Argonauts of Toronto

The Argonauts of Toronto are a frankness from Canadian Football of the Canadian Ligue of football. The team is one of oldest equips with sport professional in North America. She is based in the city of the Ontario of Toronto to the Canada and exists since 1873. With 15 Cuts Grey gained, the team is titrated competition with ten titles at the time of the first thirty years and five titles since 1983.

History

Prize list

; Cut Grey The team gained to fifteen recovery the Cut Grey, it is the most titrated team LCF. She took part on the whole in 21 finales of the Cut thus placing itself in the second place on the level of the participations behind the 23 appearances of the Eskimos d' Edmonton.

15 victories — 1914,1921,1933,1937,1938,1945,1946,1947,1950,1952,1983,1991,1996,1997 and 2004.
6 defeats — 1911,1912,1920,1971,1982 and 1987

; Champion of division The team evolves/moves within division Is and finished with fifteen recoveries at the head division.

First place of division — 1936,1937,1945,1960,1971,1982,1983,1984,1986,1988,1991,1996,1997,2005,2007

Detailed history

Beginnings

The frankness is created in 1873 by association from Aviron from the town of Toronto, the in [[Argonaut Rowing Club]] , the leaders of the club having the will to occupy and maintain in form its oarsmen lasting the impracticable months for the oar. The club is created under the name of in Argonaut Rugby Football Club but very quickly the leaders see that the practice of the Canadian Football involves the wound of the oarsmen and the two clubs separate rather quickly. At the time of the first years, the matches of the team are only episodical, the team playing only when it is defied by other teams - for example teams of Hamilton or Université of Toronto. The team takes her current colors very quickly: the dyed of blue selected are those of the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge. : 13687 spectators attend this third final of the Grey Cut in the Varsity Stadium, just completed 90 minutes before the kickoff of the match. The conditions weather of the day before, the snowfalls, pushed the personnel of the stage to be extended from the straw to protect the ground but finally, it is the freezing which will come to disturb the players and to remove the supports. The first point comes by a player from Argonauts, Ross Binkley which registers a red boot for the opening of the score. With final, Varsity gain the Cut by gaining the match 14 to 7. The following year, the team once again will lose finally against the Alerts of Hamilton. With the base, the Université McGill should have played the final against Argonauts but the direction of the school refuses that its students leaves the city and prefers that they study. Finally Alerts take part in the match and even if they do not leave favorite, they will gain victory 11 to 4.

Two years later, Argonauts will take their revenge and guided by Jack O' Connor, better pointer this season, will beat Varsity on the score from 14 to 2. It is the first time that another team touches the trophy: Varsity considered that they could preserve the trophy as long as they did not lose finally. Not having to play the finales of 1912 and 1913, they had kept the trophy. Glad Murphy and Freddie Mills registered the two touches of the team whereas O' Connor knew one evening to be forgotten by missing the majority by her attempts at boots. Between 1915 and 1919 the Grey Cut is not concerned because of the First World War.

In 1920, the team loses once again finally against Varsity in front of more: 10000 people on the score from 16 to 3. The following year, the team counts in her rows Lionel Conacher, future Canadian sporting high-speed motorboat, and it is unconquered over the regular season. At the time of its first match registered 23 of the 27 points of its team. Finally, for the first time a team of the East and another of the West clash and confrontation will turn to the advantage of Argonauts, the Eskimos d' Edmonton being beaten on the score from 23 to 0.

During seasons which will follow, the team will know tops and bottoms but not arriving more at the finale of the Grey Cut. In 1932, the team makes come Lew Hayman from the Université of Syracuse in order to help Buck McKenna and finally when this last Hayman falls ill takes the reins of the team and will lead her team in 1933 to the finale of the Cut. The team of Sarnia playing in residence on a cold and snow-covered ground lost this match which proved to be a defensive battle rather than offensive. Ab Box, the in [[Punter (American football) punter]] of Argonauts their saved the match by releasing its camp throughout the part.

