FOR WESTERN FOOTBALL fans, the watershed year in the history of the Grey Cup is 1935, the year that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers travelled Est by train, ate hot dogs most of the week to save money, then, for the first time ever, brought the Cup west, downing Hamilton Tigers 18-12. Since 1909, when the Governor General of Canada, the Ear! of Grey, decided to donate a trophy for the amateur football champions, the trail of the Grey Cup is filled with stories and incidents that are certain- ly novel if not always sports- like. For example those same Hamilton Tigers that lost to the West for the first ume, decided that they wanted to have the honor of being first mentioned on the Cup itself so after winning it in 1915, they had their names engrav- ed as winners in 1908. Except the first Grey Cup compeution didn’t occur un- til 1909. However, when the addition was finally noticed it was decided that the prank was worthy of remembrance so the name and year were left alone and are still on the trophy. The Cup was always fought over by professional teams, the Universities from the East were at one point regular winners of the mug. In fact, the first winners were the University of Toronto Blues in 1909. And at one time, that trophy just didn't seem all that important. For instance, back in 1912, McGill Univer- sity were scheduled for the final, but members of the team notified the school and football authorities that they wouldn't be challenging because ‘we can’t afford me away from our studies.’ No matter who wins the event this year, itois hoped that they will be more careful By ANDY FRASER with the Cup than were the B.C. Lions back in °64. It THE GREY Cup has had a tong and colorful journey on its way to Sunday's game. was when they were on their way to the airport in Toronto that officials realized that the trophy was still back in the hotel. With a little bit of luck the big mug just managed to make the plane. The Cup has had a che- quered history over the years. It’s been forgotten, stolen, lost and burned. Back in 1947 it was the only unscathed sur- vivor of a showcase of trophies that was burned dur- ing a fire at the old Toronto Argonauts Rowing Club. Back at the beginning, in fact up ull 1921, the teams played with 14 men on the field and at one point even earlier, there were five minute penalties for rough play along with the no sub- sututions rule in the second half It was in 1921 - the first year for 12 a side that the first Western team made the long and tedious journey East to challenge for Lord Grey’s Cup. That team was the Edmonton Eskimos and they played the Toronto Argonauts before 9,558 fans. The Eskimos were not ready then, however, to begin their dynasty. They lost 23-0. Getting on the scoreboard was a big problem for the Western teams in their early days. It was 1930 before Freddie Brown of Regina Roughriders managed the first touchdown for the West. Till that moment, the com- bined score of games between East and West was a horren- dous 158-5. But, let’s remember that it was the Regina Roughriders that threw the first pass in Grey Cup competition § in 1929. The Riders threw 11 Passes in a game played ina driving blizzard against Hamilton Tigers in Hamilton, but still came out on the losing end of a 14-3 score. The pass was such a hit with the Tigers that late in the game they improvised a play which involved a pass which worked out so successfully that they scored a touchdown which was called back for an infraction. That 1929 game was played before a somewhat sparse and frozen crowd of only 1,900 paid. At one point late in the game it was believed that only 100 fans were left. 1948 was the year that the Grey Cup became a public tn- stututton. That was the year that Calgary Stampeders made their first Eastern trek as Western representatives complete with chuck wagons, cowboys and Indians and that famous western = style that made the game the big “ALL BRAKE LININGS ARE | GUARANTEED FOR AS LONG | AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR” $5995 MOST CARS $4995 MOST CARS “INCLUDES INSPECTION; @ Pads & Linings @ Brake Rotora | '@ Brake Drums ® Wheat Cylinders @ Calipers.” an : t ‘ ¢ FRONT DISC BRAKES INCLUDES * REPLACING DISC PADS * RESURFACING DISC ROTORS * REPACKING WHEEL BEARINGS REAR DRUM BRAKES INCLUDES * REPLACING BRAKE SHOES * RESURFACING BRAKE DRUMS @ Emargency Brake Cables ® Grake Hardware @ Hoses & Steal Lines @ Master Cylinder — __ FREE BRAKE INSPECTION WHILE YOU WAIT GREY CUP FEVER Trail of the Grey Cup grail event it is today. Incidentally, Stamps won their first ever appearance knocking off the Ottawa Rough Riders 12-7. The last University team to take part in the national final, the Toronto Varsity Blues, lost to Ottawa in 1926 but the schools kept challeng- ing up to 1937: Even the second war didn’t stop competition for the Grey Cup, although service teams, mostly stocked with former players, competed. Toronto RCAF Hurricanes won the 1942 game 8-5 over Winnipeg RCAF Bombers. While many old die-hards are somewhat critical of the covered, artificial turf, BIS - Wednesday, November 23, 1983 - North Shore News climate controlled stadium being used on Sungay, few would want to go back to the infamous Mud Bath of §950 in Toronto when league of- ficials were left saying ‘We didn’t think it would snow.’ The field was a rutted muddy swamp. So bad that one of the game officials Hec Creighton, noticed a Win- nuipeg lineman lying face down in a deep mud puddle. Creighton quickly managed to turn over Buddy Tinsley, possibly saving the Eskimo player from drowning in the game in which the 21-11 win for Toronto was over- shadowed by the appalling field conditions. Then there was the Fog Bowl of 1962 when the game had to be postponed and the remaining time made up the following day in Toronto. As the years go by the legends grow, and dynasties rise and fall. The more you look at the history of this trophy that Originally cost $48, the more you realize that in spite of rule changes, the rise and fail of powerful franchises, the so-called ‘inequalities’ bet- ween the East and West, the more you realize the national nature of the game and the enduring nature of our fascination with this game of the fall season, the Grey Cup. BACON-WRAPPED FILET MIGNON PERFECTION The same delicious perfection you expect, and get, every time you eat at your favourite fine restaurant. Tender? _. Guaranteed! Full natural flavour? Guaranteed! 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