Rob Ford Stadium scores big with family, former players, dignitaries

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There was thunder, lightning, rain and then the sun came out and bathed the newly named Rob Ford Stadium in Etobicoke.

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A huge contingent of former players from the Don Bosco Eagles high school football team — the team Rob coached — stood on the field behind the podium at Centennial Park in Etobicoke on Tuesday night and held huge images on placards of their former coach who took them to a 2013 Metro Bowl football championship.

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Rob Ford’s immediate family — widow Renata, and his now two teenaged children, Stephanie and Dougie, were in attendance along with his brother Doug, the Ontario premier and his family.

Hundreds in attendance braved the elements as the ceremony was put into a rain delay.

Rob’s daughter Stephanie spoke glowingly about her dad and the honour bestowed upon them to name the football stadium in his name.

“If anything were to be named after my father, this stadium would be the most fitting,” she said. “It represents his love for Etobicoke and how much he did for the people as mayor, but also what he did for his second love — football.”

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Doug Ford spoke about his brother and how he treated the members of his Don Bosco football — teenaged boys back then and now young men — as “his kids.”

“For Rob and our family it just means absolutely everything to us,” Doug said.

The premier praised councillor Paul Ainslie, who put the motion to rename the stadium forward, and said he was also “grateful” to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to rename the stadium in honour of his late brother who died at the young age of 46 in 2016 to a battle with cancer.

There were also members of Doug Ford’s caucus, Toronto city councillors, the beloved football players and, of course, a large gathering of fervent Ford Nation supporters on hand to honour the 64th mayor of the city in the ceremony.

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In her speech, Chow recognized that Tuesday’s renaming of the stadium coincided with Rob’s 54th birthday. A few people in the stadium bleachers were quick to correct her, yelling out “55.”

“Fifty-five, yeah, yeah, ok. Fifty-four yesterday, Fifty-five right today,” said Chow, grabbing the top of her head and mocking herself. “The mayor can’t count.”

Chow spoke glowingly about Rob and his passion for football, helping his community and young men and also her own late husband, Jack Layton.

“He (Rob) loved playing it and coaching it,” she said.

As the blue tarp was taken off the full blue and white signing at the end of the ceremony, the football players chanted above the applause from the crowd.

“Rob Ford Stadium, wooh! Oh yeah, feels good, oh yeah, feels good, oh yeah, feels good!”

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