1956 in Canadian football

Last updated

The Edmonton Eskimos faced the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup game for the third consecutive year. And for the third consecutive year, the Edmonton Eskimos were Grey Cup champions. It was the first time in a Grey Cup that a touchdown was worth six points instead of five.

Contents

Canadian Football News in 1956

On Sunday, January 22, representatives of the two largest and most powerful leagues in the Canadian Rugby Union, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union, met in Winnipeg and formed the Canadian Football Council as an umbrella organization. G. Sydney Halter, QC, was named as commissioner of the CFC, which would evolve into today's Canadian Football League. The CFC introduced a national negotiation list.

Television rights for Canadian football games were sold for $101,000. The touchdown point value was increased from five to six points. [1]

The first East-West All-Star game was played at Vancouver's Empire Stadium on December 8. The day after the game, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed into Mount Slesse, killing five players and one official who were on their way from Vancouver to Calgary. The five players who died in the crash included four members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders: offensive linemen Mario DeMarco and Ray Syrnyk, centre/tight end Mel Becket, and defensive lineman Gordon Sturtridge, along with Winnipeg Blue Bomber offensive lineman Cal Jones. The official killed in the crash was Ed Pettit, of Calgary.

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

Western Interprovincial Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Edmonton Eskimos 16115035823522
Saskatchewan Roughriders 16106035327220
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1697031522818
BC Lions 16610025136112
Calgary Stampeders 1641202294108
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Montreal Alouettes 14104047836120
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1477038338514
Ottawa Rough Riders 1477032635914
Toronto Argonauts 1441003314138
Ontario Rugby Football Union [2]
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 1183029917016
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 1064020318312
Sarnia Golden Bears1165021824712
London Lords 103701241776
X-Rochester Rockets4040521180

Grey Cup playoffs

Source: [3]

Note: All dates in 1956

Semifinals

WIFU semifinals – game 1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 Saskatchewan Roughriders 42
WIFU semifinals – game 2
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DateAwayHome
November 5 Saskatchewan Roughriders 8 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19
IRFU semifinals
Ottawa Rough Riders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 7 Ottawa Rough Riders 21 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 46

Finals

WIFU Finals – Game 1
Edmonton Eskimos @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 10 Edmonton Eskimos 22 Saskatchewan Roughriders 23
WIFU Finals – Game 2
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
November 17 Saskatchewan Roughriders 12 Edmonton Eskimos 20
WIFU Finals – Game 3
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
November 19 Saskatchewan Roughriders 7 Edmonton Eskimos 51
IRFU Finals – Game 1
Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 10 Montreal Alouettes 30 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21
IRFU Finals – Game 2
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Montreal Alouettes
DateAwayHome
November 19 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41 Montreal Alouettes 48

Playoff bracket

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsGrey Cup
         
IRFU Montreal Alouettes
IRFU BYE
IRFU Montreal Alouettes 30-48
EAST
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 21-41
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 46
IRFU Ottawa Rough Riders 21
IRFU Montreal Alouettes 27
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 50
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos
WIFU BYE
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 22-20-51
WEST
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 23-12-7
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 42-8
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-19

Grey Cup Championship

November 24

44th Annual Grey Cup Game : Varsity StadiumToronto, Ontario

WIFU Champion IRFU Champion
Edmonton Eskimos 50 Montreal Alouettes 27
1956 Grey Cup Champions: Edmonton Eskimos

Canadian Football Leaders

1956 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

Defence

1956 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

Defence

1956 Canadian Football Awards

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The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

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References

  1. "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). footballcanada.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h0olAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uuMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1882%2C1062203 Ottawa Citizen – Nov 3, 1956
  3. "1956 Details". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  4. "CFLapedia".