Hamilton Tigers (football)
Encyclopedia
The Hamilton Tigers were a Canadian football
team based in Hamilton, Ontario
that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union
from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in 1907. Throughout their history, the Tigers won five Grey Cup
Championships as well as winning the Dominion Championship in 1908, the year before the Grey Cup was awarded. After struggling to compete on a sound financial level with the Hamilton Wildcats
, who had joined the ORFU in 1941 and later the IRFU, the two clubs merged in 1950 to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
at the University of Toronto
. In that game, which was won by Toronto by a Goal and a Try to Nil, it was the first time that Hamilton wore black and yellow, hence the nickname "Tigers."
On January 6, 1883, the Ontario Rugby Football Union
was formed to provide a structured league of rugby-football play among teams based in Ontario
. The Hamilton Tigers were one of the first 16 teams in this league, which consisted of both club and university teams. The Tigers initially played well, but could not advance to the championship game. It wasn't until 1888 that they met Ottawa College in the ORFU Final, but lost that game 10-1. After seven years in the league, the Tigers won their first ORFU championship in 1890 over Queen's University
by a score of 8-6, bringing the city of Hamilton their first championship team. They would go on to win the ORFU Championship in 1897 over Osgoode Hall 16-8, but would see difficult times at the turn of the century.
In 1898, the Canadian Rugby Union instituted regular season play, whereas the teams would be solely playing a playoff-like structure prior. While it intensified play between the Toronto Argonauts
, Ottawa Rough Riders
, and Kingston Granites
, it also exposed Hamilton as the weaker of the four. However, the Tigers returned to form in 1903 and would proceed to dominate all competition in the ORFU, winning four consecutive championships. There were, however, several disputes with the Canadian Rugby Union and the Quebec Rugby Football Union that prevented the Tigers from competing for a national championship from 1903-1905. It wasn't until 1906, where the Tigers finally agreed to play the QRFU rules, that Hamilton defeated McGill University
anyway, by a score of 29-3, to become Dominion Champions.
The Interprovincial Rugby Football Union was formed on September 13, 1907 in an amalgamation of the Tigers and Toronto Argonauts
of the ORFU and the Ottawa Rough Riders
and the Montreal Football Club of the QRFU. In 1908, the Tigers would win the last national championship to be awarded before the introduction of the Grey Cup
trophy in 1909
. The team would face local competition with the newly formed Ontario Rugby Football Union
's Hamilton Alerts
who, in 1912
, won the city of Hamilton its first Grey Cup
by beating the Toronto Argonauts
11–4. The Alerts having challenged the authority of the ORFU during that season, would not be reinstated into the union, so many of its players joined the Tigers in the off-season. The Tigers would go on to win their first Grey Cup
over the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club in 1913 by a score of 44-2. They would win their second Grey Cup
two years later in the last Grey Cup game to be played before World War I
interrupted play for three years.
After the Great War, the Tigers struggled to return to the title game, while only qualifying for post-season play twice in the following seven years and losing to Queen's
both times. It wasn't until 1927 that Hamilton once again reached the Grey Cup
by defeating Queen's, but losing to the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
. However, their fortunes would change as they played the Regina Roughriders in the first radio play-by-play broadcast Grey Cup game
in a 30-3 victory for the Tabbies. The Tigers would again post victories over the Roughriders the next year in 1929
and again in 1932
in convincing fashion. However, the Tigers would earn the dubious distinction of becoming the first team to lose to a team based in Western Canada
, to the Winnipeg 'Pegs
in the 23rd Grey Cup
. After their loss to Winnipeg, the fortunes of the Tigers waned as they did not have a winning record in the next five years. In 1941, the Hamilton Tigers suspended operations due to many of its players joining the army to fight in the Second World War.http://cflapedia.com/teams/hamilton.htm Hamilton Tiger-Cats
. The Wildcats enjoyed success in Steeltown after having won the Grey Cup in 1943
and having outstanding regular season records. The Tigers resumed operations in 1945 along with the rest of the IRFU, but, due to poor play by the Tigers and superb play by the Wildcats, the Tigers found it difficult to compete in the Hamilton market. More importantly, the Tigers were experiencing monetary disputes with the IRFU over allocations of revenue. After signing Frank Filchock
, who had been suspended by the NFL due to gambling issues, the Tigers felt that the other teams in the IRFU should share in the payment of his high salary because they were benefiting from higher attendances when he was playing in their cities. After the IRFU refused, the Tigers made an arrangement with the ORFU and transferred to that league, with the Wildcats switching to the IRFU on April 9, 1948.
