BROOKLYN — You can take the boys out of Brooklyn, but you cannot take the Brooklyn out of the boys. 

A group of 16 “Old Guys” once again reunited on Nov. 29 for their annual Turkey Bowl touch football game in Marine Park, bringing together old friends, most of whom know each other from Nazareth Regional High School in East Flatbush.

“We’re a group of central Brooklyn high school friends who started a touch football game on Thanksgiving Day 1976. We have played the game every year since then, so this year is our 50th game,” said Patrick Gallagher, who lives in Bay Ridge.  

Gallagher said the original guys — now referred to as the “Old Guys” — include his brother James “Jimbo” Gallagher, and John “Hughie” Gallagher (no relation), who have played in every turkey bowl. The opponents were the “Young Guys,” who are the children and grandchildren of the old-timers.  

The first 15 games were played on the concrete playground at Paerdegat Park in East Flatbush. In the early 1990s, it was moved to Marine Park in South Brooklyn. Around the same time, the game was moved from Thanksgiving Day to the Saturday after Thanksgiving to avoid interfering with Thanksgiving meals. 

The game relocated to a grass field when Dave Collum fell to the ground and split his head open on the concrete surface. However, it didn’t end Collum’s career, as he was front and center on the line once again this year.  

John Gallagher, who lives in Belle Harbor, was looking forward to getting the game started on the sunny afternoon. 

“I’m 64 years old, but I still can play,” Hughie said. “I see these guys once a year, and it’s like we’re back in high school.” 

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James Gallagher, a retired state court officer, said beforehand that he planned to play “as little as possible,” but still saw considerable time on the field. 

While some of the players travelled from New Rochelle, Long Island, and New Jersey, the longest commute was made by Tim Lenihan, who works in the medical research field in the Czech Republic. 

“I try to never miss it. This is the one time of the year I get to see these guys,” Lenihan said. “I’ve been attending for about 30 to 35 years.” 

An interested onlooker on the sidelines was Tim’s mother, Mary Lenihan, who posed for photos with the Old Guys at halftime. She’s a familiar face to the guys, since many parents have attended the bowl over the years. 

James Sullivan, who has played in about 30 games, said he returns each year because of “the laughter, the camaraderie, the over-stated plays and the hilarious commentary.” 

Sullivan, like many other old-timers, is a product of the Little Flower Catholic Youth Organization system, where they still remember the dedicated coaching of John McAlinden, a former artist for The Tablet. Some joked that they wouldn’t be surprised if he, a former mainstay on the sidelines, showed up to draw up a play. 

John Kelleher said he looks forward to seeing his boyhood friends each year.  

“What I don’t look forward to is the soreness the next morning,” he admitted.  

Veterans recall that, while it has never rained on their game, there was a snowy day in 1995 when the boys got together, but no one brought a football. 

“We went to a store, and all we could find was a Nerf football,” one old-timer recalled. “Shortly after the game began, the nerf ball got stuck in a tree, and the rest of the game was cancelled.” 

That doesn’t happen these days since the game has been put in the hands of “Commissioner” Robert “Chuck” Reed, who lives nearby. He arrives at the field early and puts down the red cones to designate the field’s fair territory. 

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After the game, he hosts both squads at his home for pizza and wings. The guys sit around, watch college football, and play a little pool. They remember the great plays from years past, even if some seem more magnificent as time passes by. 

This year’s final score saw an eight-to-seven victory for the Old Guys. True to form, the play included some spectacular one-handed catches, some tumbles and fumbles, no calls for EMS, and lots of laughter.  

Afterwards, they all congratulated each other for having survived game number 50. 

The winners were presented with the Frank “Mr. G.” Gallagher Memorial Turkey Bowl Trophy. 

Before they gathered up their cleats and headed for the Belt Parkway for their drive home, the Old Guys pledged to one another — same time, next year. 

It’s a Brooklyn thing.