The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions played their first season in 1954, and have played every season since. As such, they are the oldest professional sports franchise in the city of Vancouver and in the province of British Columbia. They have appeared in the league's Grey Cup championship game 10 times, winning six of those games, with their most recent championship occurring in 2011.
The Lions were the first Western Canadian team to have won the Grey Cup at home, having done so in 1994 and 2011, before Saskatchewan won in 2013, while also becoming the only team to beat an American-based franchise in a championship game, a feat accomplished in 1994. The Lions hold the second longest playoff streak in CFL history, making the playoffs every season from the 1997 CFL season to the 2016 CFL season, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in over 20 seasons in 2017 (only the Edmonton Eskimos have had a longer playoff streak; theirs lasted for 34 seasons from 1972 to 2005).
Founded: 1954
Name: the team is named for the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks overlooking the team's home city of Vancouver
Helmet design: black background, with an orange mountain lion's head
Uniform colours: orange and black
Nickname: Leos
Mascot: Leo the Lion
Fight song: "Roar, You Lions, Roar"[4] composed by Dal Richards and His Orchestra
Stadiums: Empire Stadium (1954–1982), Empire Field (2010–2011) and BC Place Stadium (1983–2009, 2011–present)
Main rivals: Montreal Alouettes (Labour Day Classic) and Saskatchewan Roughriders
Western Division 1st place: 13—1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012
Western Division championships: 10—1963, 1964, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2011
Grey Cup championships: 6—1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011
2018 regular season record: 9 wins, 9 losses
Ownership
The BC Lions Football Club is owned by businessman David Braley, who purchased the club in 1997. Braley was a member of the Canadian Senate. As of 2017, the BC Lions Football Club executive committee consisted of five people:
David Braley, owner and governor
Rick LeLacheur, team president
Ed Hervey, general manager
George Chayka, vice president of business
Franchise history
Before the Lions
Compared to the rest of the country, senior football arrived late in British Columbia. Rugby unions had been organized in all of the Prairie provinces by 1907 and the Western Canada Rugby Football Union had been formed in 1911. However, it would not be until 1926 (after the sudden collapse of the Western Hockey League) that the British Columbia Rugby Football Union was formed, and not until 1930 that the BCRFU would challenge for the right to represent the West in the Grey Cup. The Vancouver Meralomas were the most successful British Columbian team of the era. They played in the Western Final in 1930 and again in 1934, only to lose on both occasions to the Regina Roughriders of the Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union.
The BCRFU stopped challenging for the Grey Cup following the formation of the Western Interprovincial Football Union. After the BCRFU's collapse in 1941, the Vancouver Grizzlies (not to be confused with a future NBA team of the same name that is now the Memphis Grizzlies) joined the WIFU. They played only one season, finishing 1-7, before the WIFU suspended operations for the duration of the Second World War. The Grizzlies did not return after the war.
Origin of the Lions
In 1951, a group led by Ken Stauffer and Tiny Radar were inspired by Vancouver Sun columnist Andy Lytle's article to start a new football team in Vancouver that would play in the WIFU. The ownership group sent Radar and Orville Burke to represent them at the off-season WIFU meetings to initiate Vancouver's bid for a team. Radar and Burke were told to return to the meetings the following year with a $25,000 good-faith bond if they could generate sufficient interest in the Vancouver area. The first meetings were held at the Arctic Club in November and a committee headed by Burke and Harry Spring of the Meraloma Rugby Club, set out to sell memberships at $20 each.
Though Burke, Vic Spencer, and John Davidson offered the good-faith bond to the WIFU in 1952, the idea of having a Vancouver team was rejected when both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan voted against the idea of a fifth team. The group in Vancouver, however, did not give up their efforts to have a franchise in the WIFU.
On January 22, 1953, the first annual meeting of the club was held. In that meeting, Arthur E. Mercer was hired as the club's first president. Later in the year, Mercer, Bill Morgan, Bill Ralston, and Whit Matthews went back to the WlFU meetings. This time, they sold the idea of a fifth Western team, and Vancouver was granted a conditional franchise. They were required to provide a 15,000-seat stadium, sell at least 6,500 season tickets, and guarantee travel expenses for the visiting teams.
All the pieces began to fall into place when it was announced that Vancouver would host the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and that it would mean the building of a new stadium – Empire Stadium, which seated 32,300 people. By Easter of 1953, Annis Stukus was then lured away from the Toronto Argonauts to return to the West to become the first public relations manager, general manager, and head coach of the franchise.
Naming the team
During the rest of 1953, a fan contest was held by all of the local media to pick the team's new name. The nickname was chosen because it represented a local landmark and legend of the area. The nickname of the team was based on the Lions, twin mountain peaks that can be seen toward the north of Vancouver. The twin mountain peaks name was based on legend that the mountains looked like two lions guarding the city. Through this landmark and legend, the "Lions" nickname became the winner in the fan contest to become the new name of the franchise.
