Hamilton Tiger-Cats facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Established	1950
Based in	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Home stadium	Tim Hortons Field (2014–present)
Head coach	Scott Milanovich
General manager	Vacant
Owner(s)	Hamilton Sports Group Bob Young
League	Canadian Football League
Division	East
Colours	Black, gold, white
Nickname(s)	Ticats, Cats, Tabbies
Grey Cups	8 (1953, 1957, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1986, 1999)
Current uniform
2025 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They play in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Field.

The team's history goes all the way back to 1869. That's when the Hamilton Football Club was formed. They started calling themselves "Tigers" a few years later. In 1950, the Tigers joined with another local team, the Hamilton Wildcats. This merger created the "Tiger-Cats" team we know today.

Since 1950, the Tiger-Cats have won the Grey Cup championship eight times. Their most recent win was in 1999. If you count all the Grey Cups won by Hamilton teams throughout history, the total is 15. This includes wins by the Hamilton Tigers, Hamilton Flying Wildcats, and Hamilton Alerts. The Hamilton football clubs won league championships in every decade of the 1900s!

In their first 40 years after the merger, the Tiger-Cats made the playoffs almost every year. They won seven Grey Cup championships during this time. They were also the first team to win the Grey Cup at home in 1972. However, since 1990, they have only won one Grey Cup, in 1999. They are the only CFL team that hasn't won the Grey Cup in the 21st century. In 2003, they had a very tough season, winning only one game. But the team has gotten much better in recent years. They made it to the Grey Cup finals four times in the 2010s, though they lost each time.

Who Owns the Tiger-Cats?

The team's wordmark logo.

A businessman named Bob Young bought the club on October 7, 2003. He was born in Hamilton and studied at the University of Toronto. He made his money in the software industry. Today, he owns a self-publishing website called Lulu.

In 2022, the club changed its ownership structure. It became part of a new group called Hamilton Sports Group. This group also owns Forge FC, a soccer team, and manages Tim Hortons Field. Bob Young is still the main owner and chairman. New investors include the steel company Stelco and Woodbine Entertainment.

The Team's Long History

The "Tigers" of Hamilton, Ontario, around 1906.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats' story began on November 3, 1869. That's when the Hamilton Football Club was created. Their first game was on December 18, 1869. In 1873, they officially became known as the "Tigers." They were called "the tigers" informally even before that, because of their team colors.

The Hamilton Tigers started playing in the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) in 1883. They won their first championship in 1906. In 1907, a new league called the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was formed. This league later became the Eastern conference of the modern CFL. Another Hamilton team, the Hamilton Alerts, won the city's first Grey Cup in 1912.

The Hamilton Tigers playing an unknown Ottawa team in 1910.

In 1913, the Tigers won their first of five Grey Cups. They beat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 44–3. Many players from the Alerts joined the Tigers around this time. In 1915, the Hamilton Tigers won their second Grey Cup.

After a long break, the Hamilton Tigers won the Grey Cup again in 1928, 1929, and 1932. In 1941, the Tigers stopped playing because of World War II. Many players joined the armed services. A new team, the Hamilton Wildcats, was formed in 1941. In 1943, the Hamilton Flying Wildcats, made up of Royal Canadian Air Force members, won the 31st Grey Cup.

Things went back to normal in 1945. The IRFU and the Hamilton Tigers started playing again. The Wildcats also continued to play. For a couple of years (1948–49), the Tigers and Wildcats switched leagues. Both teams struggled financially because they were competing so fiercely. So, in 1950, the Tigers and Wildcats decided to merge. This created the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They combined their colors, mostly keeping the black and gold of the Tigers. The red tongue on their logo is a small reminder of the Wildcats' red colors. In 1950, the new Tiger-Cats started playing in Civic Stadium. This stadium was later renamed Ivor Wynne Stadium in 1971. It was torn down in 2012 and replaced by Tim Hortons Field in 2014.

A Strong Team in the 1950s and 1960s

Ivor Wynne Stadium, the former home of the Tiger-Cats.

The Ti-Cats were very successful in the 1950s and 1960s. They played in ten Grey Cups during this time. They finished first in their division thirteen times between 1950 and 1972. They appeared in eleven Grey Cup finals and won six championships. Players like Angelo Mosca, Bernie Faloney, Joe Zuger, and Garney Henley became famous football stars. From 1957 to 1967, the Tiger-Cats played in almost every national final, winning four Grey Cups (1957, 1963, 1965, and 1967).

In 1972, the Cats won the Grey Cup 13–10 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Two amazing rookies, Chuck Ealey and Ian Sunter, led the team. Sunter, an 18-year-old kicker, made the winning field goal on their home field.

During this time, the Tiger-Cats also became the only Canadian team to ever beat a team from the National Football League (NFL). On August 8, 1961, they defeated the Buffalo Bills 38–21. At that time, the Bills were part of the American Football League.

The Late 20th Century

In 1978, Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard bought the Tiger-Cats. The team played well on and off during the late 1970s and 1980s. They made the playoffs every year in the 1980s. In 1981, they won their division easily but lost in the East final. The team's defense was very strong, with players like Grover Covington, Ben Zambiasi, Howard Fields, and Mitchell Price. On offense, quarterbacks Tom Clements and Mike Kerrigan threw to Rocky DiPietro and Tony Champion. This led to three straight Grey Cup appearances in 1984, 1985, and 1986. They won the 1986 Grey Cup against the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15.

Hamilton businessman David Braley bought the team in 1989. He later sold it in 1992 because not enough people were coming to the games. Hamilton made it to the Grey Cup again in 1989 but lost a close game to Saskatchewan 43–40. The 1990s started tough, with the team missing the playoffs for two years in a row. By 1994, the team was in serious trouble. The CFL Commissioner threatened to take away their team if they didn't sell more tickets and raise money. The team managed to meet these goals.

