The Strange Twisted Story of
Chester Pollard and Tom McDonald
by Bill Howard
Collectors have a choice between three varieties of
Chester Pollard Football, the most successful of its floor
model arcade machines. First there is the traditional type
offered initially by the English firm, featuring long legs,
a huge playfield to be viewed strictly from the front, and
a large marquis mounted at the top. This soccer game
was extremely popular with the public and operators
until space became increasingly important to the arcade
industry. As "heavy"
and "huge" became
less desirable to op-
erators, Chester Pol-
lard began to offer a
smaller, streamlined
vers10n. The legs
were cut down, the
playfield was short-
ened and equipped
with a glass top to
invite the player to
view the action from
above as well as from
the front, and the mar-
quis was eliminated. I
was introduced to this
modified authentic Chester Pollard Football when my
father took me to Gene's Fun House to play the arcades
after one of his office meetings in downtown Cleve-
land, Ohio, a memory I will always cherish. Though
not as plentiful or valuable as the traditional model, it is
still a Chester Pollard, in high demand, and command-
ing a good price.
chute. The importance is that this cheaper, lighter Amer-
ican coin chute is what advanced collectors look for in
distinguishing this from the genuine Chester Pollard.
And this is why a Chester Pollard coin mech, which
is unmistakable, commands a price today of more than
$500. No offense Mike, but I would strongly urge col-
lectors to stay away from the Munves' revamp and go
for the traditional or sawed-off Pollards.
I have the sawed-
off variety of
Chester
Pollard
Football that was
featured at the ar-
cade in Hershey
Park, Pennsylva-
nia for years, and
it appears on page
141 of my book,
Every Picture Tel ls
a Story, 2006.
How I acquired it
is a story that does
not protect the in-
nocent, is as unbe-
lievable as it is true, and involves some of the strangest
friends and acquaintances I have ever had the privilege
of knowing. It is also a testament to the fun , the ups and
downs, and the memories this hobby has afforded me
over the years. So here goes.
This story starts with Tom McDonald, who I have not
heard from since his involvement in this strange se-
Not so demanding or valuable is the third version of quence of events. Now Tom was a self described ex-
the Chester Pollard, which is not really considered by CIA operative, and was relied on heavily by President
collectors as a Chester Pollard at all. As opposed to the Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He could
"sawed down" Pollard described above, it is a Mike also pick locks and often appeared as a coin-op dealer. I
Munves revamp through and through. Although utiliz- confess I had my doubts about Tom, until I found myself
ing many Pollard interior parts, Munves made his own without a room at one of the old Valley Forge Coin-op
cabinet and, most importantly, employed his own coin shows. "No problem" said Tom, who invited me to stay
30