After the fan contest, the Vancouver label was revealed to not be part of the team name. Though the franchise was based in Vancouver and the "Lions" name was based on a local landmark and legend, Stukus decided to reject the idea of naming the team as the Vancouver Lions. Instead, he decided that the team should represent and embrace the entire province of British Columbia. In the end, Stukus introduced the team to the entire Canadian football world as the BC Lions.
The mountain lion has a strong connection to the name of the team, as it appears in the BC Lions' logo. The mountain lion (or cougar) had an influence on the name of the team because it is renowned for its speed, courage and strength and is carefully respected by British Columbia's citizens as a remarkable but dangerous predator. The new team also adopted the black and orange colours of the Meralomas.
Notable seasons
The BC Lions have won 13 Western Division regular season championships, 10 Western Division championships and six Grey Cup championships.
1954–1960, the first seasons
In their 1954 inaugural season, Stukus sold football fever on the streets of Vancouver and put together a team that made history when they stepped on the field of Empire Stadium for their first home game, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, on Saturday, August 28, 1954. In that game, fullback Byron (By) Bailey scored the first touchdown in franchise history in an 8–6 loss to the Blue Bombers. The Lions were only able to manage a 1–15–0 record in their inaugural season. The team recorded their first franchise win, against the Calgary Stampeders, on September 18, 1954, at Empire Stadium, with By Bailey scoring the winning touchdown in a 9–4 Lions' victory. On that night, the win caused the BC faithful to celebrate in the streets. However, celebrations like this were not common for Lions' fans during the 1950s.
In 1955, during their second year as a franchise, the Lions again failed to make the playoffs. Though a playoff appearance did not materialize, the team was still able to show signs of improvement, finishing with a 5–11–0 regular-season record. Despite this, Lions fans were surprised at the move of the team directors to ask Annis Stukus to step down as the team's head coach in October 1955. While fan reaction to his dismissal was loud and divided, Stukus still asked the fans to continue their support of the BC Lions. Annis Stukus' assistant Clem Crowe was later named as the new head coach for the upcoming 1956 season.
In the 1956 season, the Lions finished fourth in the West, posting a 6–10–0 record in Crowe's first season. Although this was a one-game improvement from the 1955 season, they were still not able to make the playoffs.
After the 1956 season, Bill McMahan assumed the role as team president. One of his first duties involved him bringing back Kelowna native Herb Capozzi from the Montreal Alouettes and hiring him as the new general manager. However, BC continued to struggle on the field, finishing the 1957 season with a 4–11–1 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
A year later, the on-field performance went from bad to worse for the Lions as they opened the 1958 season with five straight losses. The team's on-field struggles caused Capozzi to fire Clem Crowe as the head coach and replace him with Danny Edwards, who returned after playing with the club during the 1957 season. The team was only able to manage three wins during the year, causing them to miss the playoffs once again. Although it was a season to forget, rookies Tom Hinton and Sonny Homer showed promising signs of being future football stars.
During the off-season, Capozzi improved the team for the 1959 season in the following ways, first by hiring Wayne Robinson from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to become the new head coach, then bringing in a corps of veteran players to add more experience to the team. This was followed by the signing of rookie running back Willie "The Wisp" Fleming to the team, adding more youth to play alongside Hinton and Homer. Capozzi's moves proved successful in the end. In 1959, the Lions managed their first winning season with a 9–7–0 record and were able to make their first playoff appearance with a final-game triumph over the Calgary Stampeders at Empire Stadium. The Lions' first playoff appearance ended with two straight losses to the Edmonton Eskimos. However, the team's future looked bright heading into the 1960s.
The high hopes of the Lions heading into the 1960 season faded when the team finished with a disappointing 5–9–2 record, which again eliminated them from playoff contention. It was disappointing considering the team added rookie talents Steve Cotter, Lonnie Dennis, Jim Carphin, and Neal Beaumont to a team that had a strong core of veteran and young players from the previous season. The only positive for the Lions happened at the end of the season, when Beaumont won WIFU Outstanding Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the first Lions player to win a major CFL award.
1961–1967, the Dave Skrien era
The Lions started the 1961 season by signing former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tom Brown to a contract, but the team continued performing poorly on the field. In September, the team made a major trade with the Calgary Stampeders, which was considered to be a major gamble. In the trade, the Lions got quarterback Joe Kapp in the deal in exchange, while four Lions' players were sent to the Stampeders. A week later, Wayne Robinson was relieved of his duties as head coach and was replaced by Assistant Coach Dave Skrien. The year ended with a dismal 1–13–2 record.
In 1962, Skrien made an immediate impact in his first full season as head coach. The Lions finished the season with a 7–9 record, but improvements were noticeable. After eight years of hard work, the Lions were on the verge of success for the first time.
