C.1960'S SID GILLMAN SAN DIEGO CHARGERS GAME WORN BOW TIE AND HIS OFFICIAL PLAYBOOK WITH HANDWRITTEN NOTES PLUS 1969 HOME SCHEDULE POSTER (SDHOC COLLECTION)

Nice trio of items relating to the very first coach of the Chargers franchise, Sid Gillman, who led the Los Angeles and San Diego franchise from the beginning of the AFL and into the NFL from 1960-71. Gillman's insistence on stretching the field with long vertical passes was instrumental in developing the game of football that we love today. His philosophy was literally decades ahead of its time. After playing college football at Ohio State and one season of pro ball with the Cleveland Rams in 1936, Gillman worked his way up the college coaching ranks and got his first professional head coaching gig in the NFL with the L.A. Rams from 1955-59. He took over the Chargers a year later and led them to five division titles and one championship in the first six seasons of the American Football League, also serving as the team's General Manager for a period. He died in Carlsbad, Calif. in 2003 and the items offered here have been on display at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

First, we have one of Gillman's personal playbooks from the 1960's packed mostly with offensive schemes and play designs for his backs and ends. There are several hundred pages with what looks to be Gillman's notes in red and black marker. For example, he would cross out "Option" and replace with "Daylight" in reference to running backs seeking holes of daylight. Gillman created a game plan known as "Feast of Famine" using motion to counteract blitzing defenses and there are several examples of this. The three-hole punched book remains in EX-MT condition with very few loose pages torn out of its three-ring bound binder.

Next, we have one of Gillman's patented bow ties that he was known to wear on the sidelines during games. The silk Brooks Brothers tie comes in navy blue with a Chargers-themed color pattern. The third and final piece of this lot is a colorful 14" by 22" poster of the 1969 Chargers Home Schedule in EX condition with some creasing and light edge staining.

Letter of Provenance from San Diego Hall of Champions.