The switch proved to be a costly one as Filchock left to join the Montreal Alouettes
in 1949 and the Tigers were left out of the IRFU. Not only that, but both the Tigers and the Wildcats were struggling to compete for fan support and the financial repercussions started to mount. As a result, local prominent citizens including Mr. Ralph W. Cooper, Mr. F.M. Gibson, Mr. C.C. Lawson and Mr. Sam Manson decided that the two clubs should amalgamate and operate as one entity. As such, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
football club began play in 1950 in the IRFU as the singular representative of the city of Hamilton.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
team based in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union
Ontario Rugby Football Union
The Ontario Rugby Football Union or ORFU was an early amateur Canadian football league with teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded in 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the Burnside Rules, from which the modern Canadian football code would...
from 1883 to 1906 and 1948 to 1949 and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1907 to 1947. The club was a founding member of both the ORFU in 1883 and the IRFU in 1907. Throughout their history, the Tigers won five Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
Championships as well as winning the Dominion Championship in 1908, the year before the Grey Cup was awarded. After struggling to compete on a sound financial level with the Hamilton Wildcats
Hamilton Wildcats (Canadian football)
The Hamilton Wildcats were a Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1941 to 1947, and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union from 1948 to 1949. The team was formed to play in the ORFU in 1941 to fill the void left by the Hamilton...
, who had joined the ORFU in 1941 and later the IRFU, the two clubs merged in 1950 to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
Founding
The Hamilton Football Club was founded on November 3, 1869 in a room above George Lee’s Fruit Store, where the club adopted the colours of black and orange. The first game in franchise history took place on December 18, 1869 against the 13th Battalion (now Royal Hamilton Light Infantry) where the final score was not recorded. The club was first referred to as the Tigers in their first game against the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In that game, which was won by Toronto by a Goal and a Try to Nil, it was the first time that Hamilton wore black and yellow, hence the nickname "Tigers."
Ontario Rugby Football Union
Ontario Rugby Football Union
The Ontario Rugby Football Union or ORFU was an early amateur Canadian football league with teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded in 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the Burnside Rules, from which the modern Canadian football code would...
was formed to provide a structured league of rugby-football play among teams based in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The Hamilton Tigers were one of the first 16 teams in this league, which consisted of both club and university teams. The Tigers initially played well, but could not advance to the championship game. It wasn't until 1888 that they met Ottawa College in the ORFU Final, but lost that game 10-1. After seven years in the league, the Tigers won their first ORFU championship in 1890 over Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
by a score of 8-6, bringing the city of Hamilton their first championship team. They would go on to win the ORFU Championship in 1897 over Osgoode Hall 16-8, but would see difficult times at the turn of the century.
In 1898, the Canadian Rugby Union instituted regular season play, whereas the teams would be solely playing a playoff-like structure prior. While it intensified play between the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
, Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, and Kingston Granites
Kingston Granites
The Kingston Granites were a football team from Kingston, Ontario and a member of the Quebec Rugby Football Union and the Ontario Rugby Football Union, which were leagues that preceded the Canadian Football League...
, it also exposed Hamilton as the weaker of the four. However, the Tigers returned to form in 1903 and would proceed to dominate all competition in the ORFU, winning four consecutive championships. There were, however, several disputes with the Canadian Rugby Union and the Quebec Rugby Football Union that prevented the Tigers from competing for a national championship from 1903-1905. It wasn't until 1906, where the Tigers finally agreed to play the QRFU rules, that Hamilton defeated McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
anyway, by a score of 29-3, to become Dominion Champions.
Inerprovincial Rugby Football Union
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the ORFU and the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
and the Montreal Football Club of the QRFU. In 1908, the Tigers would win the last national championship to be awarded before the introduction of the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
trophy in 1909
1st Grey Cup
The 1st Grey Cup game was played on December 4, 1909, between the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club. The University of Toronto won the game, 26-6.-Game summary:U...
. The team would face local competition with the newly formed Ontario Rugby Football Union
Ontario Rugby Football Union
The Ontario Rugby Football Union or ORFU was an early amateur Canadian football league with teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded in 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the Burnside Rules, from which the modern Canadian football code would...
's Hamilton Alerts
Hamilton Alerts
The Hamilton Alerts were a Canadian football-rugby union team based in Hamilton, Ontario that played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1911 to 1912. The club won the 4th Grey Cup in 1912, becoming the first ever team from Hamilton to win the Grey Cup and the first team from the ORFU to win...
who, in 1912
4th Grey Cup
The 4th Grey Cup was played on November 30, 1912, before 5,337 fans at A.A.A. Grounds at Hamilton.The Hamilton Alerts defeated the Toronto Argonauts 11 to 4....