1963 Grey Cup finalists
Before the start of the 1963 season, new optimism was voiced at the chances that the Lions would not only make the playoffs, but also contend for the Grey Cup. With a veteran roster headlined by Joe Kapp and Willie Fleming, the Lions not only finished with their first winning record, but won their first-ever regular-season conference title with a 12–4 record. After a 2–1 series victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Conference finals, the Lions lined up in the 51st Grey Cup game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which was played at Empire Stadium—the first time a western team had hosted the Grey Cup. However, their momentum would be stalled as a series of injuries affected the team's performance in the championship game.
In the Grey Cup game, star running back Willie Fleming was injured after he received a late, out-of-bounds hit by Tiger-Cat defensive tackle Angelo Mosca. This proved to be a huge blow to the Lions' chances of victory. Hamilton won the Grey Cup with a 21–10 victory, but the following year, the Lions would get their revenge.
After the season, Joe Kapp became the first BC Lion to receive the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference and Tom Brown became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award. In addition, Dave Skrien became the first Lions head coach to receive the Annis Stukus Trophy as Coach of the Year, and fullback/kicker Peter Kempf also became the second Lion to win the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy for Rookie of the Year honours in the Western Conference.
1964 Grey Cup champions
After achieving an 11–2–3 regular season record in 1964, and defeating the Calgary Stampeders in a three-game series in the Western Conference finals, the Lions advanced to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. In the rematch, BC got their revenge as Kapp, Fleming, and Bill Munsey, who gave a two-touchdown, two-way starring effort, helped the Lions to their first Grey Cup victory. With the addition of two field goals and an extra touchdown by the field goal unit, the Lions won the Grey Cup for the first time in franchise history with a 34–24 victory. The win ended 11 years of waiting for the British Columbia faithful. At the end of the 1964 season, defensive lineman Tom Brown was named a CFL All-Star, a back-to-back Schenley award winner as CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award, and won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Western Conference. Joining Brown as All-Stars on defence were Mike Cacic, Dick Fouts, and Munsey. Joe Kapp and tackle Lonnie Dennis were named CFL All-Stars on offence.
Any hopes of the BC Lions becoming a dynasty team after their Grey Cup championship season quickly disappeared in 1965, as the team started to recede back to the basement of the Western Conference. Before the beginning of the season, By Bailey left the team and the entire roster was starting to age as the Lions finished the season with a 6–9–1 regular season record. As a result, the team missed the playoffs one year after being on top of the CFL world. It was clear that head coach Dave Skrien would never again experience the same success as he achieved the previous two seasons.
The situation for the Lions went from bad to worse in the 1966 season, as the team would go on to post a 5–11 record that year. Due to the dreadful team performance, Herb Capozzi was fired as the Lions' General Manager after nine seasons as G.M. and just two years after taking the franchise to consecutive Grey Cup appearances. In addition, Willie Fleming and Tom Hinton decided to retire, and Joe Kapp left the team to continue his playing career in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.
In the 1967 season, Denny Vietch became the new General Manager of the club. Denny Veitch's first move was to fire Skrien after the Lions lost their first three games of the season. Veitch named Jim Champion as head coach, but the Lions would end up finishing the season with a 3–12–1 record. The only two positives for the club were two rookies; wide receiver Jim Young and kicker Ted Gerela, who would end up winning the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the Western Conference's Rookie of the Year.
1968–1976, The coaching carousel
Following Skrien's departure, the Lions went through five head coaches between 1968 and 1976 while only qualifying for the playoffs three times. Champion would remain as head coach in 1968 season, where CFL legend Jackie Parker was hired as an assistant coach for the Lions and even came out of retirement to suit up in a Lions uniform for eight games as the quarterback. However, the Lions finished the season with a 4–11–1 record, again missing the playoffs. Despite the poor record, seven of those games were lost by less than a touchdown, which showed some indication that the team was improving.
Eleven games into the 1969 season, after stumbling to a 1–10 record, Jim Champion was fired as head coach and replaced by assistant Jackie Parker. The Lions responded by winning four of their last five games, and with a 5–11 record took third place in the Western Conference. The Lions made the playoffs, but were beaten in Calgary by the Stampeders in the semi-finals by a score of 35–21. Individually, Dave Easley won CFL and Western Division Rookie of the Year honours, and Jim Young was a Schenley finalist.
In 1970, the first artificial turf field in Canada was installed at Empire Stadium (3M's Tartan Turf). Jim Young became the first Lion to win the Schenley Outstanding Canadian Award, but the team finished fourth place in the Western Conference at 6–10, and missed the playoffs.
The 1971 season began with a major off-season restructuring that saw Head Coach Jackie Parker elevated to general manager, and replaced by former Saskatchewan coach Eagle Keys. Don Moorhead was recruited at quarterback, and a total of fifty-three different players put on a Lions uniform in a year of change, including movie and TV personality Carl Weathers, at linebacker. Running back Jim Evenson finished the season with 1,237 yards to lead the Western Conference in rushing, and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy. The Lions again finished the season at fourth place in the West Division with a 6–9–1 record, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Parker became the first Lion player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
In 1972, the Lions added new players such as defensive back Rocky Long, running back Johnny Musso, linebacker Ray Nettles and centre Al Wilson, but finished fifth in their division with a 5–11 record. Jim Young won his second Schenley Award as Outstanding Canadian.
