The Team

They were known as the Alouettes and we thought they were gone forever. For many Montrealers, the history and legacy of one of Canada's first football clubs was learned through books and the tales of their elders. Fans cried that fateful day in June of 1987 when they learned that the Montreal Alouettes had folded. There was a sense of confusion and exasperation. How and why did this happen? The 1980's had seen the team stagger and then fall, a deathblow with no sign of revival.

The Alouettes history dates back to the late 1800's when known as the Montreal Foot Ball Club they played a game loosely linked to English rugby rules by a group of McGill University students. Montreal won its first championship in 1884 when the Montreal Foot Ball Club defeated the Toronto Argonauts to claim the Canadian Rugby Football Union title. Not until the mid-40's did we identify them as the Montreal Alouette Football Club when Leo Dandurand made the team's home at Delormier Stadium. They won their first Grey Cup in 1949 as the Alouettes defeated Calgary at Toronto's Varsity Stadium.

But lets face it.

What we really remember is the stories of Sam Etcheverry and Hal Patterson. We remember the on - field battles with Jackie Parker and the Edmonton Eskimos. We remember the team moving to Molson Stadium for the first time back in 1955. We remember the cold winds of the Autostade. How about Sonny Wade's last gasp touchdown toss to clinch the Grey Cup in 1970?

The team was never so popular than during the Marv Levy years. Coach Levy and his teams won two Grey Cups in '74 & '77. Fan favorites like Johnny "Ordinary Superstar" Rodgers, Peter Dalla Riva, Crescent Street Mike Widger, Junior Ah You and Dickie Harris were just a few of the great personalities that making-up those great Alouette football teams.

We want to remember the exciting times of Alouette Football.

Those times are back.

Since the teaming up of former CFL commissioner and Als president Larry Smith with American businessman Robert Wettenhall, the Alouettes have enjoyed an excitement that parallels the fervor felt in Olympic Stadium back in 1977 when 68,000 + fans crammed into Olympic Stadium to cheer Montreal on to a Grey Cup championship.

Now the team is nestled back into one of its original roosts.. Molson Stadium, where capacity crowds gather for each and every game. The Alouettes have been reborn and the excitement they have generated is introducing a whole new generation of young fans to Canadian Football and to a legacy of local football heroes whose tales must be re-told.

Here at Section W.com, we hope to remember and cherish our team's storied past and continue to remember the great stories of our new generation of heroes. Mike Pringle, Tracy Ham, Michael Soles, Pierre Vercheval, Charlie Taafe et al will fuel a new legacy that will remain archived on this Alouette Fan Web Site.

Moooove Those Yardsticks ! ! !

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