Wikipedia

1953 in Canadian football

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Grey Cup in 1953.

Canadian Football News in 1953

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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.[1]

For the 1953 season, it was ruled that the ORFU winners would travel west to play the WIFU winners in a semi-final game.[2] This arrangement continued in the 1954 season.

Regular season

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Final regular season standings

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Source:[3]

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 16
Calgary 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 16
Ottawa Rough Riders 14 7 7 0 266 238 14
Toronto 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

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Note: All dates in 1953

Semifinals

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WIFU semifinals – game 1
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date Away Home
October 28 Saskatchewan Roughriders 5 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 43
WIFU semifinals – game 2
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
Date Away Home
October 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 Home
November 7 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 0 Sarnia Imperials 2
ORFU semifinals – game 2
Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
Date Away Home
November 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

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WIFU Finals – Game 1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos
Date Away Home
November 7 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 Edmonton Eskimos 25
WIFU Finals – Game 2
Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date Away Home
November 11 Edmonton Eskimos 17 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21
WIFU Finals – Game 3
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos
Date Away Home
November 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 Home
November 11 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 6 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 9
ORFU Finals – Game 2
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
Date Away Home
November 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 Home
November 18 Montreal Alouettes 12 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37
IRFU Finals – Game 2
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Montreal Alouettes
Date Away Home
November 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

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Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date Away Home
November 21 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24
  • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Grey Cup final
         
 
 
IRFU Montreal Alouettes 12-11
EAST
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 37-22
 
 
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 12
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 25-17-24
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-21-30
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24
WEST
ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach 4
ORFU Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 9-12
ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach 6-24

Grey Cup Championship

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November 28

41st Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto, Ontario

WIFU Champion IRFU Champion
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 12
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the 1953 Grey Cup Champions

1953 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

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Offence

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Defence

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1953 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

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Offence

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Defence

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1953 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

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NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

1953 Canadian Football Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  2. ^ Cosentino, Frank (1969). Canadian Football: The Grey Cup Years. Ontario: The Musson Book Company Limited. p. 147. ISBN 0-77370009-9.
  3. ^ "1953". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
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