The Lions' fortunes improved during the 1973 season, as they posted a 5–9–2 record, good enough for a third-place finish in the Western Conference and a playoff berth, the first in four years. The Lions lost in the semi-finals to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33–13. Linebacker Ray Nettles won the CFL's Outstanding Defensive Player award.
In 1974, the Lions showed continued improvement in posting an 8–8 record, and again returned to the playoffs for the second straight year. They faced familiar foe Saskatchewan in the semi-finals, where they lost again, 24–14. Second-year running back Lou Harris replaced injured Johnny Musso to lead the Lions in both rushing and receiving, winning CFL All-Star honours in the process. Annis Stukus became the first Lion inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder.
The Lions began the 1975 season with a change at quarterback, as Eric Guthrie and Peter Liske platooned at the position, replacing Don Moorhead. They lost five of their first six games before a major change was announced in August. General manager Jackie Parker and head coach Eagle Keys were both dismissed, with Bob Ackles moving up from his assistant general manager post and Cal Murphy elevated to head coach. The Lions played .500 football the rest of the season, but finished in fifth place in their division with a 6–10 record.
The Lions' 1976 season concluded with a 5–9–2 fourth-place finish. Individually, John Sciarra became the second Lion to win the Schenley Award as the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie, while Bill Baker won the Schenley Defensive Player award. Harry Spring became the second Lion inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder. Rookies and local talents linebacker Glen Jackson and punter/kicker Lui Passaglia were two other bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season.
1977–1982, The Vic Rapp era
A complete off-season overhaul in the coaching staff brought Edmonton assistant Vic Rapp in as the 10th head coach of the Lions as they opened their 1977 season. A revamped Leos lineup included rookies Leon Bright, John Blain, Ken Hinton, and quarterback Jerry Tagge, as well as several newly acquired veterans. The Lions last-minute heroics earned them the nickname, the "Cardiac Kids." They finished with a 10–6 record, good enough for second place in the Western Division—the first time the Lions had finished with a winning record since the Grey Cup year of 1964. BC opened the playoffs with a 33–32 upset of the Winnipeg at home before being trounced 38–1 in Edmonton by the Eskimos in the Western Division final. Wide receiver Leon Bright captured the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award, and Al Wilson became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.
In 1978, the Lions finished the season at 7–7–2 and in fourth place in their division. Rookie running backs John Henry White and Larry Key provided a much improved rushing game, but depth was still the missing ingredient, as the Leos missed the playoffs. 1978 also saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Joe Paopao, the "Throwin' Samoan."
The Lions' 1979 season began with Tagge at quarterback, but his season—and his career—were ended by a knee injury. Led by Joe Paopao, the Lions skidded down the stretch, losing five games in a row. Despite this, the team finished third in the Western Conference with a 9–6–1 record, making the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the Lions were blasted 37–2 by the Calgary Stampeders. Jim Young retired at the end of the season, and Norm Fieldgate became the second Lions player to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Rising costs and an aging Empire Stadium cast a shadow over future prospects. To head off a crisis, the directors, led by past-president Jack Farley, developed a plan to sell stock and seek a strong partnership with a major corporate sponsor to keep operations viable while waiting for the construction of a new stadium in downtown Vancouver.
The Lions failed to make the playoffs in 1980, despite a winning record of 8–7–1. Off the field, the decision was made to begin construction of a new indoor stadium in downtown Vancouver.
In 1981, the Lions returned to the playoffs with a third place divisional finish and a 10–6 record. The team qualified for the playoffs on the final weekend of the season with a victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a driving rainstorm at Empire Stadium. The key play was a late fourth-quarter fumble by Saskatchewan fullback Greg Fieger at the Rider two-yard line which the Lions recovered. The Lions turned this into a touchdown two plays later to take the lead for good after Saskatchewan had led for most of the game up to that point. In the playoffs, the Lions again upset the Blue Bombers 15–11 in the semi-finals before losing 22–16 in the Western Division final to eventual Grey Cup champion Edmonton. Paopao and second-year quarterback Roy Dewalt had wide-out Ty Grey as their deep-threat receiver, while rookie defensive back Larry Crawford led the CFL in interceptions. The Labatt Brewing Company became the Lions' major sponsor in a marketing agreement that brought much needed financial stability to the team.
Standout wide receiver "Swervin'" Mervyn Fernandez was among the rookies who joined the Lions in 1982, winning the Jackie Parker Trophy as the Western Division's most outstanding rookie. Despite a 9–7 record, the Lions finished fourth in their division and failed to make the playoffs. As in the previous four seasons, the Lions got off to a fast start only to stumble badly after Labour Day. In most cases after this point in the season, the Lions would lose crucial divisional games by a very large margin. Due to this disturbing trend, head coach Vic Rapp and his entire coaching staff were dismissed at the end of the season. Lions' running back great Willie "The Wisp" Fleming was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
The Lions played their first season in 1954, and have played every season since. As such, they are the oldest professional sports franchise in the city of Vancouver and in the province of British Columbia. They have appeared in the league's Grey Cup championship game 10 times, winning six of those games, with their most recent championship occurring in 2011.
