Tiger-Cats roar back ... on Labour Day

Team’s first home game is on that iconic Monday, followed three months later by the Grey Cup

The home team will be back in the city for the first time in 20 months and the Grey Cup game will be back in the city for the first time in a quarter-century.

Both were confirmed Monday when the CFL announced its board of governors had unanimously approved returning to play — in front of fans — beginning Aug. 5. Both were expected, but both are jarring reminders of how in turbulent times things can change in a hurry. Sometimes even toward the positive.

Although the team would not confirm it, The Spectator has learned that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ first home game will be the Labour Day Classic against the Toronto Argonauts, Monday, Sept. 6.

Team officials are confident fans will be allowed into Tim Hortons Field for Labour Day but neither team CEO Scott Mitchell nor league commissioner Randy Ambrosie would estimate how many that would be. Ontario is only in

Stage 1 of its reopening plan and the provincial government said Monday that it hopes Ontario will be at the necessary vaccination and infection rate thresholds for professional teams to have fans by Sept. 1.

“This is a very positive day, for the league and the Tiger-Cats. It’s taken months of hard work and co-operation with a lot of partners,” Mitchell told The Spectator. “The number of fans is dependent upon a number of things. It all comes down to vaccination rates and the health of the citizens of Ontario, and that’s been trending positively. Look at the improvement in that over the last three months and Labour Day is nearly three months away.

“We’re looking for as many fans as we can have in the stadium that is acceptable to the city and province.”

Mitchell did confirm that to meet health and safety protocols and the now quick rampup to training camp, for this year only, the Ticats will shift training camp from McMaster University to Tim Hortons Field. Players will be boarded at an as-yet-unnamed Hamilton hotel instead of the Mac dorms.

Ambrosie said that it will be up to local and provincial authorities whether proof of vaccination(s) will be required to attend CFL games.

The CFL re-emphasized its commitment to a Dec. 12 Grey Cup date at Tim Hortons Field, three weeks later than originally planned. That includes five days of the Grey Cup Festival, mostly centred downtown.

Original estimates were for attendance of 32,000 at the game itself and Ticat president Matt Afinec is optimistic that by then fans will want to attend in large numbers.

“First and foremost it’s an incredibly exciting day for fans that the team is coming back. We have to start the season before we can have a Grey Cup,” Afinec said. “It’s setting the stage that Hamilton could host the first real major sporting event in this country in 20 months and that shines a bright spotlight on this city. We’re very confident that there will be an incredible atmosphere.

“What we hear and see from our fans is that everyone is excited to get back to the field and to get together again socially and safely. And we all recognize that there is a cohort of fans which will be a little hesitant. But given some of what we’ve been through it’s safe to say that today’s announcement wouldn’t have seemed remotely possible two months ago, and we’ve got six months until the Grey Cup.”

Mitchell said because the province will still be in Stage 1, training camp will be closed to the public. He also said the team would return to the McMaster campus for next year’s training and praised the university as a host and partner.

“This was a unique story this year,” he said. “Safety is the most important thing. We have some protocols we have to put it in and right now Tim Hortons Field represents the best and safest way to do that.”

The Ticats’ August is expected to include two road games in the west, one in Montreal and a bye week.

Tiger-Cats players contacted by The Spectator were glad to finally have a firm target date, allowing them to prepare themselves mentally and physically for training camp. There will be no full contact during training camp and no pre-season games.

“After the last year we’ve had, to be in position where we are now seriously aiming at playing football, yes that is quite remarkable,” said Chris Van Zeyl, the Ticats’ representative on the CFL Players Association. “I’m incredibly impressed with our association’s bargaining committee to rework the CBA for this one year and kudos to the league as well. There’s a variety of challenges, and it won’t be easy.

“But it’s great to be back.”