For 45 years the Grey Cup classic was an event held exclusively in the province of Ontario, with the one exception in 1931 when the game was staged in Montreal. This all changed in 1955 when the game was awarded to Vancouver, B.C. The then largest crowd in the history of organized team sports in Canada packed Empire Stadium to witness the Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes. The 39,417 in attendance remained a Grey Cup record until 1976.[1]
The Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) allowed the third place team to qualify for a playoff berth. The Grey Cup had a gross revenue of $198,000.[2]
In January 1955, the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) announced that a playoff game with the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) was no longer desired. The WIFU and IRFU both scheduled their games so as not to leave an open date for the traditional game with the ORFU. At the March meeting of the CRU, the ORFU withdrew from Grey Cup competition for 1955.[3] 1955 became the first year that only the IRFU and the WIFU competed for the Grey Cup.
Montreal's Tex Coulter became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Lineman Award.
The Edmonton Eskimos are the 1955 Grey Cup Champions
Note: IRFU and Eastern Final dates are not confirmed, however since [1] the regular season ended October 29 in the West, and November 5 in the East, and [2] WIFU playoff dates, as well as the Grey Cup date are accurate, it is reasonable to assume the above dates are accurate.
NOTE: The following players were selected to the All-Star team as replacements for players who would have had to play both ways in the Shrine Game (denoted with an *):
NOTE: The following players were selected to the All-Star team as replacements for players who would have had to play both ways, or were injured, in the Shrine Game (denoted with an *):