, won the city of Hamilton its first Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
by beating the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
11–4. The Alerts having challenged the authority of the ORFU during that season, would not be reinstated into the union, so many of its players joined the Tigers in the off-season. The Tigers would go on to win their first Grey Cup
5th Grey Cup
The 5th Grey Cup was played on November 29, 1913, before 2,100 fans at A.A.A. Grounds at Hamilton.The Hamilton Tigers defeated the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 44 to 2.-Notable facts:...
over the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club in 1913 by a score of 44-2. They would win their second Grey Cup
7th Grey Cup
The 7th Grey Cup was played on November 20, 1915, before 2,808 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto.The Hamilton Tigers defeated the Toronto Rowing and Athletic Association 13 to 7....
two years later in the last Grey Cup game to be played before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
interrupted play for three years.
After the Great War, the Tigers struggled to return to the title game, while only qualifying for post-season play twice in the following seven years and losing to Queen's
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
both times. It wasn't until 1927 that Hamilton once again reached the Grey Cup
15th Grey Cup
The 15th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 1927, before 13,676 fans at the Varsity Stadium at Toronto.The Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers defeated the Hamilton Tigers 9 to 6....
by defeating Queen's, but losing to the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
The Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers were a Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League...
. However, their fortunes would change as they played the Regina Roughriders in the first radio play-by-play broadcast Grey Cup game
16th Grey Cup
The 16th Grey Cup was played on December 1, 1928, before 4,767 fans at the A.A.A. Grounds at Hamilton.The Hamilton Tigers shut out the Regina Roughriders 30 to 0....
in a 30-3 victory for the Tabbies. The Tigers would again post victories over the Roughriders the next year in 1929
17th Grey Cup
The 17th Grey Cup was played on November 30, 1929, before 1,906 fans at the A.A.A. Grounds at Hamilton.The Hamilton Tigers defeated the Regina Roughriders 14 to 3....
and again in 1932
20th Grey Cup
The 20th Grey Cup was played on December 3, 1932, before 4,806 fans at the Civic Stadium at Hamilton.The Hamilton Tigers defeated the Regina Roughriders 25 to 6....
in convincing fashion. However, the Tigers would earn the dubious distinction of becoming the first team to lose to a team based in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, to the Winnipeg 'Pegs
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
in the 23rd Grey Cup
23rd Grey Cup
The 23rd Grey Cup was played on December 7, 1935, at Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds, with 6,405 fans in attendance. It marked the first time that a team from west of Ontario won the cup....
. After their loss to Winnipeg, the fortunes of the Tigers waned as they did not have a winning record in the next five years. In 1941, the Hamilton Tigers suspended operations due to many of its players joining the army to fight in the Second World War.http://cflapedia.com/teams/hamilton.htm Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Post-war
After the Tigers folded, a new team was formed in 1941 to begin play in the ORFU named the Hamilton WildcatsHamilton Wildcats
Formed in 1990, the Hamilton Wildcats are a member club of the Ontario Australian Football League . Currently the Wildcats boast a playing membership of some 32 players who are drawn to the unique game of Australian rules football from many regions of southern Ontario, Canada...
. The Wildcats enjoyed success in Steeltown after having won the Grey Cup in 1943
31st Grey Cup
The 31st Grey Cup was played on November 27, 1943, before 16,423 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto.The Hamilton Flying Wildcats defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 23 to 14....
and having outstanding regular season records. The Tigers resumed operations in 1945 along with the rest of the IRFU, but, due to poor play by the Tigers and superb play by the Wildcats, the Tigers found it difficult to compete in the Hamilton market. More importantly, the Tigers were experiencing monetary disputes with the IRFU over allocations of revenue. After signing Frank Filchock
Frank Filchock
Frank Joseph Filchock was an American and Canadian football tailback/quarterback and coach. As a consequence of a famous scandal regarding the 1946 NFL Championship game, he was suspended by the National Football League from 1947 to 1950 for associating with gamblers.-Early career:Born in 1916 in...
, who had been suspended by the NFL due to gambling issues, the Tigers felt that the other teams in the IRFU should share in the payment of his high salary because they were benefiting from higher attendances when he was playing in their cities. After the IRFU refused, the Tigers made an arrangement with the ORFU and transferred to that league, with the Wildcats switching to the IRFU on April 9, 1948.
The switch proved to be a costly one as Filchock left to join the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
in 1949 and the Tigers were left out of the IRFU. Not only that, but both the Tigers and the Wildcats were struggling to compete for fan support and the financial repercussions started to mount. As a result, local prominent citizens including Mr. Ralph W. Cooper, Mr. F.M. Gibson, Mr. C.C. Lawson and Mr. Sam Manson decided that the two clubs should amalgamate and operate as one entity. As such, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
football club began play in 1950 in the IRFU as the singular representative of the city of Hamilton.