Football returns to Dalhousie

Dalhousie Tigers ignite school spirit

Dalhousie Tigers and UNB Saint John Seawolves reorganize after a tackle during a match this fall at Wickwire Field in Halifax. Photo: Belinda Alzner

Take in a football game at Wickwire Field, and you might notice a fashion trend: black and gold.

Dalhousie football is back, the team boasts a winning record and people are getting excited.

The Tigers went 2-0 on the road before their home opener in early October - Dalhousie football's first home game since the varsity program was scrapped in 1976. The return was highly anticipated.

"We sold out," said Jeff Pond, president of the Dalhousie Football Club, who estimates 2,500 attended. "It was unbelievable to see that many people - that many students wearing the black and gold and cheering for the school."

Laurelle Potter, a fourth-year business management student at Dalhousie, agrees. "I really do think the one downfall of Dalhousie is the lack of school spirit," she says.

But this team may create a little Tiger fever on campus.

Potter visited the Split Crow pub downtown before the home opener and noticed the energy. "The majority of people...were all decked out in their Dal Tiger outfits, ready for the game," she said.

"The general consensus around my friends is that we all love the idea of Dal having school spirit and love the idea of dressing up and going to support Dal."

The club hopes to deliver results that bring the Dal community together and keep them cheering.

"I just want to see people at the games and having a good time," says Pond. "We want to have more of an atmosphere than just a regular game. We want it to be more of an event."

Pond says a common misconception is that this club team is laying the foundation for Dalhousie football to return to the varsity status it had before the program was dropped.

"A lot of things have to happen for that to even be considered, and right now it's just not in the plans," Pond says. "We're building a first-rate program and that's what the goal is."

Alumni behind revival

The idea of bringing football back to Dal began floating around last winter. A group of alumni and Dal community members started to pull things together but didn't have a league to play in.

The Atlantic Football League, comprised of club teams throughout Atlantic Canada, was open to the idea of adding more teams after its inaugural season in 2009. Dalhousie and Charlottetown's Holland College were part of an expansion of the league to five teams.

According to an article in the Chronicle Herald last spring, the club is entirely student-driven and paid for through membership dues and fundraising.

Pond says $50,000 was raised just to start the team. The money went toward preparing Wickwire Field and equipping every player with quality gear, including concussion helmets.

The Tigers were 3-2 at the beginning of November, with one more regular-season game before the playoffs. The top four teams will play for the Moosehead Cup.

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