Drawn back by black and gold

Homecoming fun on Friday. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Autumn 1976 -- The last time Dalhousie fielded a football team, I was the associate editor of the Dalhousie Gazette and our sports pages featured football headlines such as Dal Tigers Defeat Mounties in Football Opener, Tigers Stumble to UPEI, Dal Defeats UPEI and UNB Nips Tigers.

It wasn’t to last, as the university was soon to pull the plug on its team.

Flash to October 23, 2010 – It’s the first football season since that fateful year and tonight’s game is against the Moncton Junior Mustangs during Dalhousie’s first Homecoming celebrations in 15 years. 

SEE PHOTOS: Homecoming 2010

In the stands is Mike Lloyd who played right guard at Dal in the fall of 1961 alongside Dal’s legendary player, Ted Wickwire, for whom the Wickwire Field is named. Mr. Lloyd, who studied chemistry here from 1959 to 1962, drove from his home in Wisconsin with his wife, Doris, who received her Diploma in Public Health at Dal. They planned a business trip to coincide with Homecoming. 

Before the game the Lloyds check out the Tailgate Party, a celebration of Dal’s athletes, in a tent on Studley Quad. “This game will bring back a lot of memories,” says Mr. Lloyd, adding that he played one season, and they lost every game. Homecoming is all about memories for him as he points to the top of the nearby building where he had his chemistry labs over 45 years ago.  “I spent a lot of time up there.”  It’s the coldest day of autumn and the wind is brisk.  “I remember waiting for the trolley bus on Gottingen Street to get to school.  It was the coldest place on the planet,” he says with a chuckle. 

“It’s nice to be back where we met,” says Doris, adding that while the main area of the campus hasn’t changed she did have some trouble finding her way around.

With live music blasting, there is food and drink and a great collection of paraphernalia including Dal T-shirts, sweatshirts, mittens, water bottles, toques and scarves. 

Fahad Kabir, a fifth-year Dal student says the football team’s return combined with Homecoming brings a new level of school spirit to the campus. “Even the current students are excited,” he said while volunteering at the Homecoming information table at the Dal SUB.  “Students are buying Dal paraphernalia, they’ve been asking for football tickets all day.  They’re taking well to this.”

Also on campus are Deb Armour and Jim MacAulay of Vancouver, 1985 law grads. They had been in Charlottetown on business, returned to Vancouver and so strongly wanted to attend their 25th class reunion that five days later caught a red-eye flight to Halifax. "It was great to catch up with old friends from law school, says Mr. MacAulay. “It’s not that we’re just renewing old friendships. We’re making new ones with grads we didn’t know well then,” adds Ms. Armour. 

Dal staffers let out a terrifying Tiger roar. (Danny Abriel Photo)

At game time the fans are bundled up against the cold wind as enthusiastic students run back and forth waving flags and cheering on their team. There are parents in the crowd who’ve come from Toronto to see their sons play. 

Amongst the Dal alumni are Haligonians Mike Sherar and Bruce Evans who became friends at Dal in the ‘70s.  “It’s good to see everyone and to have football back,” says Mr. Sherar, a member of the Football Founders Club.  “It renews the synergy of days gone by.  And it’s great to integrate that with the new generation.”  

Mr. Evans, another Founders member, says he attended many Homecoming events. “The activities have been great.  It’s just a lot of fun.”

Dalhousie wins the game, 17-8, completing a Homecoming winning stretch; in the afternoon the women’s soccer team defeated UNB Varsity Reds 3-0, followed by the men’s victory of 1-0 over UNB.

Homecoming provides entertainment and a football team to cheer on, but most of all it’s about memories – and for Mike and Doris Lloyd, the day after the game they visited Citadel Hill where he proposed so many years ago.

Valerie Mansour studied Music and English at Dalhousie in the '70s during those few moments she wasn't working on the Dalhousie Gazette.  She was one of many distinguished "SUB rats."