Fantuz Moving Closer, But Not As Close As Expected

Chatham-Kent CFL fans will have a shorter drive to see Chatham’s Andy Fantuz play for the Hamilton Tiger Cats next season, but it won’t be as short of a drive as originally anticipated.

As Hamilton’s Ivor Wynne Stadium is rebuilt, it was anticipated that the Hamilton Tiger Cats would play their 2013 season at Western University’s TD Waterhouse Stadium, however, reports are now stating the team has selected the University of Guelph as their home location for 2013.

TD Waterhouse was viewed as the most CFL ready facility, opening in 2000, and featuring 8,000 seats, with temporary seating available to expand the capacity. Guelph’s Alumni Stadium recently underwent renovations, and seats 4,000 fans, but will need to add more seating to host the Tiger Cats. The Stadium can seat up to 10,000 fans for homecoming games.

Tiger Cats President Scott Mitchell had this to say about the decision to select Guelph on the team’s website today, “With the University of Guelph’s Alumni Stadium located just 17 minutes from the City of Hamilton’s northern border, combined with its gorgeous setting, we think our fans will love this solution. It’s also a perfect fit for our very successful regional marketing campaign and we look forward to working with University of Guelph to make this happen.’

After being the top free agent available on the CFL market last season, Andy Fantuz struggled for much of the season, before finishing strong, and picking up a career high 8 touchdowns. Fantuz caught for 971 yards, the third highest total of 7 year CFL career, and average 13.5 yards per reception.

Andy Fantuz of the Hamilton Tiger Cats – Photo from Facebook