By Michael Paolino
Special to The Eagle-Tribune

H AVERHILL, Mass. -- Dr. Jack Doykos doesn't remember many specifics about that historic, humid night in the Merrimack Valley, July 26, 1960. In fact, he didn't even remember that his wife, then Joanna Flynn, was by his side the entire time.

But Doykos, with 6,500 other paying guests, does remember the special feeling he had that night.

The Boston Patriots were playing their first-ever game, an intra-squad scrimmage. At Haverhill Stadium.

"I don't remember what happened, but I remember seeing (running back) Larry Garron," said Dr. Doykos, who was in his second year at Tufts Dental School. "My roommate, Danny Murphy, was with me ... Oh, yes, my wife tells me she was there, too."

Last week marked the 40th anniversary of the night the Patriots, then one of eight new franchises in the new American Football League, opened to the general public.

During the summer of 1960 the local Haverhill Lions Club was in the process of attempting to raise money for an eye research program. In the early 1960s high school football games filled local stadiums and it was then the Lions Club came up with a possible mutually beneficial idea.

According to William Miller, the then-Lions Club Vice President, he called new Patriots owner Billy Sullivan with a suggestion.

Sullivan bought the team for an $8,500 franchise fee. In fact the money was raised at the last minute, by Sullivan, at a business meeting at Tewksbury Country Club.

"I told him about my idea for a charity football game," recalled Miller of the conversation on July 18, 1960. "He told me, 'Thanks, but no thanks.' He said there wasn't enough time. They were playing their first exhibition game in Buffalo on Saturday, July 30. I went on to say that it was too bad because it would help a great charity and it would give great exposure for the team in the Merrimack Valley, not to mention a little revenue for the financially strapped team."

Miller hung up the phone and figured it was dead.

"Three hours later my phone rang and it was Billy Sullivan, he said, 'I was thinking about your idea more and the exposure would be great. We could see some more prospects play and we need a chance to play in uniform under the lights. Could you put this together in only eight days?' I said, 'I'll call you back tonight.' ''

Sullivan says yes to Lions Club

An emergency meeting was called at the Bradford home of Lino Lazarra, a Lions Club member who owned a local print shop.

The fifty-person group voted 49 to 1 in favor of the event.

&The only member not in favor was Lino himself," said Miller. "Lino then threw everybody out of the house and when asked, 'Why?,' Lino said, 'I have to start typesetting the programs we only have eight days."

One problem was Haverhill stadium had no lights or ticket distribution system for a game in only eight days, especially if the thing sold out.

The Lions Club quickly found a place that rented portable lights and they printed tickets. Tickets for the event were sold at Barretts, Bradford Soda Shop and M.T. Washington Pharmacy in Haverhill. They were sold in Newburyport at Fowles News Stand and Amesbury Insurance. And in Lawrence at the Bus Depot.

The Lions Club Ticket Committee chair, Richard Law, couldn't believe how fast tickets -- $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children -- sold. In fact, tickets sold so quickly that bleachers were added for the standing room only crowd expected, including many people from the Boston area.

Hillary Campana and Walt Ryan were two people who saw nearly every event played at Haverhill Stadium those days. They prepared the field. But for this night both men were couped up at Hale Hospital in Haverhill, with illnesses.

Billy Sullivan sent flowers to the rooms of both Campana and Ryan, thanking them for the field conditions, which he termed as "superb."

The game brought all of Haverhill's best. Lions Club President Burke Belivaqua announced that Jean Comeau "Miss Haverhill" would greet the fans at the gate, while local popular singer Joe Pepe would sing the national anthem. Famed organist Charles Hilner would play the organ and both the Haverhill VFW shoemakers band and the Amesbury St. Joseph,s band would provide the half-time entertainment.

Two outstanding former Haverhill football players had ties to the event. Former Notre Dame quarterback Don White served as the game announcer.

The game also served as a reunion of former Boston College All-American end Gene Goudreault, a former Olympic gold medalist, and his college coach Ed McKeever, General Manager of the Patriots ("Gene was one of the finest ballplayers I ever saw," said McKeever on Goudreault.).

The game publicity began to escalate and several newspapers wrote stories leading up to the scrimmage, now a full-scale "event."

The game was to feature 1959 All-American and top Patriots draft pick Ron Burton, who came into camp after a military duty only two days earlier.

Also playing was Syracuse All-American Ger Schwedes, as well as future Patriot greats Bob Dee, Larry Garron, Jimmy Colclough and 33-year-old quarterback Butch Songin, who doubled as a Framingham High football coach.

