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Montreal Alouettes

French

Alouettes de Montréal

Canadian Football League

Montreal, Quebec

This article also generally covers the history of Montreal's CFL history, including the current club's early history when it played in Baltimore, Maryland. The CFL considers all clubs which have played in Montreal as one in their league records, including those of the Montreal Concordes and the Baltimore Stallions, which relocated to become the current Alouettes club in 1996.

Founded: Original club founded as Montreal Alouettes in 1946. Original Alouette club ceased operations following 1981 season and replaced by a new team, the Montreal Concordes, which played from 1982 to 1985. The Concordes were rechristened the "new" Alouettes for the 1986 season, but the second team also ceased operations after 1987. Following the 1995 season, the Baltimore Stallions franchise was relocated to Montreal to become the third team to take the Alouettes name.

Formerly known as: Montreal Concordes ( 1982- 1986), Baltimore Football Club ( 1994), Baltimore Stallions ( 1995).

Home stadium: McGill Molson Stadium for regular season, Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium Stade Olympique The Big O Location Montreal, Quebec Opened July 17, 1976 (Olympics) April 15, 1977 (Baseball) Capacity 43,739 (Baseball)56,245 (Football) Owned By Regie des installations olympiques (Government of Quebec) Architect: Roger T for playoff games

Uniform colours: Blue, red and silver

Helmet design: Silver background with a blue "A" and a charging larkMirafra ''Pinarocorys ''Heteromirafra ''Certhilauda ''Chersomanes ''Eremopterix ''Ammomanes ''Alaemon ''Ramphocoris ''Melanocorypha ''Calandrella ''Spizocorys ''Eremalauda ''Chersophilus ''Galerida ''Pseudalaemon ''Lullula ''Alauda ''Eremophila Larks are holding a football

Eastern regular season championships: 13 -- 1946, 19531953 is a common year starting on Thursday (click on link for the calendar). Events January events January 7 President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. January 13 Marshal Josip Broz Tito chosen President of Yugosl, 1954Events January events January 14 The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator forming the American Motors Corporation January 14 Marilyn Monroe weds Joe DiMaggio. January 15 Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya January 20 The Nati, 19551955 is a common year starting on Saturday. see link for calendar) Events January events January 2 Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 The Scrabble board game debuts. February events February 8 Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Mal, 1956, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004

Grey Cup appearances: 13 -- 1949 (won), 1954 (lost), 1955 (lost), 1956 (lost), 1970 (won), 1974 (won), 1975 (lost), 1977 (won), 1978 (lost), 1979 (lost), 2000 (lost), 2002 (won), 2003 (lost)

1 Franchise history

The Alouettes were first formed in 1946. They named themselves after the famous work song "Alouette" (about plucking various parts of a lark), which has become a light-hearted symbol of the Québécois. (Similarly the RCAF's 425 Bomber Squadron, mostly Québécois, during the Second World War assumed the lark as its badge and the motto "Je te plumerai" -- I shall pluck you.)

1.1 Montreal Concordes

The original Alouettes franchise folded after the 1981 CFL season, but were immediately replaced by a new club for 1982, the Montreal Concordes, owned by Canadian mogul Nelson Skalbania . In 1986 the team attempted to embrace its predecessor's history and regenerate flagging fan interest by rebranding itself the "new" Montreal Alouettes, but mouting financial losses caused the second team to fail after the 1987 season.

1.2 The Current Alouettes

The Baltimore Football Club was granted an expansion franchise for 1994 by the Canadian Football League. Originally intending to invoke the spirit of the city's former NFL club, the team attempted to brand themselves the "Baltimore Colts." The NFL filed suit and won an injunction, both prohibiting the team from use of the "Baltimore Colts" name as well as that of their next choice, the "Baltimore CFL Colts." The team would use the name "Baltimore Football Club" for its inaugural season, becoming the "Baltimore Stallions" for 1995.

The team was wildly successful by CFL standards both on the field and off, garnering persistent fan support in the Baltimore area and appearing in the Grey Cup in both seasons (losing in 1994, winning in 1995). But in late 1995, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to relocate his NFL club to Baltimore. Stallions owner Jim Speros, realizing that despite the fan loyalty generated by his team that it could not compete with the NFL, decided to sell the club.

The team relocated to Montreal for the 1996 season, becoming the third rendition of the Montreal Alouettes. The new Alouettes franchise played their first two seasons at Olympic Stadium, but attendance in the domed stadium was very poor and the long term prospects for the franchise were once again uncertain, until a twist of fate revitalized the floundering club.

When a scheduled U2 concert conflicted with an unexpected home play-off game, the team decided to temporarily return to its old home at Molson Stadium. Interest in the team soared and the game was sold out, prompting the team to permanently relocate to the smaller venue beginning with the 1998 season. Since then, the Alouettes have sold out every game at the stadium, located on the McGill University campus.

The team has not completely abandoned Olympic Stadium, however. The Alouettes soon resumed playing playoff games (a regular feature in recent seasons) at the "Big O" and as of 2004 play one regular season game at the larger venue. These matches have been well attended.

Prior to every Sunday home game, the club plays Sunday Bloody Sunday over the PA system in tribute to the unintended role U2 played in saving the franchise.

2 Players of note

2.1 Canadian Football Hall of Famers

Junior Ah You
Peter Dalla Riva
George Dixon
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry
John Ferraro
Gene Gaines
Dickie Harris
John "Red" O'Quinn
"Prince" Hal Patterson
Herb Trawick
Virgil Wagner
Dan Yochum

3 External links

Montreal Alouettes official site

Canadian Football League

CFL teams Montreal sports

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Topics: Montreal Alouettes, Franchise History, Montreal Concordes...

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