1987 Montreal Alouettes season


The 1987 Montreal Alouettes played two preseason games before folding on June 24, 1987, just one day before their scheduled Thursday game against the Toronto Argonauts.
The once-proud franchise had suffered both on and off the field since Sam Berger. Even a rebranding as the Concordes from 1982 to 1985 hadn't reversed the team's fortunes. In the previous six years, the team had only played.500 ball once and making the playoffs twice. From 1982 to 1986, it only attracted a crowd of better than 30,000 once. For much of 1986, it played to a near-empty Olympic Stadium.
Owner Charles Bronfman had lost $15 million since rescuing the team in 1982, and was unwilling to stomach further losses without increased season ticket sales. When the increased sales didn't materialize, Bronfman put the team on the market. However, there were no credible buyers in the Montreal area, and no prospective candidates in other cities had a stadium that was adequate enough even for temporary use. Ultimately, Bronfman and the CFL euthanized the team just a day before the start of the season.
The team never played a single game at Olympic Stadium in 1987; both of their preseason games prior to their folding were played on the road.
The CFL had been well aware of the Alouettes' troubles, and had a contingency plan already in place. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved to the East Division to balance out the divisions and played the Argonauts that day instead.

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Schedule