BFF 1947
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 0 | 12 |
| *North Shore Lions | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 39 | 8 |
| CYO Red Raiders | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 141 | 2 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 111 | 2 |
| Championship | |||
| Vancouver Blue Bombers | 14 | North Shore Lions | 0 |
(Vancouver Blue Bombers advance to Canadian Rugby Union Western Canada Semi-Finals)
BFF 1948
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 97 | 29 | 10 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 30 | 9 |
| North Shore Lions | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 36 | 22 | 5 |
| CYO Red Raiders | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 116 | 0 |
(No Championship Game – Vancouver Blue Bombers declared Champions and advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1949
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 11 | 12 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 35 | 6 |
| North Shore Lions | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 75 | 4 |
| CYO Red Raiders | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 82 | 0 |
(No Championship Game – Vancouver Blue Bombers advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1950
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 30 | 8 |
| *Vancouver Meralomas | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 66 | 6 |
| North Shore Lions | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 34 | 4 |
| Championship | |||
| Vancouver Blue Bombers | 40 | Vancouver Meralomas | 0 |
(Vancouver Blue Bombers advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1951
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 36 | 4 |
| *Vancouver Meralomas | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 20 | 3 |
| North Shore Lions | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 1 |
| Championship | |||
| Vancouver Blue Bombers | 9 | Vancouver Meralomas | 1 |
(Vancouver Blue Bombers advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1952
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 126 | 37 | 12 |
| *CYO Red Raiders | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 13 | 10 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 91 | 58 | 6 |
| Penticton Marauders | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 52 | 2 |
| North Shore Lions | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 179 | 0 |
(Penticton Marauders only played home schedule – match v CYO Red Raiders cancelled due to player shortage)
| Championship | |||
| CYO Red Raiders | 16 | Vancouver Blue Bombers | 6 |
(CYO Red Raiders advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1953
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 29 | 12 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 98 | 51 | 8 |
| CYO Red Raiders | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 62 | 93 | 4 |
| North Shore Lions | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 115 | 0 |
(No Championship Game – Vancouver Blue Bombers declared Champions and advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1954
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 103 | 33 | 10 |
| *CYO Red Raiders | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 115 | 25 | 10 |
| North Shore Lions | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 80 | 79 | 2 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 165 | 5 |
| Championship | |||
| Vancouver Blue Bombers | 17 | CYO Red Raiders | 0 |
(Vancouver Blue Bombers advance to CRU Western Canada Semi-Final)
BFF 1955
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 23 | 16 |
| CYO Red Raiders | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 77 | 91 | 9 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 46 | 84 | 8 |
| Marpole Athletics | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 61 | 120 | 5 |
| North Shore Cougars | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 58 | 4 |
(No championship Game – Vancouver Blue Bombers declared Champions and advance to Provincial Championship against winners of Victoria Junior Canadian Football League)
BFF 1956
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts | |
| *Vancouver Blue Bombers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 41 | 9 |
| *Vancouver Meralomas | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 99 | 83 | 7 |
| *CYO Red Raiders | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 75 | 5 |
| North Shore Cougars | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 67 | 62 | 4 |
| Marpole Athletics | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 67 | 92 | 4 |
| Burnaby Spartans | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 89 | 1 |
(Extra Game played between North Shore and Marpole to decide extra playoff spot)
| Extra-Game | |||
| North Shore Cougars | 35 | Marpole Athletics | 6 |
| Semi-Finals | |||
| Vancouver Blue Bombers | 7 | North Shore Cougars | 0 |
| Vancouver Meralomas | 33 | CYO Red Raiders | 0 |
| Championship | |||
| Vancouver Meralomas | 4 | Vancouver Blue Bombers | 1 |
(Vancouver Meralomas advance to Provincial Championship against winners of Victoria Junior Canadian Football League)
About
Big Four Football was the Vancouver Area Canadian Football Championship from 1947, during the Canadian Rugby Union Era (1947-1966) through the Canadian Amateur Football Association Era (1967-1973) until the Canadian National Junior Football League Era (1974- 1981).
This was Canadian Football’s Junior League, with Leagues in each of the Provinces, and a Canadian Junior Championship Playoff System for each Provincial Leagues winner. It formed a level below the Canadian Football League, Canada’s Premier Football League, and was reserved for players aged 18-22.
Report
Vancouver Blue Bombers dominated Big Four Football between 1947 and 1956, winning the title on eight occasions – only CYO Red Raiders in 1952, and Vancouver Meralomas, in 1956, broke this dominance.
References:
Websites:
[1] British Columbia Football Conference (2019) CJFL Records | All Time Standings [Internet] Available from: https://cdn4.sportngin.com/attachments/document/0132/8193/Team_Standings_1887-2016.pdf?_ga=2.223530395.1807741386.1558376670-2095904572.1558376670 [Accessed 21 May 2019]
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Bob
About this document
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 31 August 2019
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.