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43-684: The Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League , founded in 1945, do not trace their lineage to this club. Calgary RFC was renamed the Calgary Tigers in 1908 and joined the Alberta Rugby Football League in the same year. It later joined the then newly formed Western Canada Rugby Football Union in 1911 and won the first-ever Western championship that year. The team would change names, fold and be reborn several names in next few decades: These teams were succeeded by

86-662: A Calgary team (in Calgary,) declaring themselves Champions of Alberta ; the picture has two dates on it, being taken in either 1893 or 1895. The Calgary Rugby Foot-ball Club played for the Alberta championship in 1907, became the Calgary Tigers and joined the Calgary Rugby Football Union in 1908 and the Alberta Rugby Football Union in 1911. The ensuing decades saw Calgary based teams come and go; including

129-681: A fourth consecutive Grey Cup appearance came to an abrupt end in 2019, as the team lost a step, finishing second in the West with a 12–6 record, falling to the eventual Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Semi-Final 35–14. The CFL went on hiatus in 2020, but returned in 2021, and the Stampeders finished one game back of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the shortened 2021 season with an 8–6 record. The team met an early playoff exit at

172-481: A general manager and handing the coaching reins to former Stamps QB Dave Dickenson . The Stamps continued their success in 2016, winning the West Division again with a 15–2–1 record, but falling to the third-year Ottawa Redblacks in the 104th Grey Cup in overtime. In 2017, the Stampeders finished 13-4-1 (with the league's best record for the season) and made their second straight Grey Cup appearance , but lost to

215-572: A national celebration, featuring pancake breakfasts on the steps of City Hall, starting the Grey Cup parade and even riding a horse in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel . They returned to the Grey Cup the following year (1949), with a 13–1 record but lost to the Montreal Alouettes 28–15 in the title game. It was 19 years until Calgary once again reached the Grey Cup, losing 24–21 to Ottawa in

258-487: A rock-steady defence led by Western All Stars Alondra Johnson , Stu Laird , and Will Johnson the Stampeders racked up a 153–79–2 record during these years. They reached the Grey Cup six times, winning in 1992, 1998, and 2001, losing in 1991, 1995, and 1999. In 1996, Ryckman was found by the Alberta Securities Commission to have run a stock manipulation scheme, was fined $ 492,000 and was forced to give up

301-536: A separate club: This Canadian football -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta . The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the fifth oldest active franchise in

344-418: A winter bubble enabling use during inclement weather. The multi-use capability was one of the main reasons that the plan was passed by the governing council, as opposed to the 25,000-seat stadium. Compared to the old Varsity Stadium, the seating is closer to Varsity Arena, almost making the two structures one conjoined complex. Part of the red brick wall along Bloor Street was maintained for historic purposes, but

387-632: A world record in the 100 metres with a time of 10.3 seconds at Varsity Stadium during the Canadian Track and Field Championships in 1930. Varsity Stadium has for its entire history been host to the University of Toronto's collegiate Canadian football team, the Varsity Blues . However it was, until the opening of Exhibition Stadium in 1959, the home of the Toronto Argonauts of what would become

430-586: Is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues , the athletic teams of the University of Toronto . Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the current stadium was built in 2007 to replace the original permanent stadium built in 1911. Varsity Stadium is also a former home of the Toronto Argonauts , and has previously hosted

473-648: The Argonauts , falling by a score of 35–22 . Following another defeat in the Western Final in 2013 , the Stampeders were once again able to reach the Grey Cup the following year. This time, they came out on top with the franchise's seventh championship, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20–16. After the 2015 season, Hufnagel stepped down from his dual responsibility as head coach and general manager, becoming purely

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516-829: The Calgary Canucks , the 50th Battalion , the Tigers again, the Calgary Altomahs, and finally the Calgary Bronks of the Western Interprovincial Football Union . These teams were a dominant force in Alberta football, winning the AFRU championship 15 times over the next 25 years. World War II and 1940 brought a halt to football in Calgary, the final year for the Bronks. None of these earlier Calgary based teams are part of

