Grey Cup

The Grey Cup is the trophy and the name of the championships that the eight teams that make up the Canadian Football League (CFL) are chasing at the start of each season. After the Stanley Cup which is awarded to the winners of the National Hockey League (NHL) the Grey Cup is the second oldest trophy that is competed for in North American professional sports.

Like the earlier mentioned Stanley Cup the Grey Cup is awarded every year with the winning team having to hand back the trophy. Similarly, the Grey Cup also has the name of the winning players, coaches, and management staff (President and General Manager) engraved on its chalice. First awarded in 1909 the cup is named after the Governor General of Canada the Earl Grey. Those who bet on CFL should remember this.

The venue for the game is decided some two years in advance as much like the NFL Super Bowl the game has no permanent home instead it is moved around the grounds of the member clubs of the CFL. Although the Olympic Stadium in Montreal holds the top four records for attendance at the Grey Cup, the highest being 68,318 in 1977 it is Toronto who has hosted the most Grey Cup games, with 45, most recently at the Rogers Centre in 2007 when the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19. The CFL online betting suggests we should be in for another exciting contest.

There have now been 98 Grey Cup games, with no game taking place between 1916-1919 and it has now grown into a big sporting occasion. Two awards are given for play in the game, Most Valuable Player and the Dick Suderman Trophy as most valuable Canadian player.

The appearance record for the Grey Cup is held by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who have appeared in 23 finals; while it is the Toronto Argonauts who are the most successful side having lifted the trophy on 15 occasions. The 2010 champions are the Montreal Alouettes, who defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21–18 in the 98th Grey Cup held November 28 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. This year's Grey Cup will be held on 27 November at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.