The Lions were the first Western Canadian team to have won the Grey Cup at home, having done so in 1994 and 2011, before Saskatchewan won in 2013, while also becoming the only team to beat an American-based franchise in a championship game, a feat accomplished in 1994. The Lions hold the second longest playoff streak in CFL history, making the playoffs every season from the 1997 CFL season to the 2016 CFL season, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in over 20 seasons in 2017 (only the Edmonton Eskimos have had a longer playoff streak; theirs lasted for 34 seasons from 1972 to 2005).
Founded: 1954
Name: the team is named for the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks overlooking the team's home city of Vancouver
Helmet design: black background, with an orange mountain lion's head
Uniform colours: orange and black
Nickname: Leos
Mascot: Leo the Lion
Fight song: "Roar, You Lions, Roar"[4] composed by Dal Richards and His Orchestra
Stadiums: Empire Stadium (1954–1982), Empire Field (2010–2011) and BC Place Stadium (1983–2009, 2011–present)
Main rivals: Montreal Alouettes (Labour Day Classic) and Saskatchewan Roughriders
Western Division 1st place: 13—1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012
Western Division championships: 10—1963, 1964, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2011
Grey Cup championships: 6—1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011
2018 regular season record: 9 wins, 9 losses
Ownership
The BC Lions Football Club is owned by businessman David Braley, who purchased the club in 1997. Braley was a member of the Canadian Senate. As of 2017, the BC Lions Football Club executive committee consisted of five people:
David Braley, owner and governor
Rick LeLacheur, team president
Ed Hervey, general manager
George Chayka, vice president of business
Franchise history
Before the Lions
Compared to the rest of the country, senior football arrived late in British Columbia. Rugby unions had been organized in all of the Prairie provinces by 1907 and the Western Canada Rugby Football Union had been formed in 1911. However, it would not be until 1926 (after the sudden collapse of the Western Hockey League) that the British Columbia Rugby Football Union was formed, and not until 1930 that the BCRFU would challenge for the right to represent the West in the Grey Cup. The Vancouver Meralomas were the most successful British Columbian team of the era. They played in the Western Final in 1930 and again in 1934, only to lose on both occasions to the Regina Roughriders of the Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union.
The BCRFU stopped challenging for the Grey Cup following the formation of the Western Interprovincial Football Union. After the BCRFU's collapse in 1941, the Vancouver Grizzlies (not to be confused with a future NBA team of the same name that is now the Memphis Grizzlies) joined the WIFU. They played only one season, finishing 1-7, before the WIFU suspended operations for the duration of the Second World War. The Grizzlies did not return after the war.
Origin of the Lions
In 1951, a group led by Ken Stauffer and Tiny Radar were inspired by Vancouver Sun columnist Andy Lytle's article to start a new football team in Vancouver that would play in the WIFU. The ownership group sent Radar and Orville Burke to represent them at the off-season WIFU meetings to initiate Vancouver's bid for a team. Radar and Burke were told to return to the meetings the following year with a $25,000 good-faith bond if they could generate sufficient interest in the Vancouver area. The first meetings were held at the Arctic Club in November and a committee headed by Burke and Harry Spring of the Meraloma Rugby Club, set out to sell memberships at $20 each.
Though Burke, Vic Spencer, and John Davidson offered the good-faith bond to the WIFU in 1952, the idea of having a Vancouver team was rejected when both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan voted against the idea of a fifth team. The group in Vancouver, however, did not give up their efforts to have a franchise in the WIFU.
On January 22, 1953, the first annual meeting of the club was held. In that meeting, Arthur E. Mercer was hired as the club's first president. Later in the year, Mercer, Bill Morgan, Bill Ralston, and Whit Matthews went back to the WlFU meetings. This time, they sold the idea of a fifth Western team, and Vancouver was granted a conditional franchise. They were required to provide a 15,000-seat stadium, sell at least 6,500 season tickets, and guarantee travel expenses for the visiting teams.
All the pieces began to fall into place when it was announced that Vancouver would host the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and that it would mean the building of a new stadium – Empire Stadium, which seated 32,300 people. By Easter of 1953, Annis Stukus was then lured away from the Toronto Argonauts to return to the West to become the first public relations manager, general manager, and head coach of the franchise.
Naming the team
During the rest of 1953, a fan contest was held by all of the local media to pick the team's new name. The nickname was chosen because it represented a local landmark and legend of the area. The nickname of the team was based on the Lions, twin mountain peaks that can be seen toward the north of Vancouver. The twin mountain peaks name was based on legend that the mountains looked like two lions guarding the city. Through this landmark and legend, the "Lions" nickname became the winner in the fan contest to become the new name of the franchise.