559-467: The Canadian Football League . Although it has not hosted a meaningful CFL game in almost half a century, it still holds the record for the number of times any stadium has hosted the Canadian professional football championship game, the Grey Cup . Capacity of the stadium has varied with time, but peaked at about 22,000 in the 1950s although, with the use of temporary bleachers, a record crowd of 27,425 watched

602-686: The Edmonton Elks , as well as fierce divisional rivalries with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the BC Lions . Prior to the formation of the Stampeders in 1945, football in Calgary can be dated back as early as 1891, when Edmonton defeated Calgary 6–5 in the Alberta Total-point Challenge Series. A team from Edmonton (actually the outlying community of Fort Saskatchewan ) had a picture taken of themselves after they defeated

645-592: The Grey Cup , the Vanier Cup , several matches of the 1976 Summer Olympics soccer tournament, and the final game of the North American Soccer League 's 1984 Soccer Bowl series (which was also the last game played by the original NASL). It is located next to Varsity Arena . Athletic teams of the University of Toronto have used the site as an athletic ground since 1898. In 1911, the university opened Varsity Stadium. Canadian sprinter Percy Williams set

688-467: The Netherlands were also staged in 1994. Minor league professional soccer team Toronto Lynx moved into the stadium in 1997 but was forced to move to Centennial Park Stadium due to the impending demolition of the historic facility. The stadium was demolished mid-2002 after the cost of maintaining the large facility was far more than it generated in revenue. At that time, several structural sections of

731-594: The Toronto Argonauts again, just as they did five years earlier. In 2018, the Stampeders finished 13-5 and made a third straight Grey Cup appearance, winning the title over the Redblacks 27–16 in Edmonton. Bo Levi Mitchell won Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 CFL Awards as well as the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player. Lemar Durant was named the game's Most Valuable Canadian. The Calgary Stampeders quest for

774-594: The Toronto Blizzard and again made it their home for the 1984 season. On October 3, 1984, before 16,842 fans, the last game ever contested in the original North American Soccer League was played at Varsity Stadium when the Chicago Sting defeated the Blizzard 3–2 to win the deciding game of 1984 Soccer Bowl Series. The NASL would fold before the start of the next season. In mid-1986, Varsity Stadium played host to

817-807: The World Lacrosse Championships , a tournament featuring the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. The US defeated Canada in the final, 18–9. The new Toronto Blizzard returned to Varsity in 1987 as part of the Canadian Soccer League but would move to the smaller Centennial Park Stadium as a cost-cutting move. They returned in 1993 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League but again were forced to move, this time to Lamport Stadium, again due to financial difficulties. Varsity Stadium continued to host

860-541: The 1968 final and not until 1971 when they were crowned champions, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 14–11. The Stampeders, like all the teams playing in the WIFU and IRFU, joined the newly formed Canadian Football League in 1958. The year 1960 brought the Stampeders a new home, McMahon Stadium . Their first game in their new stadium was on August 15, 1960, a 38–23 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers . From 1968 to 1971,

903-459: The CFL. The Stampeders were officially founded in 1945, although there were clubs operating in Calgary since the 1890s. The Calgary Stampeders have won eight Grey Cups , most recently in 2018 , from their appearances in 17 Grey Cup Championship games. They have won 20 Western Division Championships and one Northern Division Championship in the franchise's history. The team has a provincial rivalry with

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946-490: The Canadian intercollegiate championship, the Vanier Cup (as it had been for most years from 1965 to 1988 [with exception of 1973–75]), but that too moved to larger quarters such as SkyDome (now known as Rogers Centre ) as the popularity of the collegiate championship grew. Canada's national soccer team played several matches at Varsity Stadium, including crucial World Cup qualifying matches versus Costa Rica in 1985 and Mexico in 1993. Friendly matches versus Germany and

989-683: The Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes 50–27 in the 1956 Grey Cup final. Perhaps the most famous Canadian football game played in the Stadium was the 1950 Mud Bowl for the Grey Cup championship. During the 1976 Summer Olympics , Varsity Stadium hosted several soccer matches, and was the site of the semi-final game between Brazil and Poland . The NASL's Toronto Metros-Croatia used Varsity Stadium through 1978, before moving to Exhibition Stadium. They returned six years later as

