Some Old-Timers.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

Some Old-Timers.

(By ERNEST L. EYRE.)

Joe Warb rick's Footballers Versus Lancashire in 1888.— The Performances of Harry Eagles, Distinguished English Forward. — Sullivan and Stanbury Prepare to Contest the World's Sculling Title.

My cycling pal continued, in I'JOO, his story of Joe Warbrick's 18S8 native footballers, whoso Rugby talents were lirst exhibited to him when, as a steward on the steamer .that conveyed tho players to England, ho watched them —while temporarily blocked in tho Suez Canal —indulge in a practice game on Egypt's sands, where, as football isn't mentioned in ancient chronicles, it had probably never been previously played!

'T overlooked telling you yesterday," lio commenced, "that the Belfast ground

- on which the tourists defeated Northern Ireland—was so dreadfully muddy that when Goldsmith, a back row scrummer, essayed a 'pot' near tho game's close, his foot went over iho dropped ball (because it sank in tho quagmire) and the sudden jerk broke an ankle bone, a mishap which he didn't notice until three minutes later, when ho collapsed while running, and consequently was put hors de combat for a long time. And talking of Belfast reminds me that when we reached a local wharf at midnight (subsequent to the customary banquet) to catch an England-bound steamer, one of the New Zealanders became involved in a rorty scrap with a pearl-buttoned coster, the result being that four burly bobbies carted 'em both away, after considerable trouble, in a Black Maria. Eflorts were immediately made, of course, to effect our wild bloke's release by Tom Eyton, the natives' bushy-bearded secretary, Joe Warbrick, their skipper, and the manager, Jimmy Scott, who, incidentally, was beginning to doubt — owing to the generally poor ' gates' at matches —whether the tour would prove financially successful. However, their endeavours failed, and the delinquent spent the night 'cooling off' in 'quod, whence ho was next morning set free with a light penalty thanks to the kind offices of a police inspector prominently associated with local Rugby circles. Meanwhile, the rest of us recrossed the Irish Sea to Fleetwood, on Lancashire's northern coast, where, after arriving at dawn, very cold and hungry, we cleaned up the railway refreshment room's edibles, and ' trained it' 40 miles southfast to our Manchester headquarters."

The speaker paused to watch flocks of starlings pluckily chasing hawks away from their nests in a Bay of Plenty pine grove, and then resumed:—

"On December S (Saturday) we went in brakes between extensive, sordid, tallcliimneyed cotton mills, and thousands of applauding, poorly paid operatives, to the well-appointed Whalley Range ground, which was black with 5000 cntlvusiasties 'fane,' who paid £220 at the gates. Of this sum the natives took "75 per cent —£105 —a nice return that considerably revived the drooping spirits of Scott, who sat beside me in the members' stand amid officials and their ladies, who welcomed with handkerchief waving and hand clapping the advent to the playing area (wetter and muddier than Belfast's field) of Lancashire's sturdy 'reps.' These included thirteen 'stars' from clubs so diversified as Wigan, Broughton Rangers, Rochdale Hornets, Liverpool Old Boys, Free Wanderers, Manchester Rangers, Warrington, Liverpool, and Swinton, while two forwards, Tom Kent and Harry Eagles—members of Stoddart's lately returned Rugby tourists in Australasia —hailed from the Salford Club. But applause just as warm greeted the Maorilanders, who fielded in the back division Davy Gage, 'Tab' Wynyard, whose leg was better, his clean-shaven brother Harry, nicknamed 'Pie,' Fred Warbrick, 'Mother' Elliott, Pat Keogh, and G. (Sherry) Wynyard, who had also been out of action with injuries. The forwards comprised Dick Taiaroa, Art Warbrick, 'Bully' Williams, W. Anderson, R. Maynard, Dave Stewart, Wi Karauria, and Sandy ' Webster. Our hefty boys —for whom Joe Warbrick officiated as usual as umpire—won the toss, and hostilities, in the form of fierce passing movements, were immediately opened by the Lancashire lads, whose black a lid yellow jerseys blended prettily with the red, white and blue colours of Stoddart's team worn by Eagles and Kent, and who featured two halves (one of whom skippered them) and nine forwards, as opposed to our three half-backs and eight scrummers. Then Taiaroa dribbled to Lancashire's twenty-five, where ' Sherry' Wynyard picked up and kickcd across the ground to a rival wing tliree-quarter, who" cleverly eluding Williams and Karauria, ran thirty yards and passed to Kent, whose long dive, in the best Charlie Seeling style, across our line at a corner resulted in an unconverted try. Following the drop-out, a. penalty kick by Keogli was brilliantly charged down by the "perpetually smiling, moustaehed Eagles, who was the best forward in Stoddart's team, being generally in the van of a rush, the quickest to pounce upon the backs, the smartest line-out artist, and invariably conspicuous in the passing flashes. The leather eventually reached Elliott, who bustled past several opponents and transferred it to Webster, but the slippery oval rolled from Sandy's arms into a midfield mud patch, where straining scrums, ' bullies,' and close work ensued for some time. Then, to the accompaniment of cries of ' Good old Harry.' and ' That's the stuff to give them black coons!' a red, white, and blue jersey flashed meteorically through the ruck, and a dazzling but unsuccessful dribbling dash was originated by its wearer, the versatile Eagles, who was born in Lancashire in ISG2, commenced playing Rugby in IS7O with the TWifTord Harriers, and in the following year transferred his allegiance to the Crescent Football Club, which amalgamated in ISSO with Manchester's chief club, Salford, in the ranks of which he increased his already excellent reputation.' An Exciting Sacond Spell. We cycled into Te Puke —a township drowsing amid saw pits and flax mills, and innumerable small bush farms beside sandy roads —and. during lunch, my voluble friend continued: —

