Headlines
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Recollections of a League Founder
It was a typical November day in the 1980’s, cold, yet sunny with leaves covering the wet mushy field at Carlton Park. Glen Richardson, Russ Brimson and myself, damp and muddy, sucked on a few "brews" while we walked off the field. I couldn't help feeling that this was the end to our semi-organized, pick-up football. I counted nine warm bodies playing that day. Touch football is our pastime, a game that reminded you that you were still "great"! “Guys, we can't let this go, this is great, but it’s dying in front of us”. “What the hell are we going to do, lay on a couch and snooze thru every fall Sunday afternoon?” “We have to have this organized, improved and really appreciated"!
I was baiting him, the premier organizer, the project manager, Glen Richardson. "Someone has to do it" I said! Glen said "O.K., I will, but I need help from both of you". Gotcha - I had hit the right nerve!
Many beers and many ideas and plans later, we were ready for the next season to start. The UTFL was born!
I can recall a few years later a sign-up evening at my place. We were downstairs at my bar, paper flying, phone ringing, "beer is in the fridge", I yelled to everyone who come down the stairs. We had advertised in the local weekly, stating day and cut -off time. We had a good turn-out, maybe forty guys and once everyone had left, it was time to organize teams. One funny moment was five minutes before cut-off time and we were exhausted when my wife Sharin called downstairs that a woman was on the phone saying that her husband would be there shortly. "Too late, it’s closed-off and we are picking teams". The woman pleaded that he would be there in minutes, would we keep it open? Ten minutes later, a guy flies down the stairs and I directed him to the fridge. "Are you the guy we are waiting for?" “Yup, must be me"! I asked him for the membership fee and he explained that not only that he had forgotten the his cheque and had no cash, but would we take one of his wife, Belinda Stronach’s cheques?" “Hi, I'm Don Walker" he said, introducing himself. Don played with us for a few seasons and is the only player that I know that made it to the "majors" – he went on to become president of Magna Corporation.
We were moved from field to field for many years and even played on the wind-swept reservoir at 14th and Kennedy for a few years. We finally found a permanent home at Unionville High School and have enjoyed many seasons of good sportsmanship and met a lot of new guys that we would not have met other than through the love of the game.
Many great guys have come through the league since inception and have remained close friends to this day. Keep this league alive guys - it’s worth it.
Sincerely:
Denny Van Fleet,
Co-founder, UTFL