After the fan contest, the Vancouver label was revealed to not be part of the team name. Though the franchise was based in Vancouver and the "Lions" name was based on a local landmark and legend, Stukus decided to reject the idea of naming the team as the Vancouver Lions. Instead, he decided that the team should represent and embrace the entire province of British Columbia. In the end, Stukus introduced the team to the entire Canadian football world as the BC Lions.
The mountain lion has a strong connection to the name of the team, as it appears in the BC Lions' logo. The mountain lion (or cougar) had an influence on the name of the team because it is renowned for its speed, courage and strength and is carefully respected by British Columbia's citizens as a remarkable but dangerous predator. The new team also adopted the black and orange colours of the Meralomas.
Notable seasons
The BC Lions have won 13 Western Division regular season championships, 10 Western Division championships and six Grey Cup championships.
1954–1960, the first seasons
In their 1954 inaugural season, Stukus sold football fever on the streets of Vancouver and put together a team that made history when they stepped on the field of Empire Stadium for their first home game, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, on Saturday, August 28, 1954. In that game, fullback Byron (By) Bailey scored the first touchdown in franchise history in an 8–6 loss to the Blue Bombers. The Lions were only able to manage a 1–15–0 record in their inaugural season. The team recorded their first franchise win, against the Calgary Stampeders, on September 18, 1954, at Empire Stadium, with By Bailey scoring the winning touchdown in a 9–4 Lions' victory. On that night, the win caused the BC faithful to celebrate in the streets. However, celebrations like this were not common for Lions' fans during the 1950s.
In 1955, during their second year as a franchise, the Lions again failed to make the playoffs. Though a playoff appearance did not materialize, the team was still able to show signs of improvement, finishing with a 5–11–0 regular-season record. Despite this, Lions fans were surprised at the move of the team directors to ask Annis Stukus to step down as the team's head coach in October 1955. While fan reaction to his dismissal was loud and divided, Stukus still asked the fans to continue their support of the BC Lions. Annis Stukus' assistant Clem Crowe was later named as the new head coach for the upcoming 1956 season.
In the 1956 season, the Lions finished fourth in the West, posting a 6–10–0 record in Crowe's first season. Although this was a one-game improvement from the 1955 season, they were still not able to make the playoffs.
After the 1956 season, Bill McMahan assumed the role as team president. One of his first duties involved him bringing back Kelowna native Herb Capozzi from the Montreal Alouettes and hiring him as the new general manager. However, BC continued to struggle on the field, finishing the 1957 season with a 4–11–1 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
A year later, the on-field performance went from bad to worse for the Lions as they opened the 1958 season with five straight losses. The team's on-field struggles caused Capozzi to fire Clem Crowe as the head coach and replace him with Danny Edwards, who returned after playing with the club during the 1957 season. The team was only able to manage three wins during the year, causing them to miss the playoffs once again. Although it was a season to forget, rookies Tom Hinton and Sonny Homer showed promising signs of being future football stars.
During the off-season, Capozzi improved the team for the 1959 season in the following ways, first by hiring Wayne Robinson from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to become the new head coach, then bringing in a corps of veteran players to add more experience to the team. This was followed by the signing of rookie running back Willie "The Wisp" Fleming to the team, adding more youth to play alongside Hinton and Homer. Capozzi's moves proved successful in the end. In 1959, the Lions managed their first winning season with a 9–7–0 record and were able to make their first playoff appearance with a final-game triumph over the Calgary Stampeders at Empire Stadium. The Lions' first playoff appearance ended with two straight losses to the Edmonton Eskimos. However, the team's future looked bright heading into the 1960s.
The high hopes of the Lions heading into the 1960 season faded when the team finished with a disappointing 5–9–2 record, which again eliminated them from playoff contention. It was disappointing considering the team added rookie talents Steve Cotter, Lonnie Dennis, Jim Carphin, and Neal Beaumont to a team that had a strong core of veteran and young players from the previous season. The only positive for the Lions happened at the end of the season, when Beaumont won WIFU Outstanding Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the first Lions player to win a major CFL award.
1961–1967, the Dave Skrien era
The Lions started the 1961 season by signing former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tom Brown to a contract, but the team continued performing poorly on the field. In September, the team made a major trade with the Calgary Stampeders, which was considered to be a major gamble. In the trade, the Lions got quarterback Joe Kapp in the deal in exchange, while four Lions' players were sent to the Stampeders. A week later, Wayne Robinson was relieved of his duties as head coach and was replaced by Assistant Coach Dave Skrien. The year ended with a dismal 1–13–2 record.
In 1962, Skrien made an immediate impact in his first full season as head coach. The Lions finished the season with a 7–9 record, but improvements were noticeable. After eight years of hard work, the Lions were on the verge of success for the first time.
