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The Chargers were formed in 1970 by 23-year old Bobby Davis and
Don Bellamy Jr. as an independent "professional" football team in hopes of joining the Continental
Football League which went under before the Chargers had the chance to
petition.
On Aug 22, they announced the signing of ex-CFL
(Hamilton Tiger-Cat and Edmonton Eskimo) offensive tackle Warren
Desadier. Desadier, released by the BC Lions two weeks prior would
leave Oregon to suit for the Aug 29 game with the Seattle Cavaliers.
Issues erupted early according to newspaper
accounts which wrote following the loss to Seattle in the opener
"..owner/player Bob Davis suspended 36-players.." A Sep 2,
Vancouver Sun article reported that the Chargers were a "one-man" team
now. The following game with Everett was postponed. Coach
Stedham and the "fired" players announced they would be forming a new
team called the "BC Rebels".
The Rebels took the field for three of the Chargers originally scheduled
games, including the "postponed" Everett matchup. winning against Monroe and Everett, and losing 42-3 to Simon
Fraser. Bob Davis announced he was rescheduling games and that he
was lifting suspensions on players who had gone over to the Rebels and
had until Saturday, Sep 26 to return or be permanently exiled.
Those that returned the day after winning at Monroe, were treated to a
39-0 beating at the hands of Everett.
The rest of the season didn't fare any better for a team once hoping to
compete with the Continental League competition.
QB Glen Faustman was named the 1970 Team MVP. Ed McCulley (Best
Back), Derek Penman (MVP Lineman), Dave Flood (Lineman of the Year), and
John Pastro (Comradeship) were the other team award winners.
The 1970 team that faced Seattle week 1:
CB/LB Don Bellamy Jr.
G John Pastro
TB Jones Dyson
T Doug Kazakoff
C Derek Penman
G Bruce Armstrong T Bryan Murphy
QB Paul Grey
DB Dave Gracie
HB Peter Werry
CB Billy Robinson
FB Zoltan Sarkozy
TB/P Ron Mackie
FL Major Stevenson QB Marv Schrier
LB/G Bobby Davis K
Metro Gerela
C/LB Charlie Duke OT Stan
Ciok
DT Dave Flood
G Bobby Diachuk
E Johnny Helms
E Jimmy Sikma
HB Bruce Hicks
TB Bobby Reezy
T Bobby Meneice Gary
Learmonth
LB Merv Killoran
E Henry Roach
TB Billy Taylor
TB Jimmy Pannell
TB Ken Vogt
DE Ted Klassen
Lovell Coleman took the reigns as head coach just a few years removed
from leading the CFL in rushing with 1343 yards with the Calgary
Stampeders in 1963 and 1629 yards the next year with the BC Lions
enroute to Canada's Outstanding Football Player award. Coleman
even suited up at fullback against the Cavaliers on a short-handed trip.
Billy Taylor, Jim Pannell, Billy Robinson led the scoring in a 23-13 win
over Snohomish.
Glen Faustman hit Mike Wolfe for a 47-yard TD to lift the team to a 12-6
win over Monroe, losing fullback Dave Athey to a knee injury.
Charlie Pruitt scooped up a Tiger fumble to tie the game earlier.
Billy Robinson single-handedly defeated the Cavaliers with two defensive
scores in a 13-6 win. Robinson picked off a first-quarter Cavalier
pass racing 25 yards for a TD, and in the 3rd quarter tied 6-6, scooped
up a Seattle fumble and took it to the house from 45-yards out.
In '71 the Chargers raced to a 10-3 record and
runner-up spot in the NWIFL. The Chargers held the top spot until
the Halloween game which became kicker Ron Mackie's nightmare.
Kirkland won the game on a 20-yard field goal after Mackie had missed
from 24, 30 and 35 on the night.
The Chargers were blasted by the Bramalea
Satellites of the Ontario Rugby Football Union Senior League 45-6 in
what was billed as the Canadian Senior League National Championship
game. BC fumbled on the first play of the game to set the tone. Bruce Cawdell was a TE
signee at 6'4" 265.
The Chargers were split into 2 teams in 1972 when
the
Burnaby Barons were formed and it was a bad split for the Chargers
who became bottom-dwellers of the NIFL.
Former Calgary Stampeder, Winnipeg Blue Bomber, and
Montreal Alouette Ken Danchuk joined the team as a player coach in
August of 1972.
Kicker Jack Steele got BC into the win column with a last-minute field
goal to boost the Chargers to a 3-0 victory over Whatcom County.
1973:
Bob Ryder missed an extra point and let the game
slip away 13-14 to the Burien Flyers in Aug, 1973. Denis Kelly
dove in for the first score then tossed the second to Jack Reiter.
Kelly quit the team before the game with Burnaby a week later. Jim
Smith took over at QB and scored the only TD in the loss to the Barons.
Bob Ryder hit 3 field goals to give the Chargers a
9-6 halftime lead over Whatcom, but Rick Jones scored twice to lead the
Lakers to a 22-9 victory.
In September of 1974, attorneys for the Chargers
began planning action against the Canadian government claiming Bill C-22
kept them from competing in the NIFL. The bill was designed to
block the NFL from competing with the CFL in Canada, and was related to
the World Football League. The bill prohibited Canadian football
teams from operating from an American-based league.
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