PIT TOUCH and FLAG FOOTBALL in WINNIPEG MANITOBA - FOOTBALL!

3774 Posts

To ensure that the history of touch football is preserved in the province, PIT Football has worked to identify the previous champions and record holders from defunct leagues. By celebrating our champions of yesteryear we want to demonstrate the long and rich history of touch and flag football in Manitoba. Manitoba was one of the first provinces in Canada to start a league, beginning in 1972 with the Winnipeg Touch Football League (WTFL). With the help of Darrell Mazur, we have unearthed statistics from the WTFL going back to its inception. While not complete, we have the majority of champions and statistical leaders from their starting points.

Anyone who can identify any missing information to make the history more complete, please contact us! There are a few seasons where we don't have a definitive winner, or statistical leader. In some cases the names listed were only a first initial or only a last name. Once we get our next season up and running we can see about getting some prizes for those that have some of the historical information we are looking for.

A big thanks to Darrell Mazur, who meticulously collected the majority of information found for the WTFL prior to 2006.

Here is a link to the WTFL historical data: https://pit.redzoneleagues.com/menu/wtfl-history-stats

You can also find the link under our newest heading on the sidebar "Touch Football History"

The PIT Crew

14 Posts

Thanks for this Jon & Darrell. Great trip down memory lane, since 1987 for me. I'm sitting here looking at my 2001 Div 2 Banditos championship trophy, but I'll be damned if I remember who we beat.......

3774 Posts

Thanks Ed! 2001 Div 2 Banditos...that was one that was missing so that helps fill in one blank. If anyone admits to being defeated by the Banditos let us know! I will add to the list, making it a three-peat for those Banditos (1999-2001).

8 Posts

Great job Jon. I know how much work goes into acquiring the history of the defunct leagues and how much goes into posting all of it, to bad more records were not kept. Keep up the great work and I am sure everyone is looking forward to getting back to some FOOTBALL soon.

177 Posts

If someone wanted to do some digging I am sure you could find some info in the archives at the library. All the stats were in the Free press back in the day. Might be a retirement project for me. of course the libraries would have to be open

177 Posts

1991 Division 2 - Chargers defeat Rebels 12-8? can't quite recall exact score; it was a low score for sure

177 Posts

1997 Division 3 - Spurs defeat Portage (la Prairie) Chargers in final. Don't remember the score, it was a lopsided affair. I have a photo of that Team from after the final, i will forward along for league archives

334 Posts

Thanks for information Cliff, we will make sure to make some revisions!

Do you (or anyone else know) if the free press carried the playoff results? I do remember a time where the only place you could figure out the standings was in the Free Press - no websites back then, and they were always a couple of weeks behind! If results were carried in the papers, then perhaps we might have a job for someone to go through the old papers to add to the history of touch football in Manitoba.

177 Posts

Yes, there were articles in the Freep. Not sure on how much details but they did have them most of the time. Usually finals were in there; it was the Maze that sent in the results and the Assassins were winning alot of which he was a part of. But also he was Prez for a while at that time, of course you have tapped him out for info already. Certainly they were behind.
If Ed M didn't tape over our Touch Beat show on the VHSs ( I think it was his kids that did that ) we might have some info there too. Might want to contact Ed and see if he has any info. If someone does look, remember that the finals in those days were after TouchBowl, end of October. Might be early November in the sports section?
When the covid restrictions lift, maybe i will even go see what i can find? I will be retired soon :)

14 Posts

Ah, VHS. There's this thing called magnetic degradation, which I just learned about when I went to transfer my VHS library to my PC. After a VHS tape sits for about 10 years, it's toast.......