1939 in Canadian football

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers played in their third consecutive Grey Cup final. A last-second rouge gave Winnipeg its second title in five years.

Regular season, final standings

Column headings: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, Pts = Points

Western Interprovincial Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12 10 2 0 201 103 20 Regina Roughriders 12 6 6 0 84 136 12 Calgary Bronks 11 4 7 0 144 123 8 Edmonton Eskimos 11 3 8 0 80 147 6

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Ottawa Rough Riders 6 5 1 0 145 44 10 Toronto Argonauts 6 4 1 1 58 43 9 Hamilton Tigers 6 2 4 0 29 84 4 Montreal Royals 6 0 5 1 23 84 1

Ontario Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Montreal Westmounts 6 4 1 1 71 45 9 Sarnia Imperials 6 3 1 2 70 38 8 Toronto Balmy Beach 6 3 2 1 58 27 7 Peterborough Orfuns 6 0 6 0 16 105 0

• Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs

British Columbia Rugby Football Union

Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds	6	6	0	0	108	25	12
Knights of Columbus	6	4	2	0	63	63	8
North Shore Lions	6	2	4	0	48	51	4
Victoria Revellers	6	0	6	0	25	105	0

BCRFU playoffs

Note: All dates in 1939

BCRFU semifinals

Date Away Home November 18 North Shore Lions 0 University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 12

University of British Columbia Thunderbirds advance to BCRFU finals

Date Away Home November 18 Knights of Columbus 1 Victoria Revellers 6

Victoria Revellers advance to BCRFU finals

BCRFU final

Date Away Home November 25 Victoria Revellers 6 University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 17

University of British Columbia Thunderbirds win the BCRFU championship

Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1939

Semifinals

WIFU Semifinals Calgary Bronks @ Regina Roughriders Probable date Away Home November 4 Calgary Bronks 24 Regina Roughriders 17

ORFU Finals Game Date Away Home 1 November 18 Montreal Westmounts 1 Sarnia Imperials 13 2 November 25 Sarnia Imperials 18 Montreal Westmounts 13

• Sarnia won the total-point series by 31–14 and played the Ottawa Rough Riders (IRFU Champions) in the Eastern Finals.

IRFU Finals Game Date Away Home 1 November 18 Ottawa Rough Riders 11 Toronto Argonauts 0 2 November 25 Ottawa Rough Riders 28 Toronto Argonauts 6

• Ottawa won the total-point series by 39–6 and played the Sarnia Imperials (ORFU Champions) in the Eastern Finals.

Finals

Western Finals Game Date Away Home 1 November 11 Calgary Bronks 13 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 2 November 18 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28 Calgary Bronks 7

• Winnipeg won the total-point series by 35–20 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.

Eastern Finals Ottawa Rough Riders (IRFU) @ Sarnia Imperials (ORFU) Date Away Home December 2 Ottawa Rough Riders 23 Sarnia Imperials (ORFU) 1

• Ottawa advanced to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Grey Cup final

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

11-28

IRFU

Toronto Argonauts

0-6

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

23

EAST

ORFU

Sarnia Imperials

1

ORFU

Montreal Westmounts

1-13

ORFU

Sarnia Imperials

12-18

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

7

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

8

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

WIFU

BYE

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

7+28

WEST

WIFU

Calgary Bronks

13+7

WIFU

Regina Roughriders

17

WIFU

Calgary Bronks

24

Grey Cup Championship

December 9 27th Annual Grey Cup Game: Lansdowne Park – Ottawa, Ontario WIFU Champion IRFU Champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers 8 Ottawa Rough Riders 7 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers became the 1939 Grey Cup Champions

1939 Interprovincial Rugby Football Union All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Bill Stukus, Toronto Argonauts
• FW – Bill Davies, Montreal Royals
• HB – Red Storey, Toronto Argonauts
• HB – Bill Isbister, Hamilton Tigers
• FB – Tony Golab, Ottawa Rough Riders
• E – Tony McCarthy, Ottawa Rough Riders
• E – Bernie Thornton, Toronto Argonauts
• C – George Willis, Toronto Argonauts
• G – Charles "Tiny" Hermann, Ottawa Rough Riders
• G – Len Staughton, Ottawa Rough Riders
• T – Bunny Wadsworth, Ottawa Rough Riders
• T – Dave Sprague, Ottawa Rough Riders

1939 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Clayton "Curly" Krug, Peterborough Orfuns
• FW – Joe Woodcock, Sarnia Imperials
• HB – Bernie Moroz, Sarnia Imperials
• HB – Eddie Thompson, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
• DB – Johnny Ferraro, Montreal Westmounts
• E – Ike Norris, Sarnia Imperials
• E – Leo Deadey, Peterborough Orfuns
• C – Harry Living, Sarnia Imperials
• G – Bob Reid, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
• G – Pat Bulter, Sarnia Imperials
• T – Cliff Parsons, Sarnia Imperials
• T – Tommy Burns, Montreal Westmounts

1939 Canadian Football Awards

• Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Bill Davies (FW), Montreal Royals
• Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Eddie Thompson - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers