Windsor Royals (football)
Encyclopedia
The Windsor Royals were a football team from Windsor, Ontario
and a member of the Ontario Rugby Football Union
, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League
and contested for the Grey Cup
until the team folded after the 1952 season.
where they primarily played their home games out of Jackson Park. They finished the 1945 season
winless, and their fortunes would not improve by much over the course of their eight year history. The club never finished above .500, never finished higher than 3rd place, and never qualified for the post-season. The team was known as the Rockets until 1950, when they were renamed the Windsor Royals.
On October 21, 1952, it was announced that the Windsor Royals had withdrawn from the ORFU, meaning that their three remaining games would be canceled. The Royals had lost all nine games that season and had not won a game since 1950
. As a result, attendance at games was dwindling, causing problems with funding and being able to pay players. While there were plans to come back in 1953, those plans never came to fruition, and the Windsor football club folded after the 1952 season
.
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
and a member of 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...
, a league that preceded the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and contested for 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...
until the team folded after the 1952 season.
History
The Windsor football club first began as the Windsor Rockets in 1945 as a member of the Ontario Rugby Football UnionOntario 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...
where they primarily played their home games out of Jackson Park. They finished the 1945 season
1945 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1945:On Friday, September 28, the Calgary Bronks changed their name to the Calgary Stampeders and rejoin the WIFU with blue and gold colours.The IRFU would resume play, but the WIFU still suspended operations....
winless, and their fortunes would not improve by much over the course of their eight year history. The club never finished above .500, never finished higher than 3rd place, and never qualified for the post-season. The team was known as the Rockets until 1950, when they were renamed the Windsor Royals.
On October 21, 1952, it was announced that the Windsor Royals had withdrawn from the ORFU, meaning that their three remaining games would be canceled. The Royals had lost all nine games that season and had not won a game since 1950
1950 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1950:The Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats merged to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Regina franchise officially changed their name to become the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, April 1....
. As a result, attendance at games was dwindling, causing problems with funding and being able to pay players. While there were plans to come back in 1953, those plans never came to fruition, and the Windsor football club folded after the 1952 season
1952 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1952:The Canadian Rugby Union received television revenue for the first time when it was paid $7,500 by CBC for the rights to televise the Grey Cup game...
.
Seasons
| Season | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 126 | 0 | 5th, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1946 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 61 | 138 | 6 | 5th, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1947 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 86 | 138 | 8 | 5th, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1948 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 245 | 1 | 4th, ORFU | Missed playoffs |
| 1949 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 142 | 108 | 10 | 3rd, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1950 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 52 | 176 | 4 | 3rd, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1951 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 27 | 286 | 0 | 4th, ORFU | Missed Playoffs |
| 1952 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 60 | 274 | 0 | 4th, ORFU | Folded after nine games |
- The Windsor Royals were scheduled to play 12 games in 1952, but the last three were canceled after the club withdrew from play. The Royals stopped competing in the ORFU after this season.