerous examples of high school games being played before empty stands to discourage gang conflicts.

[Bryan]

There is also the 1985 Los Angeles Express as an example.

[Gary Najman]

In soccer in Mexico is very common, mainly by disturbance of the home fans in the previous game. In 2009, when there was a swine flu epidemy in Mexico, ALL the soccer games were played at closed doors for two straight weeks.

[BD Sullivan]

There is also the 1985 Los Angeles Express as an example.

Or the Three Stooges in 1935's "Three Little Pigskins," which co-starred a young Lucille Ball.

[Mark L. Ford]

Major league baseball's decision to close White Sox-Orioles game to the public reminded of two such occurrences in football:

1918, October 26: Illinois 0, Municipal (Navy) Pier 7 - This game was played without an audience due to the Spanish flu pandemic. The gates to the field were locked and only those involved with the game (players, coaches, trainers, waterboys) were allowed admittance.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1918/10/27/page/21/

1939, August 24: Chicago Cardinals 18, New York Giants 8 (Superior, WI) - This "scrimmage" was more like a game; at least that's what the reporters alluded to. I don't recall the exact rule, but this game was played behind closed doors because by league rules the Giants weren't permitted to play against a league opponent before the College All-Star game.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1939/08/25/page/23

In both cases, very interesting.

[rockhawk]

Thanks for all of the other examples. I'm curious if there has ever been such a situation in the NBA/ABA/NBL.

[Mark L. Ford]

I remember one example from college basketball, back in 1989. I had to look it up, but March 9, 1989, the Hartford Coliseum was empty for the opening round of the conference tournament for the North Atlantic Conference. Siena College beat Colgate University, 61-51, in an empty arena.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-12/ ... tournament
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/10/sport ... fever.html

Then, there's that story I used to see in those "Sports fans, betcha didn't know!" columns that insurance agents used to run as an advertisement in their local paper, about a 1955 major college football game (I'm thinking that either Washington or Washington State was involved) where the weather was so cold that only one paying customer showed up. It's not apocryphal, but I've never taken time to look at the contemporary accounts about it.

[John Grasso]

I'm unaware of any in pro basketball but in Davis Cup tennis in 2009 the Sweden-Israel match in Malmo, Sweden
was contested without public spectators although teams, officials,
guests and media attended. The decision caused backlash by the ITF.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis ... ckout.html

[rockhawk]

Then, there's that story I used to see in those "Sports fans, betcha didn't know!" columns that insurance agents used to run as an advertisement in their local paper, about a 1955 major college football game (I'm thinking that either Washington or Washington State was involved) where the weather was so cold that only one paying customer showed up. It's not apocryphal, but I've never taken time to look at the contemporary accounts about it.

It was a game between San Jose St. and Washington St. on Nov. 12, 1955. The temperature in Pullman, WA, was a reported 5°F. According to my research it's the third-coldest game in major college football history. More than one fan showed up to the game, I believe the attn. was 400. But only one fan bought a ticket at the gate. The game ended in a 13-13 tie. Check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBmlK67Z0oc

Also, thanks for the info on the empty-seated basketball game in 1989. It's the first time I've seen this story.