1963 Grey Cup finalists
Before the start of the 1963 season, new optimism was voiced at the chances that the Lions would not only make the playoffs, but also contend for the Grey Cup. With a veteran roster headlined by Joe Kapp and Willie Fleming, the Lions not only finished with their first winning record, but won their first-ever regular-season conference title with a 12–4 record. After a 2–1 series victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Conference finals, the Lions lined up in the 51st Grey Cup game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which was played at Empire Stadium—the first time a western team had hosted the Grey Cup. However, their momentum would be stalled as a series of injuries affected the team's performance in the championship game.
In the Grey Cup game, star running back Willie Fleming was injured after he received a late, out-of-bounds hit by Tiger-Cat defensive tackle Angelo Mosca. This proved to be a huge blow to the Lions' chances of victory. Hamilton won the Grey Cup with a 21–10 victory, but the following year, the Lions would get their revenge.
After the season, Joe Kapp became the first BC Lion to receive the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference and Tom Brown became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award. In addition, Dave Skrien became the first Lions head coach to receive the Annis Stukus Trophy as Coach of the Year, and fullback/kicker Peter Kempf also became the second Lion to win the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy for Rookie of the Year honours in the Western Conference.
1964 Grey Cup champions
After achieving an 11–2–3 regular season record in 1964, and defeating the Calgary Stampeders in a three-game series in the Western Conference finals, the Lions advanced to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. In the rematch, BC got their revenge as Kapp, Fleming, and Bill Munsey, who gave a two-touchdown, two-way starring effort, helped the Lions to their first Grey Cup victory. With the addition of two field goals and an extra touchdown by the field goal unit, the Lions won the Grey Cup for the first time in franchise history with a 34–24 victory. The win ended 11 years of waiting for the British Columbia faithful. At the end of the 1964 season, defensive lineman Tom Brown was named a CFL All-Star, a back-to-back Schenley award winner as CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award, and won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Western Conference. Joining Brown as All-Stars on defence were Mike Cacic, Dick Fouts, and Munsey. Joe Kapp and tackle Lonnie Dennis were named CFL All-Stars on offence.
Any hopes of the BC Lions becoming a dynasty team after their Grey Cup championship season quickly disappeared in 1965, as the team started to recede back to the basement of the Western Conference. Before the beginning of the season, By Bailey left the team and the entire roster was starting to age as the Lions finished the season with a 6–9–1 regular season record. As a result, the team missed the playoffs one year after being on top of the CFL world. It was clear that head coach Dave Skrien would never again experience the same success as he achieved the previous two seasons.
The situation for the Lions went from bad to worse in the 1966 season, as the team would go on to post a 5–11 record that year. Due to the dreadful team performance, Herb Capozzi was fired as the Lions' General Manager after nine seasons as G.M. and just two years after taking the franchise to consecutive Grey Cup appearances. In addition, Willie Fleming and Tom Hinton decided to retire, and Joe Kapp left the team to continue his playing career in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.
In the 1967 season, Denny Vietch became the new General Manager of the club. Denny Veitch's first move was to fire Skrien after the Lions lost their first three games of the season. Veitch named Jim Champion as head coach, but the Lions would end up finishing the season with a 3–12–1 record. The only two positives for the club were two rookies; wide receiver Jim Young and kicker Ted Gerela, who would end up winning the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the Western Conference's Rookie of the Year.
1968–1976, The coaching carousel
Following Skrien's departure, the Lions went through five head coaches between 1968 and 1976 while only qualifying for the playoffs three times. Champion would remain as head coach in 1968 season, where CFL legend Jackie Parker was hired as an assistant coach for the Lions and even came out of retirement to suit up in a Lions uniform for eight games as the quarterback. However, the Lions finished the season with a 4–11–1 record, again missing the playoffs. Despite the poor record, seven of those games were lost by less than a touchdown, which showed some indication that the team was improving.
Eleven games into the 1969 season, after stumbling to a 1–10 record, Jim Champion was fired as head coach and replaced by assistant Jackie Parker. The Lions responded by winning four of their last five games, and with a 5–11 record took third place in the Western Conference. The Lions made the playoffs, but were beaten in Calgary by the Stampeders in the semi-finals by a score of 35–21. Individually, Dave Easley won CFL and Western Division Rookie of the Year honours, and Jim Young was a Schenley finalist.
In 1970, the first artificial turf field in Canada was installed at Empire Stadium (3M's Tartan Turf). Jim Young became the first Lion to win the Schenley Outstanding Canadian Award, but the team finished fourth place in the Western Conference at 6–10, and missed the playoffs.
The 1971 season began with a major off-season restructuring that saw Head Coach Jackie Parker elevated to general manager, and replaced by former Saskatchewan coach Eagle Keys. Don Moorhead was recruited at quarterback, and a total of fifty-three different players put on a Lions uniform in a year of change, including movie and TV personality Carl Weathers, at linebacker. Running back Jim Evenson finished the season with 1,237 yards to lead the Western Conference in rushing, and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy. The Lions again finished the season at fourth place in the West Division with a 6–9–1 record, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Parker became the first Lion player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
In 1972, the Lions added new players such as defensive back Rocky Long, running back Johnny Musso, linebacker Ray Nettles and centre Al Wilson, but finished fifth in their division with a 5–11 record. Jim Young won his second Schenley Award as Outstanding Canadian.
