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July 15, 2019

Blue Bombers announce 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees

WINNIPEG, MB., July 15, 2019 – The Winnipeg Football Club is pleased to announce the 2019 Blue Bombers Hall of Fame inductees: cornerback Less Browne and long-time team doctor Bert Longstaffe in the builder category.

“We are thrilled to add two more outstanding individuals to our hall of fame this year,” said Wade Miller, President & EO of the Winnipeg Football Club. “Less Browne was one of the most-dominant defensive backs in Canadian Football League history and a Grey Cup champion, and later served as one of our assistant coaches.

“Dr. Longstaffe, meanwhile, gave his time willingly to help with the care of our players and was a fixture at our games both home and away for years. Congratulations to both men on their inductions.”

The 2019 class will be honoured at the Hall of Fame Legacy Gala Dinner on Tuesday, October 15 at the RBC Convention Centre as well as the annual Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, October 12th when the Blue Bombers play host to the Montreal Alouettes at IG Field.

PLAYER: LESS BROWNE

Less Browne was already one of the best cornerbacks in the CFL when he signed with the Bombers as a free agent in 1989. Browne would play in 51 regular-season games for the Bombers from 1989-91 and was an integral part of the club’s dominant defence that was the backbone of teams that played in East Division Finals in each of his three seasons in Winnipeg and was instrumental in the 1990 Grey Cup championship.

A shut-down cornerback opposite Rod Hill, Browne has 27 interceptions in his 51 games as a member of the Bombers, including three seasons of double-digit totals – including league-best totals of 14 in 1990 and 10 in 1991. The 14 interceptions in ’90 are a Bombers team record and when he retired the 273 yards in interception returns he had that season was a CFL record (since surpassed by three players).

Browne was an East-Division and CFL All-Star in both 1990 and 1991 with the Bombers before being traded to Ottawa in May of 1992 for Gerald Wilcox. He finished up his career with the B.C. Lions in 1993 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Browne would join the Bombers coaching staff in 1999 under Dave Ritchie and spent 1999-2003 as the club’s linebackers coach, before coaching defensive backs in 2004.

BUILDER: DR. BERT LONGSTAFFE

Dr. Longstaffe first began working with the Bombers in 1972 and retired following the 2016 season, ending a 45-year association with the football club.

The Longstaffe family name has a long association with the football club, dating all the way back to the 1940s. A.E. (Bert) Longstaffe served as president of the RCAF Bombers in 1943 while his grandson, Bert, is now being inducted into the club’s hall of fame.

Dr. James Longstaffe, meanwhile, is continuing the family legacy and serves as one of the team’s doctors.