1032-470: The Montreal Alouettes. Burris was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player with DeAngelis being the top Canadian for their efforts. John Hufnagel had been interviewed by several NFL and college football teams, but is still the team's general manager to this day. Hufnagel was also the team's head coach until the end of the 2015 season, when he turned over the head coaching duties to former Stampeder and BC Lions star Dave Dickenson . Between 2009 and 2014 ,

1075-512: The Stampeders made it to the Grey Cup game three out of those four years (missing in 1969), winning it in 1971. After having some great years at the end of the 1960s which culminated in their 1971 Grey Cup championship, 1972 started a long period of struggles for the Stampeders. In the 18 seasons from 1972 to 1989, the Stampeders made the playoffs only 7 times, and although they reached the Western Final in 1978 and 1979 under Jack Gotta (which were their only two playoff wins and appearances for

1118-640: The Stampeders official history or records. The WIFU returned to Calgary on September 29, 1945, with the formation of the Calgary Stampeders. In their first game played on October 20 at Mewata Stadium they beat the Regina Roughriders 12–0 before 4,000 fans in attendance. It was a taste of success to come that decade under the direction of head coach Les Lear and talented stars such as Woody Strode , Paul Rowe , Keith Spaith , Dave Berry , Normie Kwong and Ezzert "Sugarfoot" Anderson . The year 1948

1161-456: The Stampeders reached the Western Final every year except 2011 , when the team lost the semi-final game to the Eskimos in Edmonton, 33–19. The following year, the organization by now known as Calgary Sports and Entertainment became the majority owner of the team; the company previously only had a 5% stake in the team. They were able to reach the Grey Cup game that year only to come up short against

1204-399: The Stampeders, who were subsequently purchased by Sig Gutsche via a receivership court for $ 1.6 million on April 3. Gutsche helped rectify the team's debts and made the team profitable again. The team finished the 1990s having made the playoffs in every year that decade. On October 8, 2001, Sig Gutsche sold the team to California businessman Michael Feterik. Unlike previous owners, Feterik

1247-531: The West Semi-Final). The Stampeders nearly folded after the 1985 season due to years of declining attendance, financial woes and a poor 3–13 record. However, a successful Save Our Stamps campaign in 1986 resulted in season ticket sales of 22,400, additional funds and stability that translated to improved on-field play which laid the groundwork for both their first playoff win since 1979 in 1990, and back-to-back Grey Cup berths in 1991 and 1992 when they won

1290-477: The games, the facility was configured to hold roughly 2,000 spectators per session. The facility also hosted the archery events of the 2015 Parapan American Games In addition to hosting several University of Toronto athletic programs, the stadium has also hosted several events including military, musical, and sporting games. The stadium has also been host to several concerts most notably the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival , which Rolling Stone once called

1333-589: The hands of the Riders in the West Semi-Final in an overtime heartbreaker, 33–30. The team reached the playoffs again in 2022 with a 12–6 record, but fell to the second place BC Lions in the West Semi-Final 30–16. On December 12, 2022, it was announced that Dickenson had been named the team's new general manager in addition to retaining his head coaching duties. The Presidents' Ring was established in 1967 by Calgary Stampeders Football Club team president George McMahon and general manager Rogers Lehew. Formerly presented to

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1376-495: The new facility is much more open and visible from the streets overall. The new facilities are designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects . Following the renovation, the Argonauts returned to the stadium, hosting their 2013 preseason game at their former home. Their 2014 and 2015 preseason home games were also scheduled for the stadium. For the 2015 Pan American Games the facility hosted archery between July 14 and 18. During

1419-475: The rest of the 1970s) losing both times to their provincial rivals in Edmonton , who were in the midst of an unprecedented five-year Grey Cup victory run at the time), the next decade was less than kind to the team. During the 1980s, the Stampeders were the only CFL team that did not win a playoff game (the team made five appearances during the decade, all but one of which came on the road and all resulting in losses in

1462-402: The second most important event in rock & roll history. This concert led to the production of a documentary, Sweet Toronto , as well as John Lennon 's Live Peace In Toronto album. Performers included: The Doors , Plastic Ono Band , Bo Diddley , Chicago Transit Authority (later renamed "Chicago"), Tony Joe White , Alice Cooper , Jerry Lee Lewis , Chuck Berry , Cat Mother &

1505-500: The stadium were being held up by temporary repairs, and the future integrity of the structure was in question. The field and track were retained after the demolition. During the demolition and re-building of the site Toronto Varsity Blues relocated to Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough . From 2003 through 2005, temporary seating of about 1,500 was installed to permit the use of the field for intercollegiate games. The name Varsity Field

1548-610: The team lost money, and in January 2005, Feterik sold the team to a group led by Ted Hellard, Doug Mitchell and former Stampeder John Forzani, and the Calgary Flames Limited Partnership , the organization that represents the NHL's Calgary Flames . In 2008, one-time Stamps QB John Hufnagel took the coaching reins, and the Stampeders ended their playoff victory drought en route to winning the team's sixth Grey Cup 22–14 against

1591-896: The team's most valuable player, it is currently awarded to the player who best demonstrates leadership ability. As of 2012 , 29 players have won the award, including three-time winners Henry Burris , Danny Barrett and Stu Laird . The Stampeders Wall of Fame recognizes the greatest players and most important off-field contributors in Stampeders history; it was Instituted in 1985. Builders : Builders honoured as of 2012 Head Coaches Offensive Coaches Defensive Coaches Special Teams Coaches Strength and Conditioning → Coaching Staff → More CFL staffs Receivers Running backs Fullbacks Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams 6-game injured Jim Finks as 1960 interim coach: Toronto Globe and Mail, Saturday 20 August 1960, p. 21, "Calgary Coach Resigns". Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium

1634-517: The time of its demolition, Varsity Stadium was the second largest capacity stadium in Canada with a grass field, after Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta (however, that stadium has since switched to an artificial playing surface). The stadium opened in 2007. Facilities and features built in the first phase of the stadium's reconstruction include an IAAF Class II 400m eight-lane track, artificial field turf (FIFA 2 Star rated surface by Polytan), and

1677-515: The title over Winnipeg . Wally Buono took over the head coaching duties in 1990 (after having served as an assistant coach for the previous three years). Late in the 1991 season, the team, after being community-owned since its inception, went private when Larry Ryckman purchased the team. The next 13 years were some of the most successful years in Stampeders history. Led by quarterbacks Doug Flutie , Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson , receivers Allen Pitts , Terry Vaughn and Dave Sapunjis , and

1720-462: Was intimately involved in the club's football operations. Feterik's most notorious move was to give the starting quarterback position to his son Kevin Feterik , angering both fans and Buono. Buono left to join the BC Lions after the 2002 CFL season. After Wally Buono departed from the Stampeders, the team went through three different head coaches in three years. Jim Barker succeeded Buono in 2003, but

1763-435: Was let go after a 5–13 season, and he was replaced by Matt Dunigan , who fared no better in his lone season in 2004, going 4–14. The coaching carousel ended with Tom Higgins taking over in 2005, who brought the team back to respectability led by Henry Burris at quarterback and Joffrey Reynolds at running back, but lost in three straight years in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Western semi-final games in that span. During this time,

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1806-525: Was perhaps the greatest season in Stamps history, achieving a perfect regular season of 12–0 and capping the year a 2-0-1 record in the playoffs including a Grey Cup victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders at Toronto's Varsity Stadium , memorable for the team's scoring a touchdown on a "sleeper play". It was also during that same Grey Cup festival that Calgary fans brought pageantry to the game and made it into

1849-399: Was used from 2002 to 2006 during the period when the old stadium was demolished and the new stadium was being built. A plan to build a new 25,000 seat multi-purpose stadium on the site in 2005 was voted down by the governing council of the University of Toronto due to concerns over its cost. The facility was then planned to be built on the grounds of York University but that too failed. At

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