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Calgary Stampeders banner.1968-2000
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The Calgary Stampeders history can be traced back all the way to the 1908 season, when they were known as the Calgary Tigers. In this season, the Tigers were city championship. Calgary's next significant year was in 1911, when they were one of the charter members of the Western Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (WPRFU). In that season, the Calgary Tigers were the first champions of that union. During the 1913 season, the Hamilton Tigers played an exhibition game against the Calgary Tigers as this game was the first documented East-West game in Canada in which Hamilton won 19-2. The next evolution of the Stampeders was in 1915, when the Tigers were no more and was replaced by the Calgary Canucks. The Canucks only played one season due to the war efforts of World War I.3
In 1923, Calgary participated in football again, this time in the form of the Fiftieth Battalion. The battalion won the Alberta Rugby title in 1924, and ultimately this was the last season that Calgary saw football until the 1928 season. With the return of football, the Calgary Tigers also made a return as well. In their second stint, the Tigers were the first team in history to ever to make a forward pass.4
Like before, the Tigers folded in 1931, so they can make way for the Calgary Altomahs in which they played at Mewata Stadium until the 1935 season. In 1935, the Calgary Altomahs became the Calgary Bronks.5
In 1945, there were no regular season games; Calgary only played two semi-final games against the Regina Roughriders in which they won 3-1 and 12-0 respectively. In the west final Calgary was defeated 9-5 by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.6
The Stampeders first Grey Cup appearance was in 1948 when the Stampeders recorded the only perfect season in history when they went 12-0 in the regular season.7
A newspaper snippit of the Calgary Stampeders perfect season.1 October 1998
Credits:Tom Keyser
Calgary Herald
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During the playoffs Calgary played against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a two game series, in which Calgary won the series by a combined score of 21-10 and advanced to the Grey Cup against the Ottawa Rough Riders.This Grey Cup is special to Calgary fans because they made it to the weeklong spectacle that it is today as they came into Toronto riding chuck wagons and were dressed like Cowboys and Indians. Another reason why this game is significant to the Calgary fans is because Calgary won their first Grey Cup in team history 12-7, thus concluding their perfect 14-0 season.
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The 1948 Calgary Stampeders.Circa 1948
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The following season in 1949, the Stampeders were close to having another perfect regular season, but ultimately fell short a game to Saskatchewan. The only consolation is that they had not lost in 22 games, which is still a CFL record. In the playoffs, Calgary made another trip to the Grey Cup but lost to Montreal 28-15. The people of Calgary were thinking with the early success of the team, it would continue to get better, but in the 1950s, it got worse.11
In 1950, mostly everyone from the 1949 squad was back with the exception of few players being traded or left for more money elsewhere. With the team back, everyone thought this would be a good season, but it was not. The Stampeders finished with their worst record at the time by going 4-10 and missed the playoffs. This same trend happened in 1951 as well. Calgary's first playoff appearance in the 1950s was in 1952 when they barely made the playoffs with a 7-9 record. Their opponent was the Edmonton Eskimos, in which the Eskimos won 42-38 in a two game series. With that loss, Calgary did not make the playoffs from 1953-1956. In 1957, the Stampeders went 6-10 in the regular season, and yet still made the playoffs. In the playoffs, Calgary played the Blue Bombers and ultimately loss by a combined score of 28-18 in their two game series. The next two seasons in Calgary was difficult ones as well, by going 6-9-1 and 8-8 respectively. With this decade behind them, Calgary hoped the next one will bring better results.12
Game program from the 1951 season.23 September 1950
Mewata Stadium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Game program from the 1951 season.Circa 1951
Mewata Stadium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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The 1960s was going to be a promising decade for Calgary. In 1960, the Stampeders moved into their new stadium, McMahon Stadium on August 15th. In their first game there, Calgary hosted the previous year Grey Cup Champions; the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In their first game at their new stadium, Calgary lost 38-23. The Stampeders first win at McMahon was two weeks later when Calgary defeated Saskatchewan 23-15 also this was their first win of the season. |
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