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

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

Final regular season standings

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	PF	PA	Pts
Montreal Alouettes	14	8	6	292	229	16
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	14	8	6	229	243	16
Ottawa Rough Riders	14	7	7	266	238	14
Toronto Argonauts	14	5	9	172	249	10

**Ontario Rugby Football Union**
Team	GP	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen	12	8	4	218	178	16
Sarnia Imperials	12	8	4	231	101	16
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers	12	8	4	252	145	16
Brantford Redskins	12	0	12	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	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

**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

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

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

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

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-Cats

Defence

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 Roughriders

Defence

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

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

[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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v t e 1953 Canadian football season by team
Western Interprovicial Football Union	Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Winnipeg
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union	Hamilton Montreal Ottawa Toronto
Ontario Rugby Football Union	Brantford Kitchener-Waterloo Sarnia Toronto Balmy Beach
See also	1953 CFL Draft 41st Grey Cup