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Down Memory Lane - 1937-2007 Burrards Down Memory Lane Articles - by Stan Shillington Every sport -- baseball, football, hockey, soccer, etc. -- embraces the continuity of a handful of teams to sustain the tradition of the game. The Burrard Lacrosse Club proudly celebrates this time-honoured custom in the 2007 season -- the organization's 70th consecutive senior lacrosse campaign in Western Canada. It may be true that there were times when the Burrards were called the Burrard Westerns or Combines or Pils or Carlings and that home was where you found it -- the Forum, Agrodome, Coliseum, Kerrisdale, Surrey or Maple Ridge; despite these changes dictated by a new venue or the economics of the day, everyone knew that, behind the survival tactics of commercialism, the team was still the Burrards. Bill Calder, Les Dickinson, Ed Bayley and some of their old cronies from the Burrard Liberal Association conceived the need for a new club in the Inter-City Lacrosse League (ICLL) in the Fall of 1936, thus giving birth to the Baby Blue nine months later. The original sponsor was Ed Irvine whose only advertisement was a Maltese cross on the uniforms, the symbol of a popular soft drink of the day. With franchise in hand, the founders set out to recruit players. Les Dickinson, who was named coach, naturally went after his young son Bill. The Province Bluebirds, a club guided by Ed Bayley from juvenile to senior in the early 1930's, had folded in 1936, therefore providing the Burrards with more young talent. Added to the mix were a few veterans to settle youthful enthusiasm. The Burrards were now ready for the boxla wars. The 1937 team was a solid, exciting foundation to build a tradition of excellence: Bill Dickinson, Chuck and Bill Morphett, Walt Lee, George Gray, John MacDonald, Joe Jenkinson, Roy Cavallin, Bert Bryant, Bill Chestnut, Roy Hope, Harvey Olson and Walt Ross. Filling the gaps in the shorthanded lineup were the likes of Les Davy, Cece McGavin, Bo Bradford, Jumbo McLean, Russ Proctor, Roy Hartney, Bob James, Bill Walker, Jack Smith and Len Woodward. In the next year or two, the Burrards recruited cornerstones for the foundation -- John Cavallin, John Dale, Pat Theal and Don Matheson. It was a fun ride to the top -- from league basement in 1937 to the Mann Cup finals in 1940. Unfortunately, St. Catharines proved to be the wicked stepmother and the Cinderella Burrards were forced to wait until 1945 to gain the national title. Les Dickinson surrendered the coaching chores after the 1940 season to Ed Irvine who was later followed by Ed Bayle and Chuck Jones before John Dale guided the unit to the 1945 Mann Cup with a mixture of returning Second World War servicemen and youngsters like Bo Bradford, Bill Harris, Ernie Smith, Frank Lee, Earl McDonald, Harry Buchanan and Roddy McLeod. The Burrards took part in some of the most memorable lacrosse battles with Adanacs and Salmonbellies between 1946 and 1948 before the boys in blue, now under rookie coach John Cavallin, captured a second national championship. By now, the club was known officially as the Burrard Westerns. Faced with a number of retirements and the collapse of the Richmond Farmers' franchise, the 1951 Vancouver club was renamed the Combines -- not very original, but somebody must have liked it. In any case, it didn't last long; soon it was back to the Burrard moniker for a spell before a brewery marraige resulted in name changes to Pils and Carlings. The teams of the 1960's were something to behold. Built by coach Jack McKinnon and polished by Bob Marsh and Alex MacKay, Vancouver captured the Mann Cup in 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1967. It was a fantastic decade but, through it all, there remained the desire to get back to the Burrard name. In 1970, Colin Cruickshank, Bill Dickinson and Peter Black, as president, vice-president and coach respectively, again adopted Burrards as the official team name. Pride made Burrards a boxla power with which to contend, but it took until 1975, under coach Ross McDonald, to win the Mann Cup once again. The feat was repeated in 1977. Fourteen times the Burrards have fought for the Mann Cup -- eight times they have succeeded. The glory has been further polished by eight players named the Mike Kelly winner as the Mann Cup's Most Valuable Player -Frank Lee (1945), Don Matheson (1949), Bill Barbour (1961), Gord Gimple (1963), John Cervi (1967), Ron Pinder (1975) and Doug Hayes and Mike Smith (tied 1977). And we mustn't forget the only shutout in the history of the Mann Cup -- Don Hamilton's blanking of Brampton 13-0 on September 23, 1961. Lacrosse, like any other sport, has suffered through highs and lows of popularity but, through the dark times as well as the good, the stars have always glittered. There will always be debate over who was the best player to wear the Burrard uniform and the argument certainly won't be settled here. But the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame has recognized 53 players who have worn the blue colours -- 36 of whom spent virtually all of their productive years with Burrards, 13 who had brief flings before moving