1953 in Canadian football

none March 2026 1953 Canadian football sports The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Grey Cup in 1953. Canadian Football News in 1953 The Canadian Rugby Union was paid in total of $20,500 by three television stations for the rights to show the Grey Cup game live. Edmonton's Billy Vessels (RB), became the first player to win the Schenley Award as the Most Outstanding Player Award. G. Sydney Halter, QC was named as WIFU Commissioner.http://footballcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/FootballTimelines.pdf Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005) 31 October 2019 9 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170109113533/http://footballcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/FootballTimelines.pdf dead For the 1953 season, it was ruled that the ORFU winners would travel west to play the WIFU winners in a semi-final game.https://books.google.com/books?id=-zEoDwAAQBAJ&q=1953&pg=PA253 Canadian Football: The Grey Cup Years Cosentino Frank The Musson Book Company Limited 1969 0-77370009-9 Ontario 147 This arrangement continued in the 1954 season. Regular season Final regular season standings Source:https://www.cflapedia.com/Years/1953.html 1953 www.cflapedia.com 2019-10-31 Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points + Western Interprovincial Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Edmonton Eskimos 16 12 4 0 276 157 24 Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 8 7 1 243 239 17 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 8 8 0 226 226 16Calgary Stampeders 16 3 12 1 190 313 7+ Interprovincial Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Montreal Alouettes 14 8 6 0 292 229 16 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 8 6 0 229 243 16Ottawa Rough Riders 14 7 7 0 266 238 14Toronto Argonauts 14 5 9 0 172 249 10+ Ontario Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 12 8 4 0 218 178 16 Sarnia Imperials 12 8 4 0 231 101 16 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 12 8 4 0 252 145 16 Brantford Redskins 12 0 12 0 73 350 0 Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs. Edmonton has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals. Kitchener-Waterloo has a bye and will play in the ORFU Finals. Grey Cup playoffs Note: All dates in 1953 Semifinals + WIFU semifinals – game 1 Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Date Away HomeOctober 28 Saskatchewan Roughriders 5 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 43 + WIFU semifinals – game 2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Date Away HomeOctober 31 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 17 Saskatchewan Roughriders 18 Winnipeg won the total-point series by 60–23. The Blue Bombers will play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals. + ORFU semifinals – game 1 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Sarnia Imperials Date Away HomeNovember 7 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 0 Sarnia Imperials 2 + ORFU semifinals – game 2 Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers Date Away HomeNovember 8 Sarnia Imperials 10 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 18 Toronto Balmy Beach won the total-point series by 18–12. The Beachers will play the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen in the ORFU Finals. Finals + WIFU Finals – Game 1 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos Date Away HomeNovember 7 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 Edmonton Eskimos 25 + WIFU Finals – Game 2 Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Date Away HomeNovember 11 Edmonton Eskimos 17 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21 + WIFU Finals – Game 3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos Date Away HomeNovember 14 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 30 Edmonton Eskimos 24 Winnipeg wins the best of three series 2–1. The Blue Bombers will play the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers in the Grey Cup semifinal. + ORFU Finals – Game 1 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen Date Away HomeNovember 11 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 6 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 9 + ORFU Finals – Game 2 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers Date Away HomeNovember 15 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 12 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 24 Toronto won the total-point series by 30–21. The Beachers will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup semifinal. + IRFU Finals – Game 1 Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats Date Away HomeNovember 18 Montreal Alouettes 12 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37 + IRFU Finals – Game 2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Montreal Alouettes Date Away HomeNovember 22 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 22 Montreal Alouettes 11 Hamilton wins the best of three series 2–0. The Tiger-Cats will advance to the Grey Cup game. Grey Cup semifinal Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Date Away HomeNovember 21 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will advance to the Grey Cup game. Playoff bracket Quarterfinals Semifinals Grey Cup final EAST WEST WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 25-17-24 WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-21-30 ORFU Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 9-12 ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach 6-24 IRFU Montreal Alouettes 12-11 IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 37-22 WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24 ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach 4 IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 12 WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6 Grey Cup Championship November 28 41st Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto, Ontario WIFU Champion IRFU Champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 12The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the 1953 Grey Cup Champions 1953 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars Offence QB – Sam Etcheverry, Montreal Alouettes RB – Avatus Stone, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Joe Scudero, Toronto Argonauts RB – Gene Roberts, Ottawa Rough Riders E – Red O'Quinn, Montreal Alouettes E – Bernie Flowers, Ottawa Rough Riders FW – Bob Simpson, Ottawa Rough Riders C – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes OG – Kaye Vaughan, Ottawa Rough Riders OG – Ed Bradley, Montreal Alouettes OT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes OT – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-CatsDefence DT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes DT – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE – Pete Neumann, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE – Doug McNichol, Montreal Alouettes DG – Vince Scott, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DG – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats LB – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts LB – Ralph Toohy, Hamilton Tiger-Cats LB – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes DB – Dick Brown, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Howie Turner, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Lou Kusserow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats S - Teddy Toogood, Toronto Argonauts 1953 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars Offence QB – Claude Arnold, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Billy Vessels, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Normie Kwong, Edmonton Eskimos E – Mac Speedie, Saskatchewan Roughriders E – Bud Grant, Winnipeg Blue Bombers FW – Bud Korchak, Winnipeg Blue Bombers C – Eagle Keys, Edmonton Eskimos OG – Mike Cassidy, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Jim Quondamatteo, Edmonton Eskimos OT – Leon Manley, Edmonton Eskimos OT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan RoughridersDefence DT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders DE – Frank Anderson, Edmonton Eskimos DE – Ezzret Anderson, Calgary Stampeders DG – Dean Bandiera, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DG – Gordon Brown, Calgary Stampeders LB – John Wozniak, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Tony Momsen, Calgary Stampeders DB – Ray Willsey, Edmonton Eskimos DB – Bobby Marlow, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Neill Armstrong, Winnipeg Blue Bombers S – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1953 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions. QB – Bob Schneidenbach, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers HB – Dick Gregory - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers HB – Jack Mancos, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen HB – John Duchene, Sarnia Imperials E – Harvey Singleton, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers E – Keith Fisher, Sarnia Imperials FW – Johnny Chorostecki, Sarnia Imperials C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials G – Jay Fry, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen G – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials T – Oatten Fisher, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers T – Maurice Dorocke, Sarnia Imperials 1953 Canadian Football Awards Most Outstanding Player Award – Billy Vessels (RB), Edmonton Eskimos Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Bob Cunningham (FB), Ottawa Rough Riders Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - John Henry Johnson (RB), Calgary Stampeders Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - Bob Dawson (RB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Gordon Sturtridge (DE), Saskatchewan Roughriders Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Dick Gregory - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers References Category:Canadian Football League seasons