| Competition: | Exhibition game |
| League: | 1961 Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League |
| Date: | 30 June 1961 |
| Stadium: | Empire Stadium, Vancouver |
| Attendance: | 7,384 |
| Referee: | Dan Kulai |
| Linesmen: | F. Lee, T. Miller |
On Friday night June 30, 1961, played their first game of a two-game tour of Western Canada. A crowd of 7,384 watched Toronto City win 7-1 over a selected team of players from British Columbia. The match was played at Empire Stadium in Vancouver.
A big hand was given to Toronto City’s former Vancouver player Erroll Crossan, who had recently joined City after playing in the Football League in England.
Amrose “Taffy” Morgan, who had just turned 19, scored four of Toronto’s seven goals. He had started the season at inside forward but goalkeeper-coach Tommy Younger switched him to centre forward.
Scotland’s international forward Jack Mudie scored two goals, and England internationalist Johnny Haynes scored one goal.
Early in the second half, with Toronto City leading 4-0, inside left Normie McLeod scored B.C.’s only goal.
The biggest cheers of the game were reserved for 46-year old outside right Stanley Matthews and the Times Colonist newspaper on July 3, 1961 wrote that “Matthews dazzled the B.C. defence, slowing the game to a walk at times, before setting off on a twisting, swerving path towards goal”.
This was the worst loss by a local team in an exhibition game since 1954 when Glasgow Rangers won 9-0.