The CanSFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers came into being in early 2001 under the guidance of Colin Unger. The CanSFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers came as a direct offshoot of the historically rich Winnipeg Football Club of the Canadian Football League.

Since its inception in 1930, the Winnipeg Football Club has come to represent quality sports, entertainment and community spirit. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have kept their fans captivated through the fumbles and touchdowns of the past 70 years and will continue to do so in the new millennium.

The community-owned Winnipeg Football Club began operation under the direction of Dick Mahoney on June 10, 1930 following the amalgamation of teams in the Manitoba Rugby Union. Then known as the "Winnipegs", they became in 1935 the first team west of Ontario to win the Grey Cup Trophy.

While the Winnipegs were playing a 1936 exhibition game against the University of North Dakota, young Winnipeg Tribune sports writer Vince Leah remarked, "These are the Blue Bombers of Western football" - coining the phrase from Grantland Rice's moniker for then-heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis a.k.a. The Brown Bomber. From that day, the Winnipeg Football Club has been known as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The period from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s was the era of Winnipeg's first heroes - Fritzy Hanson, Greg Kabat, Russ Rebholz, Carl Cronin and Eddie James, to name but a few. From 1935-1945, the Blue Bombers appeared in eight Grey Cups (1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943 & 1945) and won three times (1935, 1939 & 1941).

Following Grey Cup visits in 1946 & 1947, the Bombers advanced to the Grey Cup five more times in the 1950s. The early part of the decade was the Jack Jacobs era, as the famed Aboriginal quarterback's exciting play and extreme talent increased ticket sales and overall awareness of the football club.

The club generated enough revenue from those games in the early 1950s to warrant the building of a new stadium. In 1953 the Blue Bombers moved from Osborne Stadium (the present location of Great West Life) to play their first season in Winnipeg Stadium, fondly known as "The House that Jack Built."

A few years after Jacobs' retirement in 1954, the Blue Bombers entered their glory years. Under the direction of future CFL hall of famer Bud Grant from 1957-1966 - along with players such as Ken Ploen, Leo Lewis, Ernie Pitts, Ed Kotowich and Steve Patrick - the Blue Bombers captured Grey Cup titles in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. They also made it to two other Grey Cup games: 1957 & 1965.

During this period, Winnipeg played in two storied Grey Cup encounters. In 1961 the championship battle between the Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats became the first and, to date, only overtime game in Grey Cup History. The Bombers emerged victorious in extra time, winning 21-14 courtesy of a Ken Ploen touchdown.

Then on Dec. 1, 1962, the same two sides played all but the final 9:29 of the 4th Quarter due to zero visibility at Toronto's CNE Stadium, in what has become known as the Fog Bowl. When the game resumed the next day, the score (28-27 for Winnipeg) didn't change and the Bombers pulled off another Grey Cup win.

Despite talented teams in the early and late 1970s, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did not return to a Grey Cup championship game until 1984. Under the guidance of general manager Paul Robson and head coach Cal Murphy, the team not only won the Grey Cup that year but also took home the title in 1988 and 1990.

The Blue Bomber teams of the early 1990s were dynamic and competitive. Along with the team's 50-11 shellacking of the Edmonton Eskimos in 1990, the Blue & Gold made it to the Grey Cup in 1992 and 1993, adding another first-place finish to their belt in 1994.

The year 2000 brought numerous positive changes to the football club and the new slogan "Game Day We All Play" became a fitting theme. More than 50,000 fans flooded the corner of Portage and Main for the inaugural Blue Bomber Kick Off Party. The club recruited new faces into the boardroom and onto the field.

Lyle Bauer - a key player in the 1984, 1988 and 1990 championship teams - became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Winnipeg Football Club. Under head coach Dave Ritchie, the 2000 Winnipeg Blue Bombers' team included shining stars such as the young and talented quarterback Khari Jones, and receivers Milt Stegall, Robert Gordon, and CFL Rookie of the Year Albert Johnson III. Linebacker Ryland Wickman also proved himself as a standout rookie.

The team made it to the post season for the first time in four years and won their first playoff game in six years. The new Blue Bomber team had a competitive spirit that made the rest of the CFL stand up and take notice. Winnipeg fans and sponsors also took notice and increased their support as the season progressed. Attendance jumped by 17.7% and corporate sponsorship hit an all-time high.

The future of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is bright. An improved on-field product and an enhanced game-day experience means Blue Bombers' fans will have much to enjoy in 2001.