Skip to content

YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitch Discord Twitter Facebook Mail

Search:

Login / Register

RetroSeasons

RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.

Players
Teams
- col1
  - Atlanta
  - Arizona
  - Baltimore
  - Boston
  - Buffalo
  - Calgary
  - Carolina
  - Chicago
  - Cincinnati
  - Cleveland
  - Columbus
  - Dallas
  - Denver
  - Detroit
  - Edmonton
  - Houston
- col2
  - Indiana
  - Jacksonville
  - Kansas City
  - Las Vegas
  - Los Angeles
  - Louisville
  - Miami
  - Milwaukee
  - Minnesota
  - Montreal
  - New Orleans
  - New York
  - Oakland
  - Oklahoma
  - Orlando
  - Ottawa
- col3
  - Philadelphia
  - Phoenix
  - Pittsburgh
  - Portland
  - San Antonio
  - San Diego
  - Seattle
  - San Francisco
  - St. Louis
  - Tampa Bay
  - Tennessee
  - Toronto
  - Utah
  - Vancouver
  - Washington DC
  - Winnipeg
Leagues
- ⚾ Baseball
- 🏈 Football
  - NFL
  - AFL
  - Early Leagues
- 🏀 Basketball
  - NBA
  - ABA
  - Early Leagues
- Hockey
  - NHL
  - WHA
  - Early Leagues
Stadiums
- Search / AI
- Sports Library
- Podcast
- Blog
- Help
- Sources
- Profile

Players
Teams
- Atlanta
- Arizona
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Buffalo
- Calgary
- Carolina
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Edmonton
- Houston
- Indiana
- Jacksonville
- Kansas City
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minnesota
- Montreal
- New Orleans
- New York
- Oakland
- Oklahoma
- Orlando
- Ottawa
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Seattle
- San Francisco
- St. Louis
- Tampa Bay
- Tennessee
- Toronto
- Utah
- Vancouver
- Washington DC
- Winnipeg
Leagues
- Baseball
- Football
  - NFL
  - AFL
  - Early Leagues
- Basketball
  - NBA
  - ABA
  - Early Leagues
- Hockey
  - NHL
  - WHA
  - Early Leagues
Stadiums
More
- Search / AI
- What’s New?
- Library
- Podcast
- Sources
- Help
- Profile

Ironton Tanks
Seasons 1919-1930 (12 seasons)

Franchise Overview
Seasons
Franchise Leaders
Season Records
Head Coaches
Logo History
Audio & Video Clips
Articles & Photos
Collectibles on eBay
Links Wikipedia

Teams Columbus Ironton Tanks History Seasons

Recap

The Ironton Tanks were a semi-professional football team organized in 1919 in Ironton, Ohio.

Their historical marker gives the story of the Tanks origin: "Semi-professional football began in Ironton in 1893 with a team known as the Irontonians. The Ironton Tanks, founded in 1919, was a combination of two Ironton cross-town rival football clubs known as the Irish Town Rags and the Lombards." Their name reflected both the town's deep roots in the iron industry and the desire of returning soldiers from World War I to run over their opponents.

Based on their outstanding record of 85 wins, 19 losses, 14 ties, an undefeated season in 1922, a state championship in 1926 and dual victories in 1930 over National Football League (NFL) powerhouses the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, the Tanks have a strong claim to being the best team to not play in the NFL. This motto is reinforced on the wall of Tank Stadium, where the story of the stadium opening proclaims "When the Tanks Were Tops" (2nd picture in photo gallery below). Their unmatched achievements in 1930 are recorded in a Professional Football Researchers Association's report on the 1930 season when talking about non-NFL teams: "None, however, matched the Ironton (Ohio) Tanks' 1930 achievements."

Although the Ironton Tanks ceased operations after the 1930 season, they lived on. Over half of the Tanks moved on to other NFL teams, the most, including Glenn Presnel stayed in Ironton and played for the Portsmouth Spartans (only 30 miles away) until they too folded in 1933. The combined team strength from the Tank infusion and the addition of rookie Dutch Clark, a future Hall of Famer, turned the Spartans into a power to be reckoned with. In 1932 the Spartans were among the best in the league but lost to the Chicago Bears in the first NFL playoff game, but after the next year in the depths of the depression, the Spartans too folded. Their assets were purchased to pay off debt and the team became the Detroit Lions in 1934. Without presence of the Tanks on the roster the Spartan record would have been less successful and likely not worth being bought and moved to become the Detroit Lions. So the forerunners of today's Lions were both the Tanks and Spartans.

Close

Loading stats...



Year	Season	League	Team	W	L	T	Pct	GB	Standings	Playoffs	Coach	Attendance	Stadium	Berth	Champ
1930	1930	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Tank Stadium
1929	1929	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Tank Stadium
1928	1928	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Tank Stadium
1927	1927	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Tank Stadium
1926	1926	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1925	1925	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1924	1924	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1923	1923	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1922	1922	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1921	1921	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1920	1920	indep.	Ironton Tanks							Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium
1919	1919	OL	Ironton Tanks	2	1	1	.667			Missed Postseason			Beechwood Stadium

League Record Season's Leader

League Worst Ever Season's Worst

Won Championship Lost Championship

Related Content

Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Ironton Tanks Seasons

F i l t e r & S o r t Filter & Sort

S o r t

AABC

S e a r c h

0 matches

Tanks History

Franchise Overview
Seasons
Franchise Leaders
Season Records
Head Coaches
Logo History
Audio & Video Clips
Articles & Photos
Collectibles on eBay
Links Wikipedia

© RetroSeasons.com (Privacy / Terms)
Historical data obtained from various sources
Logos are registered trademarks of their respective team or league