The team will gain two new finales in 1937 and 1938 each time against the Blue Bombers de Winnipeg over the mark of 4-3 and of 30-7. At the time of the second victory finally of the Grey Cut with the smallest possible margin, a new expression sees the day in the world of the Canadian Football: “ in Argo Bounce ”, French, the rebound of Argos. Indeed at the time of the finale, Bud Marquardt player of Winnipeg is with the fight with the race with Ted Morris of Argonautes but the rebound of the ball directly sends this one in the arms of Morris preventing Winnipeg from on a new occasion to mark points. Morris is also the high-speed motorboat of the finale of 1938 blocking an attack of Marquardt during the third quarter. During this last season, three players of Argonauts enters the history of Canadian football while finishing in the first three places of the pointers: Annis Stukas, Art West and Red Storey. Argonauts will beat three years of continuation the Blue Bombers de Winnipeg: 35 to 0 in 1945, 28 to 6 the following year and finally 10 to 9 in 1947. To the court of the season of 1946, Argonauts travel for the first time in the plane to go to Winnipeg.

The final of 1947 is a final largely disputed by Blue Bombers and with one minute remaining in regulatory time, the score was still of 9 everywhere. Finally, following an error of Winnipeg, Kroll makes a success of last a boot finishing touches and gives a point for the final victory of it. The Cut failed not to be given this year there, the club of oar having undergone a fire during the year but miraculeusement, the Grey Cut not having fallen on the ground, it survives and is given to Argonautes, last champion team only made up of Canadian.

After two seasons without finale for Argonauts, they play once again for the Grey Cut in 1950 with once again the team of Winnipeg. Pulled by Clear Frank, the team will gain her eighth Cut with once again deplorable weather conditions. Blue Bombers are once again bleached 13 to 0 but that will be the last time that a team bleaches another finally Grey Cut of it. The state of the ground is worsened by the surprising decision made by the persons in charge of the stage, the Varsity Stadium, to use a Bulldozer to try to make it practicable. The result will be obviously disastrous and the final takes the nickname of “ in Mud Bowl ” (in French the bowl of mud). Argonauts will owe their victory only with the size of the selected cramps. Led 5 to 0 at the beginning of the match, Argonauts finally will gain the match over the score from 21 to 11 and Frank Filchock trainer of Eskimos is returned following the defeat of its team.

During two seasons which will follow, Argonauts miss the eliminatory Séries and finally when they manage to be qualified in 1955 it is for better being eliminated finally from division against Montreal. In 1956 and 1957, in spite of the races of Dick Shatto, the team finishes in the fourth place of division and spleen still the series.

In 1956, the in Canadian Football Council is created to gather the leagues amateurs of the east and the west but in 1958 the authority changes name in order to leave the in Canadian Rugby Union and the Canadian Ligue of football is founded.

Poor beginnings in the LCF

In 1957, the frankness is resold with a group of investors thus formed part the Magnat of the media John Basset. Two seasons later, the team leaves her usual stage of the Varsity Stadium to join the in [[Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Stadium Exhibition]] . The inauguration of the stage is made at the time of a friendly match against the Cardinals of Chicago, old frankness from the in [[National League Football]] . Argonauts will lead 13 to 1 initially but finally the team of the NFL takes a lead in the score from 55 to 26.

The progression continues in 1968 and the addition of Bill Symons within the team, this one gaining the title of better player of the season of the LCF, first history for the frankness. It also benefits from the season to exceed the bar of: 1000 in run yards . The team finishes in the second place of the classification, beats Hamilton with the first turn of the series on the score of 33-21 with in particular a race of 100 in yards of Symons but the players are beaten once again by Ottawa 47-27. The scenario of the following season is the same one as that of 1968 with one second place, a victory with the first turn and Ottawa as an adversary of the second turn. During the first match, Ottawa is beaten 22-14 and Cahill is allowed to make a statement with the press affirming that only a divine intervention will be able to make lose its players the following week. Unfortunately for Argonauts, Ottawa all the same will gain the following match over the score of 32-3 for a cumulated score of 46-25.

Withdrawn numbers

Like other franknesses from sport of North America, Argonauts honoured some with their former players by withdrawing their shirt, plus no player whom can carry their shirt.

22 Dick Shatto
31 Michael " Pinball" Clemons
55 Joe Krol
60 Danny Nykoluk

Temple of re-elected LCF

August 1st

Rewarded players

Like many professional leagues of North America, the Canadian Ligue of football gives each year, of the trophies to the best players. Certain trophies are only trophies of division Is whereas other rewards the best players of all the league. ; Trophy Terry Evanshen This trophy rewards each year the Meilleur player for the season for division Is. Before 1994 the Trophée Jeff Russel rewarded this player. Terry Evanshen is a former player of Argonauts.