on to other clubs and four who actually belonged to opposing teams but were picked up by Vancouver for Mann Cup play. As a leader in the game of lacrosse, it should come as no surprise that the seed of creation, although fertilized and nurtured in New Westminster where the Hall of Fame is located, was actually implanted by the Burrards. Look back, if you would, to 1960 -- three full years before the Royal City enthusiasts applied to the Canadian Lacrosse Association for the Hall of Fame charter. An article appeared in the July 5, 1960, Vancouver program under the heading of "Anyone for a Lacrosse Hall of Fame?" which stated, in part: It is high time that these former stars are toasted for their contributions to Canada's national game. Once a player retires from lacrosse, his name becomes only a slight memory or it's forgotten altogether……to forget them would be a crime. Forty-eight names representing box and field lacrosse and builders of the game were honoured in 1966 as charter members. They, along with first-year inductees, found a place of honour at the official opening of the Hall on May 17, 1967. Each year since, new names have been added -- the stars of yester-year and their exploits would not fade into oblivion. In 1998, a "Team" category was added for the Hall to honour. The 1961 - 1967 Vancouver organization was inducted the following year. In 2004, the 1964 team was also inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. Seventy years of glory -- happy birthday and continued success. Burrards and The Mann Cup 1940 St. Catharines 3 Vancouver 0 1945 Vancouver 3 St. Catharines 0 WIN 1949 Vancouver 3 Hamilton 1 WIN 1951 Peterborough 4 Vancouver 3 1952 Peterborough 4 Vancouver 0 1961 Vancouver 4 Brampton 0 WIN 1963 Vancouver 4 St. Catharines 1 WIN 1964 Vancouver 4 Brooklin 3 WIN 1966 Peterborough 4 Vancouver 1 1967 Vancouver 4 Brooklin 2 WIN 1973 Peterborough 1 Vancouver 0 1975 Vancouver 2 Brampton 0 WIN 1977 Vancouver 4 Brampton 2 WIN 1990 Brooklin 4 Vancouver 0 Vancouver victorious eight of 14 Mann Cup attempts Mike Kelly Winners (Mann Cup MVP) 1945 Frank Lee 1949 Don Matheson 1961 Bill Barbour 1963 Gordie Gimple 1967 John Cervi 1975 Ron Pinder 1977 Doug Hayes and Mike Smith (joint winners) One Shutout In Mann Cup History Sept. 23, 1961 - Don Hamilton blanks Brampton 13-0 League Scoring Champions 1944 Don Matheson 1945 Bill Harris 1949 Jim Anderson & Harry Buchanan 1962 Fred Usselman 1972 Gord Frederickson 1982 Doug Hayes 1990 Randy Jones 2002 Kyle Goundrey 2003 Kyle Goundrey Burrards Hall Of Fame Inductees Charter Bill Dickinson 1985 Bill Barbour Charter Bill Morphett 1985 Skip MacKay 1966 John Cavallin 1997 Bob Salt 1967 John Dale 1988 Bob Babcock 1967 Walt Lee 1989 Sid Warick 1968 Don Matheson 1990 Don Hamilton 1970 Roy Cavallin 1991 Kevin Alexander 1973 Bert Bryant 1992 Bob Marsh 1973 Gordie Gimple 1992 Wayne Shuttleworth 1974 Bill Chisholm 1994 Doug Hayes 1975 Bo Bradford 1994 Bill Rawson 1975 Jack Byford 1995 Dave Evans 1976 Harry Buchanan 1997 George Gray 1976 Stan Joseph 1997 Bertie Houston 1976 Jake Proctor 1996 Roy Pinder 1978 Bill Harris 1998 Dave Tasker 1979 Jim Anderson 1999 Skip Chapman & Brian Tasker 1979 Fred Usselman 2002 Merv Schweitzer 1980 Mario Crema 2003 Gary Stevens 1981 Peter Black 2003 Alf Brenner 1991 Mel Jones 2004 Bruce Turris & Bob Tasker 1982 John Cervi 2005 Ernie Smith 1983 Joe Comeau 2006 Greg Thomas Hall of Fame players picked up by Burrards for Mann Cup play 1971 Archie Browning 1972 Jack Northup 1980 Paul Parnell 1993 Larry Smeltzer Hall of Fame Builders 1966 Ed Bayley 1971 Bill Calder 1971 Les Dickinson 1972 Dr. T. S. Perrett 1975 Lou Moro 1977 Stan Shillington 1978 Jack McKinnon 1982 Bill Ellison 1988 Jake MacGregor 1989 Wally Donaldson 1999 Bob Parry 2006 Rick Richards All-Time Burrards Statistical Leaders Goals Assists Points 687 Doug Hayes 578 Gord Frederickson 1232 Doug Hayes 513 Roy Cavallin 545 Doug Hayes 1068 Gord Frederickson 490 Gord Frederickson 514 Bill Rawson 910 Bob Salt 443 Peter Black 492 Ken Thomas 891 Bob Babcock 428 Sid Warick 488 Bob Salt 831 Harry Buchanan 424 Harry Buchanan 479 Bob Babcock 829 Ron Pinder 422 Bob Salt 433 Ron Pinder 804 Bill Rawson 422 Ernie Smith 427 Don Matheson 777 Roy Cavallin 415 Gordie Gimple 407 Harry Buchanan 763 Peter Black 412 Bob Babcock 377 Rod Jensen 746 Don Matheson 396 Ron Pinder 374 Bruce Turris 718 Gordie Gimple 385 Jim Anderson 352 Kyle Goundrey 666 Sid Warick 383 Bill Barbour 320 Peter Black 654 Bill Barbour 383 Fred Usselman 306 Dave Tasker 644 Ken Thomas 328 Bob Marsh 305 John Cervi 622 Bruce Turris 319 Don Matheson 303 Gordie Gimple 616 Fred Usselman 307 Chris Gill 303 Daren Fridge 593 John Cavallin Most Burrard Games 452 Bob Babcock 449 Bill Chisholm 422 Doug Hayes 412 Gord Frederickson 406 Walt Lee 400 Peter Black 387 Harry Buchanan 383 Bill Rawson 362 Roy Cavallin 335 John Cervi 334 Bob Salt 329 Bill Barbour 326 Ross McDonald 323 Mike Smith 308 Jim Anderson 304 George Gray 303 Sid Warick 301 John Cavallin Commission Trophy Winners 1974 Bob Salt 1975 Bob Salt 1977 Dave Tasker 1979 Doug Hayes 1982 Doug Hayes 1988 Dwight Maetche 1998 Chris Gill 2002 Kyle Goundrey
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