Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
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Franchise history
The first time Calgary took the field in Canadian football was in 1891 when they faced Edmonton in a home and away series. The following years saw the formation of several Calgary-based football teams starting with the Calgary Tigers of the Alberta Rugby Football Union in 1908. This would be followed by the likes of Canucks, the 50th Battalion, Altomahs, Tigers for the second time and later the Bronks.
The Stampeders were officially born on September 29, 1945. In their very first game played on October 22 at Mewata Stadium they beat the Regina Roughriders 12-0 before 4,000 fans in attendance. It would be 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.
1948 would perhaps be the greatest season for the Stamps to date, they became the only CFL team as of 2010 to achieve a perfect season with a record of 12-0 that was capped with a Grey Cup victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders at Toronto's Varsity Stadium. It was also that same Grey Cup that Calgary fans brought pageantry to the game and made it into a national celebration, featuring pancake breakfasts on the steps of City Hall, starting the famous Grey Cup parade and even riding horses in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel.
They would return to the Grey Cup the following year (1949), with a sterling 13-1 record but lost to the Montreal Alouettes 28-15 in the title game. It would be 19 years until Calgary once again reached the Grey Cup again, losing 24-21 to Ottawa in the '68 final and not until 1971 when they would be crowned champions, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 14-11.
The Stampeders nearly folded after the 1985 season marked by declining attendance, financial woes and poor 3-13 record. However, a successful Save Our Stamps campaign resulted in season ticket sales of 22,400, additional funds and stability that translated to improved on-field play which laid the groundwork to Grey Cup berths in 1991 and 1992 when they won the title over Winnipeg.
The decade of the 1990s was very successful for the Stamps, led by quarterbacks Doug Flutie and later Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson throwing to receivers Allen Pitts, Terry Vaughn and Dave Sapunjis, and a rock steady defence led by Western All Stars Alondra Johnson, Stu Laird and Will Johnson. They would reach the Grey Cup final three more times, losing in 1995 and 1999 and winning in 1998.
After winning their fifth Grey Cup in 200
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