By Tom Biggs
Published in the Times-Transcript on May 19, 2009
Appeared on Page B7

If anyone out there has football memorabilia from the past 50 years, Brian Gaudet wants to chat.

Gaudet is spearheading a drive to put together a collection of football items from Moncton-area teams during the past half century. Since it's the Moncton Football Association's 50th birthday this season, Gaudet said it's a great time to let people take a peek at the past.

"We're looking for anything, and I mean anything, that's related to football in Moncton." Gaudet said. "It could be trophies, pictures, old films, crests, jackets ... if it smells of football, we'd love to have a look at it."

Gaudet, a former president of the MFA, said he's already received a lot of items from the football community including plenty of photos and one particular film that shows what minor football was like back in the 1960s.

"Joel Irvine brought us a reel-to-reel film his father (Joe) had made and it's got some real neat stuff on it," Gaudet said. "It has a couple of city championship games from the '60s on it and games that were played on the old field on Albert Street ... it's just incredible to see.

"Some of the action takes place during some of the worst weather conditions I have ever seen," Gaudet said.

Gaudet plans to make a Power Point presentation of all the collected memorabilia he receives at the upcoming MFA 50th anniversary dinner on Saturday, June 13 at Legends Lounge in the Moncton Coliseum Complex.

Two-time Grey Cup champion and Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Matt Dunigan will be the keynote speaker at the dinner.

Dunigan, a 48-year-old native of Lakewood, Ohio, was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2006. He is currently a football analysis with TSN.

Meanwhile, current MFA president Dan Fougere said yesterday that tickets for next month's dinner are almost sold out.

Fougere said about 200 of the 250 available tickets have already been sold and it appears there could be some disappointed people if they don't pick them up soon.

"We've had a great response from this effort," Fougere said. "Everyone has worked very hard on it and it appears it should be a complete success."

n Tickets for the dinner are $100 per person ($800 for a table of eight) and can be purchased at Chubby's Variety at 121 Killam Drive in Moncton, or by calling the MFA office at 855-3212. Any memorabilia items can be offered to Gaudet at 854-6050.