'I will love it till I die': Longtime Saskatchewan Roughriders fans bid farewell to Mosaic Stadium

Regina's Mosaic Stadium is home to Rider Nation butsoon some of the most dedicated fans in the CFL will have a new venue to see games.

CBC Saskatchewan issharing some of the memories from Mosaic Stadium before it is torn down.

• How rock 'n' roll made its way under stadium lights

This is the second in a four-part series.

After eight decades under the heat of the Saskatchewan summer and the harsh prairie winter, the roar of the crowd at Mosaic Stadium will go quiet one final time after the Roughriders' last home game of the 2016 season on Saturday.

Donna Schell is a longtime season ticket holder and coming to Mosaic Stadiumwest of downtown Reginameans connecting with friends she only sees in section 27 on game day.

"I think my love for the team started when I started sitting here because we built relationships with these people in our section," Schell said.

"We don't really see them over the winter so we always look forward to June or July when the first game starts and catch up on how winter was. So win or lose with the Riders, it becomes being with my friends and hanging out here for an afternoon or evening."

• CONTEST:Shareyour Mosaic StadiumMemories with a photo
• INTERACTIVE:Do you know the history of Mosaic Stadium?

The stadium and its treasured Taylor Field have hosted fans and rivals, heart-pounding victories and devastating defeats.

For anyone who has ever squeezed into his or hernumbered spot on one of the distinctive coloured benches, the rapidly approaching final gameisanother emotional moment on the sidelines of the storied gridiron.

Ask any fan and they will tell you:it's more than a building.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders boast, arguably, the most dedicated fan base in the league. Seeing the Rider logo pop up while traveling the world never surprises a Rider fan;they know Rider Nation knows no boundaries.

Hard to say goodbye

While the fan base moves on to a new state-of-the-art $279-million stadium, the old stadium is hard to say goodbye to.

I had everybody crying because we were so wrapped up in it.-DonnaSchell recalls of the 2013 Grey Cup win

One of the most memorable Mosaic Stadium memories for everyone in Rider Nation is the 2013 Grey Cup win. For Schell, the emotion overcame her on that cold Nov. 24 alongside 44,710 fellow football fans.

"In the last five minutes of the game when I kept looking at the scoreboard knowing we were going to win, I just started crying. Couldn't stop crying. I was so overcome with the fact that we were going to win in our house, on our turf and so it was fantastic to just see our guys winning and winning at home," Schell recalled.

"I had the guys behind me crying, I had everybody crying because we were so wrapped up in it."

Fan only missed 1 home game

In 1947, the stadium was named Taylor Field after Neil J. Piffles Taylor, a First World War fighter pilot who coached football in Regina and was president of the Regina Roughriders. That same year, Phyllis Mueller started going to Rider games at the stadium.

Since 1947, Mueller has missed one only game.

"Back in 1947 it cost me only 50 cents. I had two other very close girlfriends that the three of us used to go to all of the games together. We all enjoyed it. They dropped out and I'm still going to the football games all these many, many years later. "

Mueller has seen more than the cost of a ticket change. More seats were added to the stadium in the 1970s and eventually locker rooms were included on site. Previously, the players had to be bused over from dressing rooms at Exhibition Park.

It was during those early years, when Rider legend Ron Lancaster was the team's quarterback, that some of Mueller's favourite stadium memories were created. It's a connection that grew stronger when her son married into the Lancaster family.

"My son, Larry Mueller, married Lana Lancaster, so those were my better years. Getting to know them on a first name basis."

Fan experience

Ultimately, it's about community with a team that stirs deep loyalty, a game people love and an atmosphere the fans hope can be replicated in the new stadium.

"It is just a fantastic experience. I love it so much and I will love it till I die, and I'm going to goI'm over 80 now and I will go to games as long as I can still walk. I enjoy it so greatly."

Mueller will join her beloved team when Rider pride sounds loud and proud from the seats at thenew Mosaic Stadium.

It officially opens at the start of the 2017 CFL season.