The Tigers were founded in 1926 and joined the Ontario Football Union. Being the second team from the main Toronto area, the Tigers were never a popular team nor very successful. The other Toronto team, the Lakers, have been around since the early 1900s and have been a dominant force. While the Tigers thought they could capitalize on the large market of Toronto, they have never been able to keep up since they have not had a season above .500. The Tigers quickly became known as the team for those who couldn’t make the Lakers or other teams and was a short-stop for those players. While they embraced this for a while the team is hoping that the NAAF is a door into a new path for a team stuck in a hole. The home stadium for the Tigers is Toronto Municipal Stadium which holds 17,945 and is easily the smallest in the league.
The current owner Garry Durran is the team’s 4th already. He took control in 1946 and was hoping for an opportunity for them to capitalize on the struggles through the war era, but has not found it. With the NAAF on the rise, Durran was very open to the idea and was very surprised by the offer to the team considering their status in the football world. While the Lakers and the other clubs in Ontario were very against the idea of the NAAF and Ottawa’s possible move to the new league, the Tigers supported the move for the Royals. After seeing the actions, Ryan Jameson felt that it would be a good idea to offer to the Tigers before they offered other teams.
The Tigers are far from the top of the league. While they were able to recruit some new players interested in the new league they are a long way from being a championship contender. First-year Head Coach Joseph Johnson is taking on his first shot at the position. He has been a coach around the OFU for the last few years and has proven his smarts for the sport. Johnson comes into the team knowing that they have a long road ahead but is ready and confident he can handle the challenge. The team's best player is 37-year-old DB Clifford Jacobson who will have to be a leader among a large group of 22 to 24-year-olds on defence. The team’s QB is fellow 37-year-old Ellis Sears who has started for several teams in the OFU. Other weapons include WR Randolph Hammond and WR Clifford Chapman which may give Sears some help through the air but they lack an O-Line and run game. Toronto is not expected to win very many games, so it could be a long season for them.
In 1952 the team moved to Kitchener, Ontario and changed their name to the Ontario Tigers.
Brand:
1949-1950
1951-1952
1953-1957
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