Vancouver Grizzlies (football)

Vancouver Grizzlies
Established1941; 83 years ago (1941)
Folded1941; 83 years ago (1941)
Based inVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Home stadiumAthletic Park
LeagueWestern Interprovincial Football Union
League titles0

The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian football team that played a single season in 1941 in the Western Interprovincial Football Union, the forerunner of the Canadian Football League West Division.[1] Journalist Jim Coleman was one of the team's co-founders.[2] League play was suspended in 1942 due to the Second World War and the team did not return when WIFU resumed in 1946.[1][3][4]

The Vancouver Grizzlies played in all-red uniforms and were created by Italo ‘Tiny’ Rader and journalist Jim Coleman as owners of the team. They played eight league games in 33 days and played four road games over a period of nine games. Their exhausting schedule played a strong role in their 1–7 season. Their only victory came on September 15 during a pouring rain against the Regina Roughriders. They won 7–6 on a touchdown by Jack Horne. They played their home games at old Athletic Park at West 5th Avenue and Hemlock Street in Vancouver.[5]

  1. ^ a b "TIMELINE: 1940s". History. Canadian Football League. Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  2. ^ "Jim Coleman". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. 1985. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "British Columbia Lions History". Soudog's CFL History Fan Site. Ted Soutar. Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  4. ^ "1941". History of Metropolitan Vancouver. Chuck Davis. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  5. ^ "The History of Metropolitan Vancouver - 1941 Chronology". www.vancouverhistory.ca. Archived from the original on 2005-06-29.