The Patriots failed to sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. But Tarkenton recommended they go after a local Minnesota bartender named Gino Cappelletti. Cappelletti, who later ranked among the AFL's all-time leading scorers because of his strong kicking leg, barely played in Haverhill. Many Patriots coaches didn't expect Gino to make the team.

Led by Head Coach Lou Saban, who captained the Cleveland Browns, the Patriots came to Haverhill with 61 players. That would need to be cut to 33 within a week. So this scrimmage in Haverhill meant something for many of the young, unproven players.

Two days before the Haverhill game, the Patriots scrimmaged without uniforms (and no kickoffs or punts). So the trip to Haverhill had extra meaning.

The team was met by a Haverhill Police motorcade on Route 125, near the North Andover line in Bradord. Many Haverhill residents were prepared for the invasion when resident Dan Thornton, dressed as a Patriot, rode around town on a horse proclaiming: "Head for Haverhill Stadium ... The Patriots are coming! The Patriots are coming!"

The were kinks. A few hours before the game, somebody realized they didn't have a white-striped football, which helps seeing the ball at night. A crew headed off to Benedetti's Sport Shop in downtown Haverhill for a few white-striped balls.

"We combed the city until we found two of them at Benedetti's," recalled Bill Miller. "We finally found them."

Just before the game, Coach Saban shocked organizers with the announcement there would be no kickoffs or punts. "I don't want any injuries," Saban claimed.

Lions Clubs officials got upset, taking their plea to Billy Sullivan, who was nearby.

"Billy tapped Lou Saban on the back and says 'I promised a full game, with kickoffs. This (stadium) is full ... we'll kick off the ball,' " Miller remembered.

The team was divided into two squads, called the (white) Lion Tamers and (Red) Tail Twisters, both names referring to the Lions Club.

Another issue was the lighting. It wasn't very good because some young vandals damaged more than half of the stadium's electrical outlets.

One interesting fan in attendance was legendary quarterback and Hall of Famer, Sammy Baugh. He was coaching the expansion New York Titans (which later became the Jets) and they were, coincidentally, holding their first training camp in Durham, N.H., at the University of New Hampshire campus.

An "old timer" and a couple of rookies gave the Merrimack Valley an exciting taste of football as the first team (Lion Tamers, dressed in white) crunched the second team 27-6.

Songin, a Boston College alum who had some success as a quarterback in Canada during the late 1950s, teamed up with rookies Burton and the unheralded John Thomas of Southern Louisiana to provide most of the game's thrills.

Songin, who later became the Patriots first starting quarterback, passed for one touchdown and scored another. Burton, who had been in camp for only one week put on a powerful running display, capped by a twisting 25-yard touchdown in the opening period.

Thomas, though, was the crowd pleaser. He spun, galloped, slipped and tip-toed his way for a beautiful 85-yard score in the fourth quarter, capping the scoring.

Other highlights were Jim Colclough, another BC alum in the game who would become one of the Patriots best receivers in the 1960s, hauling in a 20-yard pass; Cappelletti booted an extra point over the stadium wall into a yard across the street; and former Holy Cross star Tommy Green threw a nice 5-yard TD pass to Jerry Green, for the loser's only score.

One unusual play was attempted that night in Haverhill and it is still remembered.

&We had something like a 3rd-and-30 and for the only time in my whole career we called a quick kick field goal try,8 said Patriot running back Larry Garron, who had a decent game, hauling in three passes. &I never ever saw another one again in pro football.

The quick kick attempt missed.

The game, though, was something never to be forgotten.

Following the game, the key to the city was presented to coach Saban. The team later dined at a local Italian restaurant.

The Patriots must have liked what they saw and heard in Haverhill because the team went on to play another charity game a few weeks later. In fact, they played a few charity exhibitions in Lowell for Catholic organizations.

The Patriots must have been impressed with the Merrimack Valley. They held a few preseason camps at Phillips Andover.

While the Patriots venture to Haverhill wasn't the NFL's first trip into the state -- in 1959 the Colts and Eagles played at the Manning Bowl in Lynn -- it made history.

So when watching the Patriots play, don't forget where they got their start. In Haverhill.

"There are so many amazing stories about this franchise," said Dr. Doykos, who has been to nearly every home game since the "scrimmage" 40 years ago. "But it's true. They got there start in the Merrimack Valley. I think it's neat."