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The Goblins started out in 1945 playing under 6-man Canadian rules, then
in 1946 under American 7-man rules as a
Greater Victoria American and Canadian Football Association after World
War II ended. The 1947 squad stepped into the 12-man senior
circuit in the Spring of '47.
In a stunning upset, after going undefeated and unscored upon, Johnnie's
Coffee Shop scored a 6-5 win over Oak Bay in the playoffs.
Johnnie's went on to win the spring title.
1947 Players Spring included:
Jack Utting (E), Doug Brown (HB), Bruce McLaren (QB), Ken West (E), Bill
Stinson, Massick, Beaton, Digby, Ken West (Capt/FB)
1947 Fall Players included:
Bud French, Bernie Clarkson, George Davies, Bill Stinson
The 1948 team resumed playing American rules in games with Alaska, Port
Angeles Stags, Port Townsend, Victoria Mustangs and the Lake City Boys
Club.
The Ketchican High Polar Bears of Alaska posted a $1,000 guarantee for
any team willing to come play, and the Oak Bay Goblins of 1948 answered
the call taking a private yacht trip and a 12-6 victory in Alaska and a
12-0 victory on the return trip by the Polar Bears to win the
International American Football Trophy.
1948 Players: Bud French, Ken Higgs, Bruce McLaren
Bud French would go on to play for the 1954 Victoria Navy team from the
HMCS Venture and score the winning TD against Royal Roads.
The 1949 team scheduled 8 games of American rules football across the
island and Washington state and were slated to kick off against the
Vancouver Blue Bombers in a Canadian rules tussle.
1949 Players: Ken Higgs
Ending their struggling attempts below the border, the Goblins franchise
finally found a home in the Victoria Junior League. Struggling to
an 0-5 start, the Goblins ended the regular season with a dominant win
over the Blue Devils only to face them again in the 4-team playoff the
following week. Another victory 11-5 went to protest by the
Whitneys and a replay the following week was ordered. The Goblins
again defeated the Blue Devils 17-6 to take three wins from the same
team in three consecutive weeks.
1950 Players: Ken Higgs, Jack Utting, Don Hope, Ken Cook, Dave Cook, Ray
Ramsay, George Coldwell (PK)
Coldwell fractured his hip against the Blue Devils on Oct 22 and had to
be rushed to the hospital.
1951 Players:
Ken West (FB/Coach),
1952: In July it was announced that Trev West, Larry Browlee, Joe
Fry and Ken Higgs had earned tryouts with the Regina Roughriders.
West had spent 14 months on active duty in Korea, while Fry was to
replace Gordy Bennett who joined the R.C.M.P.
In September, the announcement came that too many players were lost to
the age limit to return to the Victoria League and instead, the team
would schedule "exhibition" games.
The Goblins were back in the Victoria League for the 1953 season coached
by the West brothers and sponsored by former Blue Devils rival Brock
Whitney. The team would at times in print be referred to as the
"Oak Bay Whitneys" reminscent of the Whitneys Blue Devils team of
1950-51.
A new twist to the league would be the ability to sign 10 players over
the age of 21, becoming a "juniors-intermediates" hybrid league.
1953 Players: Gordy Bennett (DE/TE)
When 1954 kicked off the Goblins/Whitneys were sponsored by the Drake
Hotel and renamed the Drakes Juniors. A second team was entered in the
Intermediate division Oak Bay Drakes
and their history continues playing the semi-pro
Seattle Ramblers
among other teams without the age restrictions of the under-22 junior
divisions in Canada. This allowed players like Ken Higgs to
continue thier playing careers.
1954 Player: Gary Corbett (QB)
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