Saskatchewan Roughrider champions salute the stadium
George Reed, Al Ford and Glen Suitor recall their favourite memories on Taylor Field
Some of the most dedicated fans in the CFL will soon have a new home.
CBC Saskatchewan is sharing some of the memories from Mosaic Stadium before it is torn down.
- How rock 'n' roll made its way under stadium lights
- 'I will love it till I die': Longtime Saskatchewan Roughriders fans bid farewell to Mosaic Stadium
This is the third in a four-part series.
George Reed has an enduring legacy in Saskatchewan.
Signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1963, Reed came to Taylor Field fresh out of college and about to begin a career that would define football excellence.
Of the many memories he has of playing in Regina, Reed recalls one favourite that played out on a bitterly cold day his first year in green and white. Calgary was in town and the Riders were hungry for a win in the playoffs.
"That seemed to be the spark plug, not only for the football team but also for the fans. I remember when the game started, we had maybe 4,000 people in the stadium and we scored. We got the ball and scored," Reed recalled.
- INTERACTIVE: Do you know the history of Mosaic Stadium?
- CONTEST: Share your Mosaic Stadium Memories with a photo
"About half time, people were fighting to try and get in the stadium and we went on to win the game 48 to 47."
Before commercial sponsorship and megamarketing, Reed was a part of the foundation that turned Taylor Field into a destination for football fans.
-
INTERACTIVE: The Roughriders in the Grey Cup
Its current configuration, known as Mosaic Stadium, will soon be torn down and replaced with a new open-air concept facility. Reed said fans deserve something new and the stadium should have been replaced 10 or 15 years ago.
'Old gal is ready to retire'
His teammate on the 1966 Grey Cup winning team, Al Ford, agrees that "the old gal is ready to retire".
When asked about his memories of the stadium, Ford reaches back to when he was a kid.
"I started here as a minor football league player when I was probably 11 or 12 years old. Played little league baseball over in the far corner over there. They used to roll the stands back and have a baseball diamond there and I think we played a provincial championship," Ford said.
For Ford, that was only the beginning. He fondly remembers being introduced for the first time as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Taylor Field. He was also the team's general manager when they won the 1989 Grey Cup.
"In '89 when we came back here after winning the Grey Cup, we came the next day and the big homecoming here with 15,000-20,000 people on a cold winter night. The whole organization wasn't feeling any pain after winning the Grey Cup and it was wonderful to share that with the fans," he said.
1989 Grey Cup homecoming
Glen Suitor was one of the heroes after that 1989 Grey Cup win. A part of "the kick" that won the game, Rider Nation was euphoric. What fans won't remember about No. 27 is the first time he came to the stadium.
"The first time I actually got off the plane in Regina when I was drafted in 1984 and I came to the stadium to wrap up my contract and get it signed and go to training camp in Saskatoon, I remember seeing the stadium from the outside and just basically getting emotional because it had been a dream of mine for so long to play pro football," Suitor said.
Nicknamed the Little General, Lancaster broke into the CFL in 1960 with the Ottawa Rough Riders and three years later was traded to Saskatchewan. He spent 16 years in Regina and helped the Roughriders to 14 playoff berths, 12 west final appearances and five Grey Cups, including the victory in '66.
One of Suitor's favourite memories dates back to 1994 when the Riders were hosting the Sacramento Goldminers. It was standing room only in the stadium.
"It wasn't just full stands, it was full field. After we won a close game against David Archer and Sacramento, the crowd just came on the field and you felt like a rock star. It was so cool to have all those Rider fans and Rider Nation right close and signing autographs," Suitor said.
Stadium souvenirs
While fans covet an autograph or photo with their favourite player, Suitor said he wouldn't mind his own souvenir of the stadium.
"Maybe my locker," he said.
"I remember so many ups and downs in that locker room and the great leaders and guys and characters we had in the room. My relationships with some of the players like Dave Ridgway and Bob Poley and Kent Austin."
Ford insists there's nothing he would take. He is happy to move on to the new stadium.
As for Reed, "I would like one last nice photo of the place, blown up big of the place. That would be the greatest thing that I could have from it."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