The Lions' fortunes improved during the 1973 season, as they posted a 5–9–2 record, good enough for a third-place finish in the Western Conference and a playoff berth, the first in four years. The Lions lost in the semi-finals to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33–13. Linebacker Ray Nettles won the CFL's Outstanding Defensive Player award.
In 1974, the Lions showed continued improvement in posting an 8–8 record, and again returned to the playoffs for the second straight year. They faced familiar foe Saskatchewan in the semi-finals, where they lost again, 24–14. Second-year running back Lou Harris replaced injured Johnny Musso to lead the Lions in both rushing and receiving, winning CFL All-Star honours in the process. Annis Stukus became the first Lion inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder.
The Lions began the 1975 season with a change at quarterback, as Eric Guthrie and Peter Liske platooned at the position, replacing Don Moorhead. They lost five of their first six games before a major change was announced in August. General manager Jackie Parker and head coach Eagle Keys were both dismissed, with Bob Ackles moving up from his assistant general manager post and Cal Murphy elevated to head coach. The Lions played .500 football the rest of the season, but finished in fifth place in their division with a 6–10 record.
The Lions' 1976 season concluded with a 5–9–2 fourth-place finish. Individually, John Sciarra became the second Lion to win the Schenley Award as the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie, while Bill Baker won the Schenley Defensive Player award. Harry Spring became the second Lion inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder. Rookies and local talents linebacker Glen Jackson and punter/kicker Lui Passaglia were two other bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season.
1977–1982, The Vic Rapp era
A complete off-season overhaul in the coaching staff brought Edmonton assistant Vic Rapp in as the 10th head coach of the Lions as they opened their 1977 season. A revamped Leos lineup included rookies Leon Bright, John Blain, Ken Hinton, and quarterback Jerry Tagge, as well as several newly acquired veterans. The Lions last-minute heroics earned them the nickname, the "Cardiac Kids." They finished with a 10–6 record, good enough for second place in the Western Division—the first time the Lions had finished with a winning record since the Grey Cup year of 1964. BC opened the playoffs with a 33–32 upset of the Winnipeg at home before being trounced 38–1 in Edmonton by the Eskimos in the Western Division final. Wide receiver Leon Bright captured the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award, and Al Wilson became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.
In 1978, the Lions finished the season at 7–7–2 and in fourth place in their division. Rookie running backs John Henry White and Larry Key provided a much improved rushing game, but depth was still the missing ingredient, as the Leos missed the playoffs. 1978 also saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Joe Paopao, the "Throwin' Samoan."
The Lions' 1979 season began with Tagge at quarterback, but his season—and his career—were ended by a knee injury. Led by Joe Paopao, the Lions skidded down the stretch, losing five games in a row. Despite this, the team finished third in the Western Conference with a 9–6–1 record, making the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the Lions were blasted 37–2 by the Calgary Stampeders. Jim Young retired at the end of the season, and Norm Fieldgate became the second Lions player to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Rising costs and an aging Empire Stadium cast a shadow over future prospects. To head off a crisis, the directors, led by past-president Jack Farley, developed a plan to sell stock and seek a strong partnership with a major corporate sponsor to keep operations viable while waiting for the construction of a new stadium in downtown Vancouver.
The Lions failed to make the playoffs in 1980, despite a winning record of 8–7–1. Off the field, the decision was made to begin construction of a new indoor stadium in downtown Vancouver.
In 1981, the Lions returned to the playoffs with a third place divisional finish and a 10–6 record. The team qualified for the playoffs on the final weekend of the season with a victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a driving rainstorm at Empire Stadium. The key play was a late fourth-quarter fumble by Saskatchewan fullback Greg Fieger at the Rider two-yard line which the Lions recovered. The Lions turned this into a touchdown two plays later to take the lead for good after Saskatchewan had led for most of the game up to that point. In the playoffs, the Lions again upset the Blue Bombers 15–11 in the semi-finals before losing 22–16 in the Western Division final to eventual Grey Cup champion Edmonton. Paopao and second-year quarterback Roy Dewalt had wide-out Ty Grey as their deep-threat receiver, while rookie defensive back Larry Crawford led the CFL in interceptions. The Labatt Brewing Company became the Lions' major sponsor in a marketing agreement that brought much needed financial stability to the team.
Standout wide receiver "Swervin'" Mervyn Fernandez was among the rookies who joined the Lions in 1982, winning the Jackie Parker Trophy as the Western Division's most outstanding rookie. Despite a 9–7 record, the Lions finished fourth in their division and failed to make the playoffs. As in the previous four seasons, the Lions got off to a fast start only to stumble badly after Labour Day. In most cases after this point in the season, the Lions would lose crucial divisional games by a very large margin. Due to this disturbing trend, head coach Vic Rapp and his entire coaching staff were dismissed at the end of the season. Lions' running back great Willie "The Wisp" Fleming was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
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