Oct. 29, 2016, remains etched in the minds of Saskatchewan Roughriders fans, young and old.
It was one final chance to gather and celebrate a stadium ingrained in the fabric of Saskatchewan sports.
Ten years have passed since the final game at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, which saw a sold-out crowd of more than 33,000 fans laugh, cry and cheer together in Regina.
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The Roughriders suffered a 24-6 loss to the B.C. Lions on a rain-soaked evening, but what followed lifted the spirits of the crowd: a lengthy postgame ceremony celebrating some of the biggest moments in franchise history.
Fans shared their memories of Taylor Field on The Green Zone on Thursday, the 10th anniversary of the historic final game.
Among the callers was Larry, who got the chance to perform the Canadian national anthem during a 2015 game between the Riders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“I’ve never played for that many people before,” said Larry. “That was really cool and something that I will always remember.”
Few players dominated the turf at Taylor Field quite like the late George Reed, who became one of the greatest running backs in CFL history over his 12 seasons in green and white.
His introduction to the home of the Roughriders in 1963 was a big change, however, with far fewer amenities than at his school, Washington State University.
“First time when I saw all the facilities here I said, ‘What the hell was I getting myself into?’” Reed said in 2016. “That was the first thing that came to my mind because I wasn’t prepared.”
Officially opened as the new home of the Riders in 1936, a year before lights were installed at the facility, the stadium was named after local football player and coach Neil “Piffles” Taylor in 1947.
Grandstands were added in 1948 and 1958, though Reed said fans got a much closer look at the field when he began his CFL career.
“First two years I played, they even let people sit on the grass on the sideline there,” Reed said.
Bob Poley’s connection with Taylor Field predated his time as a professional, as he suited up for the junior Regina Rams program before making his Riders debut in 1978.
Speaking with The Green Zone in 2016, the all-star offensive lineman said it was a special place to both play and watch football.
“It was a wonderful place to play football,” Poley said.
“I go back and talk many times about all the great moments that were at Taylor Field. I watched some wonderful football games there and was part of lots of them (when) I played there.”
Poley was an anchor of Saskatchewan’s offensive line, which captured the 1989 Grey Cup in Toronto with a 43-40 victory over Hamilton.
He said getting to walk back onto Taylor Field with the Grey Cup in his hands was one of the proudest moments of his career.
“I think one of the nicest things that I got to do at Taylor Field was carry the Grey Cup in with (Roger) Aldag and all those people on that cold November day,” Poley said.
“It was a special moment on the turf there again.”
Taylor Field hosted three Grey Cup games over its lifespan, including the historic 101st Grey Cup in 2013, won by Saskatchewan 45-23 over the Tiger-Cats to secure the only championship won by the Riders on their home field.
The legacy of Taylor Field still stretches across the province, with the wood bleachers now sitting in the backyards, basements and front porches of fans who were able to win them at auctions in 2017.