The Calgary Stampeders are planning to celebrate their 75th anniversary in style, a special-edition retro jersey on Friday.
The jerseys are a modern update of the ones worn by the Stamps from 1948-52, a stretch which included the only undefeated season in CFL history capped off by Calgary’s first Grey Cup championship in 1948.
The retro look features red and white vertical striping on the shoulders, the team’s retro logo featured from 1945-71 on both sleeves and a classic number font.
The driving force behind the jersey was veteran Stampeders equipment manager George Hopkins, who has been with the club since 1972.
“As part of the celebrations of our 75th season, it’s fitting that we’re wearing jerseys inspired by the early Stampeders teams including the undefeated 1948 Grey Cup champions,” said Hopkins.
“These are the iconic jerseys that made the Stampeders the Red and White and were worn by legendary players including Keith Spaith, Normie Kwong and Sugarfoot Anderson. The unveiling of this jersey has been a long time coming and we have to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of former Stampeders employee Jessica Littel in the early days of this project to help it come to life.”
The jerseys will be worn for six of the team’s home games in 2021. Fans will see the new look for the very first time at the Stamps’ home-opener when the Toronto Argonauts come to McMahon Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 7.
