A look back at the San Francisco Shamrocks Roller Games era, by Scott Stephens—author of ROLLING THUNDER: The Golden Age of Roller Derby and The Rise & Fall of the LA T-Birds.
The San Francisco Shamrocks were created in 1965 as the NSD’s bold move into the Bay Bombers’ home territory. Home games were staged at Winterland Ballroom and Wintergarden Arena, featuring former Roller Derby stars like Ann Calvello, Annis Jensen, and Joe Foster. Calvello’s defection from the IRDL to join her hometown Shamrocks shocked the sport, signaling Roller Games as a legitimate alternative to Derby and inspiring other stars—John Parker, Jan Vallow, Leroy Gonzales, Toughie Brasuhn, Nick Scopas, Frankie Macedo, Lester Quarles, Joan Kazmerski, Bob Hein, George Adams, and Judy Arnold—to follow.
Despite its roster of big names, the Shamrocks averaged only about 3,500 fans per game in venues that seated nearly twice that, as Bay Area crowds stayed loyal to the Bombers. After one season, the Shamrocks ended Northern California home games, became a traveling team, and Roller Games refocused on Southern California while arranging inter-league series with Derby.
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