PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 170, 17 July 1908, Page 2

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS

BRITISH MANAGER'S VIEWS. At the official reception to the British team yesterday afternoon Mr Harnett the manager of the team, in the course of his remarks, touched upon the question of professional football. He had not, he said, intended saying anything in public on the subject, but, as his Worship the Mayor had mentioned the matter, a few remarks might not be out of place. At Home, there were about 17,000 professional players receiving about £ 4 per week each, and amongst these were many young men of 19 and 20, just on the threshold of life, who joined the forsaking their trades or and severing their home ties. These young men became great players—sort of semi-gods among the people, until they reached the age of 28 or 30, when their abilities waned, and the cheers that once used to greet them dwindled, and their earnings grew less. Then they were given a benefit match, which usually realised £150, and, after their careers closed, they unfortunately developed into the loafer class, having lost the desire to work. In cricket professionalism was different because the numbers were limited, and there were always positions such as coach or ground-keeper open to them, added to which the governing bodies of cricket in any place usually had at their head the purest amateurs, whose standing in the county was unquestionable. He would like to point out that the transfers from one club to another were always accompanied by a money consideration. In fact, in many cases men were bought and sold from one club to another, and compelled during the football season to play for the club which is the highest bidder, so that they were little better than slaves. The men themselves received a very small proportion, if any, out of the sums paid, which in some cases amounted to £100; this went into the club's coffers which originally signed him on. In England it was extraordinary how any local enthusiasm rould be aroused, as in many instances a i full team representing a club did not contain a single Englishman, and often only i one or two. The league system caused an immense amount of grumbling of the ! worst sort in towns and cities where proI cessionalism held sway, and one could j hardly go into a tobacconist's or paper shop without being handed a betting slip j lof some bookmaker, giving the various I prices for spotting the winners. This ,' j gambling is the cause of much unpleasantness amonget the spectators, who lose their money, and consequently their j tempers, and the language and scenes I ion some of the grounds were disgrace- j I ful. Once professionalism and the elei ment of gambling entered into football the sport deteriorated.