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Canadian Football History

@canadianfootballhistory.ca

Robert Finch's Canadian Football History blog. Celebrating the rich history of the great game of Canadian football. More at canadianfootballhistory.ca

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Canadian Football HistorySep 18, 2026

The CFL Game on a Frozen Shrunken Field

Today I want to talk about fields. Canadian football fields, that is. There is still a lot of chatter about the CFL’s decision to adjust its field size in 2027, adopting a 100-yard-long field with 15-yard end zones. Previously, I have written about early Canadian football being played on 100-yard fields in the past. And...

1990s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistorySep 4, 2026

Argos Beat Lions 68-43 in CFL’s Highest Scoring Game

Previously I wrote about the lowest scoring game in Canadian Football League history. Yes, that 1-0 doozy back in 1966. But what about the CFL’s highest scoring game? Ever since I’ve been a fan, CFL offences have been known to really rack up the points. This was no truer than on September 1, 1990 when...

1990s in Canadian FootballBC Lions

Canadian Football HistoryAug 28, 2026

Grey Cup Stolen in Ottawa in 1969

Just weeks after beating Saskatchewan to win it the Ottawa Rough Riders lost the Grey Cup. To thieves. On December 20, 1969, a bandit (or bandits) snatched the Grey Cup trophy from the Riders’ offices at Lansdowne Park. News article in the Ottawa Citizen about the Grey Cup being stolen (22 December 1969). Ottawa police...

1960s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryAug 21, 2026

Matt Dunigan Passes for a Record 713 Yards

On July 14, 1994, fans attending the CFL game at Winnipeg Stadium were in for quite the night. In a rematch of the previous year’s Grey Cup, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosted the Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton had beaten Winnipeg in that game and were the defending Grey Cup champions. No doubt the Winnipeg faithful were...

1990s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryAug 13, 2026

New Canadian Football League Kicks Off in Winnipeg, No Interlocking Schedule Just Yet

On August 14, 1958, the Canadian Football League played its first-ever game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Stadium. The new CFL was founded earlier in the year when the Canadian Football Council withdrew from the Canadian Rugby Union to become a completely separate entity, renaming itself the “Canadian Football...

1950s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryJul 30, 2026

1921 Saskatchewan Provincial Championship Game Protested and Replayed

1921 was a significant year in Canadian football. With the Western Canadian Rugby Football Union joining the Canadian Rugby Union, western clubs were finally eligible to compete for the Grey Cup. Article in the Regina Leader-Post about Regina initially winning the SRFU championship (31 November 1921). The Regina Rugby Club was one of the favourites...

1920s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryJul 22, 2026

Advertisements for CFL Football at BC Place Stadium in 1983

My background is in sales and marketing. That’s what I studied at university, and that’s been my career for the last 25+ years. Coincidently, I discovered my interest in marketing around the same time I started following CFL football. That was back in Grade 10. As a marketer who likes history and nostalgia, I like...

1980s in Canadian FootballBC Lions

Canadian Football HistoryJul 15, 2026

Tiger-Cats Spoil Argos’ SkyDome Opener

In the aftermath of the 1982 Grey Cup, which was played in a rainstorm at Exhibition Stadium, football fans in Toronto were clamouring for an indoor stadium. They got their wish when the new SkyDome hosted the 1989 CFL season opener on July 12, 1989. No more football in the rain, wind, or snow. Fans...

1980s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryJul 9, 2026

Three Leagues Compete for the New Grey Cup in 1909

1909 was a special year in Canadian football. That’s the year when Earl Grey, who was serving as the Governor General of Canada, donated a trophy to be awarded to Canada’s amateur rugby football champion. Of course, this trophy as well as the championship game itself would become known as the Grey Cup.Only teams affiliated...

1900s in Canadian FootballHamilton Tigers

Canadian Football HistoryJun 17, 2026

Manitoba’s Unbalanced Schedule and Weighted Points System in 1906

Today, we’re going to go west and examine a rather peculiar set up for the 1906 season of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union. The MRFU was founded in 1892 and included a number of teams over the years. In 1906, four teams competed in the league’s senior competition: the Winnipeg Rugby Football Club (known as...

1900s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryJun 10, 2026

Alouettes Beat the Rough Riders 1-0 in Lowest Scoring Game in CFL History

Most football fans like a lot of scoring. You really can’t beat seeing two teams going back and forth and lighting up the scoreboard. Of course, a good defensive matchup can still make for some entertaining football now and then. But back in 1966, a game between Montreal and Ottawa redefined the meaning of a...

1960s in Canadian FootballCFL

Canadian Football HistoryJun 3, 2026

No Dominion Championship in 1885, An All-Star Game Instead

A previous article examined how tie schedules and challenge cups were used on the road to the first Dominion championship game organized by the Canadian Rugby Football Union in 1884. News of the Canadian Rugby Football Union's new Inter-provincial Rugby Match. (Hamilton Spectator) It’s now a new year, and Canadian football is still finding its...

1880s in Canadian FootballCFL