WILLING RUGBY AT PARK

Evening Post, Issue 47, 23 August 1935, Page 7

WILLING RUGBY AT PARK

POLICE BEATEN BY P. AND TV

To many people a police officer is just a symbol—a sedate automaton, ready .of information and willing to serve as he patrols the streets with unhurried gait. Strip him of his.uni- \ form, and he is a Mr. .Hyde;-put him into football togs, and he-^well, perI haps the owners of. a; few Ppst and Telegraph limps today are tetter informed as to his-capabilities. Yesterday was the one occasion in the year when the Police Force in any number can be collectively man-handled and their adversaries get away with it.- The P. and T. representatives ' did so. ■at Athletic Park,. in the annual Rugby fixture, to the tune of 24-13;. and the only maii with'a whistle was the-re-feree. Incidentally,- charity benefited by over £250. ' ■ / . . The Police hit below the belt before the game was bn.; Two pipers ynUx whisking sporrans provided" another skirling reason for disarmament as they trooped the law <on; to the. field, \ which had just been'cleared of curi-ously-attired debris that had taken part in a burlesque imitation of Rugby. The constabulary champed at the bit, as it were, when a P. and T. team apparently shrunken in the wash ■ darkened the' players' entrance.' Fifteen small boys, clad as postmen, appeared to do battle, and , with the understandable enthusiasm of youngsters carved their way through the ranks bereft ."of blue and touched down for a try before the opposition had unlimbered '■'. their muscles. But it was only departmental bluff,.and the real team hove in sight, ready to show-how unwieldy parcels can be damaged in transit. -..-•■,'. . The: originators of all the trouble were:— ... •..-.. .-.- : ■ . Police.—Meikle, Hansen; Adlam, Wakelin, Spence,< Pointon, Cleverley, Hunt,: Stevens, Waple, Barry, Wilson, Miles, Wells, Fell.; •--.■■ -'■ Post and Telegraph.—Ritchie, Evans," Bacon, Nees, Spillane,. Wilkinson, Zane, Berry, Cooper, Shepherd, Pringle, Saulbrey, McLean, Donoghue, Tiet-. Jens. ■ . Acting on information received, eight police constables stationed oa several P. and T. employees, accident* ally discovered, one of .them in un-.-.awful possession of a gaming instrument, to wit, one ball, at 3.11J- ". p.m., confiscated it, and loped in the general: direction of headquarters; ; but they were obstructed in,;the dawfill.- execution of their duty."by- somebody else, who forcibly offered to carry the ball for them. Bacon ,'shot ' through a phalanx of policemen and parked the ball in :a , prohibited. area. Costs were added toy -Ritchie.: .Plianfi T.1 5, Police 0. The; policemefrs iot was riot:a happy one. They'had not reached the other end of theiiew beat when a .single man, . aged; 25, -/broke and entered the' scrum and. committed theft. The proceeds went to'Pringle, and were recovered'later underneatli the posts. -Ritchie:~again"conyerted. P. and T. -10, Police :0. There was more to come."-*Spillane, who was not at all frank with the Police, sold goods —one dummyr—on a statutory half-holi-day, and Nees evaded' arresf'and re*' stored the ball to its'resting-place. Ritchie's kicking was automatic. P. and T. 15, Police 0.-; Adlani. stopped a P. and T. disturbaiice.andvput~a raiding'party^oh duty;:butV.they;,;..reported that everything was quiet-at the ; other end arid returned to central." ■ There: they found Evans running away,with the leather, and in attempting to stop him damaged, the comer' fla'gi." valued. at 2s 6d,the property of the'Weliington.'! Rugby. Union, thereby "causing '■ mis-! chief. Wilkinson, Spillane,"-Bacon, and Nees created a further-scene, the last-! named scoring, his second: try, -which' * was unconverted." P. and T. 18, Police) ■ 0. Undejected,: the Police tramped' back, and with the assistance bf-the referee's sharp eyes, scored a penaltygoal, kicked by Adlam.^' 18-3. . But; Ritchie, finding he ■'had.time".for. a' quick one, and being weary .of kicking", goals, trotted upfleld and scored a try. Half-time went with the scores P. and T. 21, Police 3. ;: . ; After a long interval, that, was, enlivened by a mock Court, the- teams returned to combat. The Police, realising that the honour of the Force was at stake, swore to get a try, a good try, and nothing but a try. They, did, but not before Pringle had taken the P. and T. score to 24. Then Miles battled his way through and gave to Cleverley, who crossed well out. Adlam converted with a fine kick.. The.Police found that-it wasn't so hard after all, and before the teams- said ,good-bye Stevens dived over and gave Adlam another,. difficult chance..-.. The ..- game -. ended:, ".'. '• ■ ■•. •.• " ."

P. and-T.', .•'....■.;.'.;.'..24 ■ Police ................... 13 The owner-of the whistle'was Mr. J..-S. King. ; •■■ /.■ •