1962 Eagle Toys Canadian Electric Football game
When Canadian toy maker Munro Games stepped off the electric football field in 1961, it was Montreal-based Eagle Toys who laced up its cleats to fill the void.
Munro and Eagle were fierce rivals, essentially being the Canadian version of Tudor and Gotham. But this rivalry was over table hockey, not electric football, and it extended to both the Canadian and American toy markets.
Eagle had a licensing agreement with the NHL, which allowed their table hockey games and teams to come outfitted with official NHL logos. Ontario-based Munro Games cleverly used city names on games and players. The “Maple Leafs,” for example, had blue uniforms with “Toronto” across their chests on the Munro game.
Eagle Canadien
In electric football, Munro had made its own game boards and then finished them off with Gotham parts and accessories. Eagle was taking a more challenging route in 1962. They were manufacturing all the parts of their new electric football games.
Munro Canadien
Eagle’s new game was made entirely of metal, measuring a very Tudor No. 500-like 26” long x 14” wide. The field was 110-yards long with dual 50-yard lines, and had 12-players per team. Along the side of the frame were pennants featuring Canadian Football League city names. The players were modeled after Tudor’s current players, and were slightly larger overall with longer and wider bases.
Simpson-Sears had the Eagle electric football game for sale in the 1962 Christmas catalog. Then in 1963, Eaton’s of Canada took a turn at selling Eagle’s game. But after two years, Eagle left the Canadian electric football market. Like Munro they had discovered that there just wasn’t much profit to be made.
But also like Munro, Eagle would return to electric football. Only Eagle would do it under a new name: Coleco.
Our book will detail the Eagle/Coleco relationship, and feature a firsthand account of Coleco’s very calculated entry in electric football in 1970. Learn the whole story this fall in The Unforgettable Buzz.
Earl & Roddy
I have a Electric “Pro” Football game that is in the box with all the original pieces including the 24 players, goal posts, ball kicker with balls and a slider for the metal edge! The box is in good condition. I am interested in selling this item. Value? feel free to contact me. Thanks. daryl
Thanks, Daryl. We’ll pass along any inquiries we get.
Daryl–I am looking for an early 1960s either Eagle or Munro Canadian version electric foorball game, with the correct 110 yard field. Not the late 1960s/eaerly 1970s Coleco version . Which version are you offering?