The 1990s were difficult financially and on the field. The team struggled to find a good quarterback. Despite great play from receiver Earl Winfield, the team had trouble attracting fans. Things improved in 1998 when coach Ron Lancaster arrived. Quarterback Danny McManus, receiver Darren Flutie, and defensive player Joe Montford helped the team become one of the best. They reached the Grey Cup finals in 1998 and won the championship in 1999. After that, the team slowly declined. In 2000, they finished 9–9 and lost in the playoffs.

The Early 21st Century

In 2001, Hamilton finished 11–7 but lost in the playoffs again. In 2002, they missed the playoffs. The team hit its lowest point in 2003. They had the worst record in CFL history, winning only one game out of 18.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats playing against the Toronto Argonauts in 2009.

Bob Young, who is from Hamilton, has owned the Tiger-Cats since 2004. Even though more fans started coming to games and the team got new sponsors, their performance on the field was still a challenge. They finished last in 2005 and 2006. This led to changes in the coaching staff. The team still struggled in 2007 and 2008. But in 2009, their luck changed. They finished second in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in years. However, they didn't win the Grey Cup. This meant the 2000s were the first decade since the 1890s that Hamilton didn't win a national championship.

The main grandstand at Tim Hortons Field.

In 2011, the Tiger-Cats announced they would close Ivor Wynne Stadium after the 2012 season. They planned to play in the new Pan American Stadium in 2014. In 2013, while the new stadium was being built, they played their home games at Guelph University's stadium. On November 24, 2013, the Tiger-Cats lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 101st Grey Cup. Famous actors Tom Hanks and Martin Short were at the game.

Because the new stadium was delayed in 2014, the team played their first few games at Ron Joyce Stadium. Tim Hortons Field finally opened in time for the 2014 Labour Day Classic game. The Tiger-Cats then went on a great winning streak. They went from 1–6 to 9–9, winning their division. They won two more playoff games, reaching their second straight Grey Cup. They lost this one too, 20–16, to the Calgary Stampeders. The team did not lose any games at Tim Hortons Field in its first season there.

Home Stadium

The Tiger-Cats have played their home games at Tim Hortons Field since 2014. This stadium is in downtown Hamilton, where Ivor Wynne Stadium used to be. The team played at Civic Stadium from 1950 to 1970. After renovations, it was renamed Ivor Wynne Stadium in 1971. The team played there until 2012. In 2013, while Tim Hortons Field was being built, the Tiger-Cats played at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ontario.

Team Logo

A street banner in Hamilton showing part of the team's logo.

The original "leaping tiger" logo was designed by Jake Gaudaur. He was a former Tiger-Cat player, president, and CFL Commissioner. The team's colors are black, yellow, and white, which have been their traditional colors for over 100 years. The red tongue on the logo is the only part that reminds us of the red-clad Hamilton Wildcats, who merged with the Tigers.

Main Rivals

Since 1873, the biggest rivals of the Tiger-Cats have been the Toronto Argonauts. Their first game was on October 18, 1873. The Argonauts won that game. The most important event in this rivalry is the yearly Labour Day Classic game. It started in 1948. Hamilton has won this game more often than Toronto. Hamilton usually hosts this game, and then a rematch happens in Toronto the next week. The two teams have played 17 times in the playoffs, with Toronto winning 10 of those games. Hamilton and Toronto are only about 51 kilometers apart.

Other teams that are rivals to the Tiger-Cats include the Montreal Alouettes, the Ottawa Redblacks, and recently the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Radio Broadcasts

For over 40 years, Corus Radio Hamilton was the official radio station for the Tiger-Cats. AM900 CHML and its sister station CJXY-FM broadcast all Tiger-Cats games. The announcers included Rick Zamperin, John Salavantis, and Matt Holmes. Rick Zamperin became the main play-by-play announcer in 2007. John Salavantis was a former football coach. Matt Holmes hosted the pre-game show.

In 2015, the Tiger-Cats moved to CKOC radio. They worked with TSN Radio there. Marshall Ferguson, a former quarterback, provided analysis and hosted a post-game show. In 2016, Ferguson became the lead play-by-play announcer. Some games were also broadcast on CKTB in St. Catharines. In 2021, the Tiger-Cats ended their partnership with Bell Media. They launched their own "Ticats Audio Network." Game broadcasts returned to CHML, and other audio content became podcasts. When CHML closed in August 2024, radio broadcasts moved to CJXY-FM.

Tiger-Cats Radio Announcers

Important Players and Coaches

Current Team Roster

Current Front Office and Coaching Staff

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Tiger-Cats have retired two jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear these numbers again. They are number 10 for Bernie Faloney and number 68 for Angelo Mosca.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame Members

Many former Tiger-Cats players and staff have been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Head Coaches of the Tiger-Cats

General Managers of the Tiger-Cats

Team Mascots

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have two mascots named T.C. and Stripes. They also have an official "hype man" called Pigskin Pete. Pigskin Pete has been around since the 1920s! He leads the fans in the famous Oskee Wee Wee chant. He wears a special number 6 Tiger-Cats jersey and a bowler hat. Many people have played Pigskin Pete over the years, starting with Vince Wirtz in 1926.

Team Awards

• Grey Cup
  • Champions (8): (1953, 1957, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1986, 1999)
• East Division
  • Champions (22): (1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021)
  • Regular season titles (23): (1950, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2014, 2019)

Season Results

See Also

In Spanish: Hamilton Tiger-Cats para niños

• Hamilton Tiger-Cats all-time records and statistics
• Oskee Wee Wee
• Oldest football clubs