The Rider Prider Fan Page brings Sask football community together

Canada’s much-anticipated Canadian Football League championship sees the winning team awarded the one and only Grey Cup.

This year, fans of Saskatchewan’s Roughriders are ecstatic to watch the province’s football team go up against the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg on Nov. 16, in hopes of earning that Cup. The Roughriders’ last CFL championship win was back in 2013, and with the fan base continuing to grow over the years, the province has been sizzling with anticipation.

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While some fans connect at games, others use social media to share their mutual love for the team. Jason Fichter, based in Estevan, Sask., started The Rider Prider Fan Page in 2016 on Facebook. Being an avid fan of the Riders himself, his vision was to bring the football community in the province together. But nothing could’ve prepared him for how quickly the page took off, gaining more than 20,000 members, being recognized by the CFL and growing to be the biggest Riders fan page on the platform.

In 2019, Fitcher decided to bring another Riders fan onto the page as a moderator. Dave Spadafora is a Regina Transit bus driver and has been a Riders fan since he was a kid. Having seen about 135 games in person, Spadafora, has been there for the team’s highs and lows. He told Global News his loyalty to the team was never about the trophies or medals — it was the sense of community. With or without the Grey Cup win, he says he’ll always be a Riders fan.

See more about Dave Spadafora’s journey with The Rider Prider Fan Page in the video above.