In 1976 the Provincial government had an agenda of getting more adults involved in sports. Hans Finken, the Vice president for BCAFA (BC Amateur Football Association), was given the mandate to develop participation in recreational football for adults beyond college age.

It was an excellent choice as Hans had a passion for football and a business degree in marketting, PR and Promotions. He would need that passion to fight off the "purests" who wanted tackle football and tried to sidetrack and bury the initiative. But undaunted and unbowed Hans put together an action plan and with a budget of $20,000 from amateur football which the Provincial Government matched for a total of $40,000, Hans put a team of organizers in place for 1977.

That spring Hans and Eric Gutherie, then the QB for the BC Lions began a cross-province blitz to put the word out about touch football and start local leagues. “In Canada in those days CFL players were looking for work between seasons,” says Hans. Gutherie was the perfect PR guy to get the word out. They were on TV, and in newspapers, using every available media outlet to promote the new league.

In 100 days they criss-crossed BC from Victoria to Valemont, spreading the word and organizing leagues in the various communities. It was front page news, the Lions QB helping to organize a grass-roots league. They contacted community centers, parks boards, got leaders in every community to organize and “run with the idea.”

Touch Football BC started in the Fall of 1977, with BC Amatueur Football paying the insurance for the players in the leage.
Others who were instrumental in getting the leagues started include, Al Wilson and David Sidu, both of whom helped with the business plan, coordinating, marketing and ensuring good press coverage. “We had good people on the executive,” says Hans.

“Eric Gutherie and Al Wilson --- they were shakers and a movers, and did a great job for us - they didn’t get enough credit... they were two conscientious guys who went out and did it.”

And they continued to take a lot of heat from the directors of tackle ball who said “quite a bit of money is going into candy-ass football.” But Hans didn’t back down, he believed in the vision of a league where everyone could play, a league where guys could come to the games with their wife and kids. A league that helped people stay fit 6 months of the year.
Labatts and Nike soon came aboard as sponors, offering money, manpower and products.

Amoung his list of accomplishments, Hans wrote the first rulebook using American Rules converted for the Canadain game, (before National rules were sent from back East), he was instrumental in getting playable fields, “it was tough sledding getting the parks boards to level fields and offer us fields without potholes” he says.

Hans made sure referees had uniforms and instigated a dress-code for players.

He also helped get the Kelowna Tournament started.

From 1978 to 1986 (when he retired) Hans would ref between 125 and 150 touch games each year. "I showed up in the morning and went home at night," he says. Hans retired in 1986: "When I couldn't keep up with Dale Baxter," he jokes. "Most guys went East-West he went North and South."

His list of accomplishments and deeds for this league may never be compiled, when asked to talk about himself Hans says
"I'm the kind of guy who does the work... I'm okay with the sun shining on others."
And that's only part of the reason Hans Finken is known as the "The Father of Touchfootball" in BC.