Former Braves alumni guests at CFL Hall of Fame for Braves 50th anniversary

Two prominent former players for the Burlington Braves were invited guests at a press conference Saturday at the CFL Hall of Fame in Hamilton to announce details of the Braves' 50th anniversary celebrations. At left is CFL Hall-of-Famer Tony Gabriel and at right is Ian Sunter, the only Brave to play in the NFL (Cincinnati and Detroit). Both scored Grey Cup-winning points to highlight their CFL careers. The Burlington Braves played their first football game Aug. 30, 1958 against the Kitchener Dutchman. Coincidentally, a Kitchener-based team will provide the opposition when the Braves hold their 50th anniversary homecoming game Aug. 17 at Nelson Stadium. The Ontario Football Conference's newest entry -- the Tri-City Vipers -- representing Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, will provide the opposition as the Braves celebrate a half-century of junior football in Burlington. Now a five-team league, the OFC once fielded 13 squads throughout the province. Plans are to have 10 teams by the end of the decade.

The homecoming game in August is just one of many events celebrating the Braves' 50th season.

The first, detailed in last Sunday's Post, was the naming of the Braves' clubhouse at Nelson Stadium "The Al Lambert Field House" in memory of the longtime executive member. The day before the homecoming game, a reception and dinner marking the golden anniversary will be held at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Tickets can be ordered at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phoning 905-317-1561.

Many Braves alumni have graduated from the junior tam to higher calibre football. In a few cases, Tony Gabriel, for example, players climbed to the top of the ladder, earning CFL Hall-of-Fame credentials.

He is one of two Braves (and three Burlington players) to score the winning points in a Grey Cup game, all involving the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Gabriel's big moment came in 1976 in Toronto when Ottawa beat Saskatchewan 23-20 as the wide open tight end hauled in a pass from Tom Clements in the end zone in the last minute of play.

He remembers it as if it were yesterday.

"I couldn't believe that ball, there was nothing between us, but the ball kept taking it's time," he said. "All I could think of was dollar signs. The winner got $6,000, the loser got $3,000 and that was a lot of money back then. Thank God I didn't drop it or I would have retired and run right out of the end zone."

Ian Sunter, who went from Braves kicker to Hamilton Tiger-Cats kicker the following year, booted the winning field goal in the 1972 Grey Cup game, a 13-10 decision over the Green Riders.

"The score was tied, so if I don't make it, it's not like it's all over," said Sunter of the 34-yard attempt, no chip shot on a December afternoon in Hamilton. "Believe me, it was far enough."

Like Gabriel and many other Braves from that time, Sunter is a big fan of Bernie Custis, who coached the team for seven years starting in 1965.

"Of all the coaches I've played for, Bernie was the finest, no doubt about it," he said. "I learned more from him than any other person."

Another field-goal kicker from Burlington, Dave Ridgway, won a Grey Cup for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1989 against Hamilton, but he didn't play for the Braves. At a press conference held at the CFL Hall of Fame in Hamilton announcing details of the anniversary celebrations last Saturday, the room was filled with familiar names in Braves and CFL history. Former Brave John Michaluk, the master of ceremonies, introduced the who's who of local junior football. Some, such as John Bonk, Dave Hutton, Eddie Phillips, and Lee Knight were present, while others, such as Custis, (B.C. Lions owner) David Braley and Hall-of Famer Peter Dalla Riva, couldn't make it.

Kevin Nagel, The Burlington Post, June 13, 2007