The first game was played on October 26, 1897, on the North Wayne field in Radnor. The field was then used as the Merryvale Country Club grounds. The players did not wear uniforms, and they cut the grass and painted lines before the game. Several hundred spectators watched the game, which Lower Merion won 10-4. This began Lower Merion’s overall winning streak through the entire series.
Crowds grew steadily each year, as did the festivities surrounding the game. Parading to the game down Lancaster Avenue has happened many years. Even before the schools had bands, neighborhood bands from Ardmore and Radnor (even the Anthony Wayne Drum & Bugle Corps) provided music.
Admission to the game was free until 1915, when Lower Merion charged 25 cents admission to the game. Radnor principal Amos Chamberlain protested, but to no avail. Admission has been charged since.
As the crowds grew, the game was moved to the Villanova College Stadium (built 1927) starting in 1930. Beginning in this era elaborate programs were published as game souvenirs.
In 1943, Life magazine published a photograph of forlorn Radnor players watching as the winning Lower Merion touchdown was scored.
Note: Early Radnor-Lower Merion football games were not always well-documented. Evidence of games not previously documented has recently been found, as documented by the Radnor Football History project.
Click here to view a list of the longest running high school football rivalries in the United States, of which Radnor vs. Lower Merion is one.
Sources: “Radnor High School: A Century of Spirit” (1897-1996 scores); later scores obtained from various news sources.
| Wins | ||
| Radnor Wins | Lower Merion Wins | Ties |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 56 | 11 |
| Year | Radnor Score | Lower Merion Score | Game Location | Estimated Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | 4 | 10 | North Wayne Field, Wayne | several hundred |
| 1897 (second game) | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 1898 | 0 | 10 | – | – |
| 1899 | 11 | 10 | – | – |
| 1900 | 28 | 0 | – | – |
| 1900 (second game) | 16 | 0 | – | – |
| 1901 | NO GAME | |||
| 1902 | 16 | 6 | – | – |
| 1902 (second game) | 12 | 0 | – | – |
| 1903 | 6 | 0 | – | – |
| 1903 (second game) | 11 | 5 | – | – |
| 1904 | 24 | 0 | – | – |
| 1905 | NO GAME | |||
| 1906 | 0 | 0 | – | 400 |
| 1907 | 10 | 0 | – | – |
| 1908 | 0 | 5 | Radnor | – |
| 1909 | 6 | 3 | – | – |
| 1910 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
| 1911 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 1912 | 20 | 0 | Radnor | – |
| 1913 | 12 | 7 | – | – |
| 1914 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 1915 | 16 | 16 | – | – |
| 1916 | 0 | 6 | – | 5,500 |
| 1917 | 14 | 6 | – | 5,000 |
| 1918 | 7 | 14 | – | – |
| 1919 | 50 | 0 | – | – |
| 1920 | 56 | 0 | – | – |
| 1921 | 21 | 7 | – | – |
| 1922 | 0 | 3 | – | – |
| 1923 | 0 | 23 | Lower Merion | 10,000 |
| 1924 | 0 | 6 | – | – |
| 1925 | 0 | 12 | – | – |
| 1926 | 27 | 0 | – | – |
| 1927 | 0 | 0 | – | 12,000 |
| 1928 | 0 | 0 | Radnor | 9,000+ |
| 1929 | 0 | 6 | – | – |
| 1930 | 12 | 12 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1931 | 14 | 0 | Villanova Stadium | 10,000-15,000 |
| 1932 | 8 | 12 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1933 | 0 | 27 | Villanova Stadium | 10,000 |
| 1934 | 0 | 18 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1935 | 6 | 18 | Pennypacker Field, Ardmore | – |
| 1936 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
| 1937 | 14 | 6 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1938 | 7 | 0 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1939 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| 1940 | 31 | 0 | – | – |
| 1941 | 0 | 14 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1942 | 0 | 56 | – | – |
| 1943 | 0 | 6 | – | – |
| 1944 | 27 | 0 | Villanova Stadium | 9,000 |
| 1945 | 0 | 27 | Villanova Stadium | 9,000 |
| 1946 | 7 | 51 | – | – |
| 1947 | 0 | 27 | – | – |
| 1948 | 6 | 33 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1949 | 14 | 38 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1950 | 0 | 24 | – | – |
| 1951 | 14 | 47 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1952 | 6 | 7 | – | – |
| 1953 | 7 | 26 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1954 | 7 | 33 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1955 | 6 | 27 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1956 | 12 | 33 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1957 | 12 | 0 | – | – |
| 1958 | 47 | 14 | – | – |
| 1959 | 10 | 10 | – | – |
| 1960 | 53 | 0 | – | – |
| 1961 | 22 | 7 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1962 | 6 | 7 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1963 | 13 | 27 | Arnold Field, LM (postponed due to JFK shooting, from 11/23 to 11/28 – Thanksgiving) | – |
| 1964 | 18 | 20 | – | – |
| 1965 | 7 | 7 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1966 | 0 | 15 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1967 | 7 | 12 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1968 | 24 | 13 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1969 | 28 | 19 | – | – |
| 1970 | 6 | 20 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1971 | 0 | 6 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1972 | 42 | 6 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1973 | 23 | 6 | – | – |
| 1974 | 28 | 0 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1975 | 29 | 15 | – | – |
| 1976 | 21 | 6 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1977 | 35 | 15 | – | – |
| 1978 | 13 | 36 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1979 | 7 | 14 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1980 | 14 | 26 | – | – |
| 1981 | 19 | 13 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1982 | 7 | 24 | – | – |
| 1983 | 13 | 20 | Villanova Stadium | – |
| 1984 | 13 | 28 | – | – |
| 1985 | 0 | 14 | – | – |
| 1986 | 0 | 42 | – | – |
| 1987 | 25 | 22 | – | – |
| 1988 | 0 | 27 | – | – |
| 1989 | 14 | 0 | – | – |
| 1990 | 14 | 19 | – | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 21 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1992 | 0 | 27 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1993 | 12 | 28 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1994 | 24 | 14 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1995 | 7 | 26 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1996 | 20 | 27 | Arnold Field, LM | 6,000 |
| 1997 | 34 | 7 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 1998 | 7 | 16 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 1999 | 32 | 14 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2000 | 35 | 0 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2001 | 35 | 0 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2002 | 33 | 15 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2003 | 57 | 21 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2004 | 29 | 21 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2005 | 19 | 0 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2006 | 38 | 7 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2007 | 28 | 0 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2008 | 35 | 28 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2009 | 7 | 20 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2010 | 36 | 21 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2011 | 14 | 21 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2012 | 35 | 7 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2013 | 33 | 14 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2014 | 34 | 0 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2015 | 34 | 0 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2016 | 49 | 8 | Harriton High School | – |
| 2017 | 38 | 25 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2018 | 28 | 20 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2019 | 49 | 6 | Prevost Field, Radnor | – |
| 2020 | 35 | 14 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2021 | 33 | 14 | Arnold Field, LM | – |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | Arnold Field, LM | – |