; Player of the season The best player of the LCF is selected between the best player of the East (victorious of the trophy Terry Evanshen) and that of the West (rewarded by the Trophée Jeff Nicklin). The choice is carried out by the Canadian journalists.

1968 - Bill Symons
1982 - Condredge Holloway
1990 - " Pinball" Clemons
1996 and 1997 - Doug Flutie
2005 - Damon Allen

; Trophy Lew Hayman The trophy Lew Hayman reward the best player of Canadian origin of division Is. Decreed for the first time in 1975, the title of better Canadian player was indicated all the same as from 1956. Hayman also passed within Argonauts but as a trainer.

1957 and 1961 - Bob Kuntz
1991 - Lance Chomyc
1999 - Mike O' Shea
2004 and 2005 - Kevin Eiben

; Canadian of the season The best player of the season of Canadian origin is chosen by the journalists of the world of Canadian football enter the champion of the East and that of the West (victorious of the Trophée Dr. Beattie Martin).

1999 - Mike O' Shea

; Trophy James P. McCaffrey This trophy rewards the best player for the East in the defensive sector of its team. Like the Hayman trophy, it is given for the first time in 1975 but the title of better defender was decreed each year since 1955.

1972 - Jim Stillwagon
1975 - Jim Corrigall
1976 - Granville Liggins
1982 - Zac Henderson
2005 - Michael Fletcher
2007 - Jonathan Brown

; Trophy Frank Mr. Gibson The trophy Frank Mr. Gibson is a trophy rewarding the best player in his first year for division for the East. The trophy is given for the first time in 1975 whereas the title of better recruit goes back to 1972.

1974 - Sam Cvijanovich
1976 - Neil Lumsden
1980 - Dave Newman
1986 - Willie Pless
1987 - Gil Fenerty
1991 - Raghib Ismail
1997 - Derrell Mitchell

; Trophy Léo Dandurand The trophy Léo Dandurand is given each year to the best player of the first line ( in lineman ) of division Is. The first title is given in 1974 whereas the trophy is given initially in 1975.

1977 - Mike Wilson
1984 and 1985 - daN Ferrone
1996 and 1997 - Mike Kiselak

Stages

Argonauts evolve/move in the stage of the Center Rogers since 1989 but used of another stages in the past.

The in [[Rosedale Field]] , first stage of the team, had a capacity of: 4000 sitted places: 10000 additional places upright. Argonauts played there their matches between 1874 and 1897 then between 1908 and 1915. The first final of the Coupe Grey was played on December 4th, 1909 on the lawn of Rosedale between two teams of Toronto. Today, the stage does not exist any more and was replaced by sports grounds for the Football, the Tennis, the Hockey and the Baseball.

Between 1898 and 1907, the team plays her matches in the in [[Varsity Stadium]] and will play there until 1958. In 1959, the team leaves Varsity Stadium to join the in [[Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Stadium Exhibition]] . The in Exhibition Stadium opened its doors for the first time in 1879 and was given to new on several occasions. The inauguration of the stage is made at the time of a friendly match against the Cardinals of Chicago, old frankness from the in [[National League Football]] . Argonauts will lead 13 to 1 initially but finally the team of the NFL takes a lead in the score from 55 to 26.

The need for having a new stage appeared at the time of the 70e match of the Coupe Grey. Called “ in Rain Bowl ”, the match took place in November 1982 and was played with climatic conditions very bad. The match was disturbed by cold time and the rains, and the spectators were exposed to the bad weather. Among them, was the Prime Minister of the Ontario, Bill Davis and the match was looked at on television by more: 7862000 Canadian - the greatest audience TV of the country at that time. Seven months later, in June 1983, the Davis Prime Minister formally announced that a committee of three people was going to think of the possibility of building a stage covered on the site of the Exhibition Places.

Over the years to come various projects emerged, including a great stage covered on Exhibition Places with a roof supported by air, similar to BC Place Stadium of Vancouver. In 1985, an international competition of design was launched to design a new enclosure, with the choice of a site for the stage. Some of the sites included the Exhibition Places, the airport of Downsview, and the Université York. The final site was selected at the base of the Tour CN not far from the Gare Union, an important station and a hub of passage. The project of Robbie and Allen was selected for the design of the stage. Created under the name of in SkyDome , the stage was famous Center Rogers on February 2nd 2005.

Notes & references

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