"The second half opened auspiciously for the natives (against whom one try to nil Lad been scored) because the immortal 'Tabby' ran determinedly, with knees thrown well forward, and moving with clockwork precision, from his own twenty-five to near Lancashire's goalposts. There he slipped the leather to brother ' Pie,' who was downed heavily, however, by the opposing, fullback. whose long punt to Gage resulted in this worthy sprinting up the right toueli-liuo until capsized by the übiquitous, sft 6Jin tall Harry Eagles, who interposed bis 11.12 of weight between the attacker and the lioine lino as pluckily-as -when in IBBG he brought

to earth, like sacks of flour tho burly' Middlesex forwards while representing 1 Lancashire for tlie first time! Five minutes later Fred Warbrick passed from a. scrum, to Iveogh, but tlie ball went astray on tlie wings of the rising ■ wind blowing from tho direction of tlie i neighbouring famous Old Trafford Ground, the scene of many important cricket matches, including tlie ISS4 Australia-England drawn Test, in which, tho Australians made IS2 runs in their 0110 innings, and the Englishmen knocked up 9-3 and 180 for nine wickets; tlie game of ISSG, when Australia, compiled 205 and 123. and England's eleven players—who won by four wickets — scored 2:'3 and 107 for six wickets; and the contest during the summer preceding tho natives' visit, when the Old Dart's team once more beat the (this time by an innings and 21 runs) by compiling 172 against 81 and 70. But the opportunist, Pat, marvellously retrieved the leather and whirled it to Stewart, whose inpnss to 'Sherry' Wynyard culminated, after the hitter's brothers, ' Fie' and ' Tab,' had also handled tlio pigskin, in a brilliant run by Elliott that was stopped near his rivals' uprights by a. diminutive squinteyed half, from whom Kent received tlie ball and flung it to Harrv Eagles, eight yards away. Taiaroa, however, heavily upset the genial Harry, who camo from a life-saving family whose members (including himself) had rescued 19 persons from drowning and three from fire, his own tally—for which he earned the Royal Humane Society's medal —being two boys saved from watery craves at tho Isle of Man and thrco " adults from Salford's river, the Irwell. Soon afterwards, Dick Taiaroa was also in his turn collared while galloping and side-stepping over the turf, and flattened, facc downwards, in a puddle; a rather ignominious position to be occupied by the fiery descendant of a long line of Otago's illustrious Maori chiefs! Rising all muddy-eved, he blindly lashed out with feet and hands at his tackier, and was severely warned by tho referee, Cheshire's 'star' amateur pugilist, who, after a succeeding 'mix-up' in "home territory, failed to blow lus whistle when 'Tabby' Wynyard got a mark in front of Lancashire's posts, on tho exact spot from which, on the previous Julv 2, the champion jumper, Joe Darby, beat the world's record by Sft Cin for 20 successive jumps with the extraordinary distance —done before a. huge crowd —of SSyds Gin. Wynyard was consequently rushed and smothered by tho local rep's., who enjoyed slightly the better of the first half, but the worst of the second. The episode, however, created a tremendous hubbub because both sides —and the impartial public, also—reckoned that the catch (from which a winning goal would almost certainly have eventuated), was fairly i taken, and the hooting, directed at the unperturbed referee by a section of tiie onlookers, lasted intermittently until the bell's tinkle ten minutes later, coneluded, in Lancashire's favour, the natives' 27tli game."

"I've heard it was somewhat rough!" I said, as we turned up the Te PukeRotorua Road, where tuis sent forth bell-like notes from giant and silent wood pigeons winged their ghostly way between lofty kahikateas, long since unnecessarily destroyed! "You've said it!" responded my fellow traveller. "And this fact was mentioned —and deplored — by the Lancashire County Club's president at the succeeding sumptuous banquet, where several of our fellows slipped bottles surreptitiously into their pockets to take to headquarters. But the booze wasn't ] touched by Harry Kagles --a total abstainer —who, after highly praising the cleverness of Elliott and Iveogli, related to me, during lulls in the festivities, howhe first appeared in a Rugby jersey for Salford's seniors (of whom he was now the cr.pt.un) in a match against the Dewsburv fifteen, holders of the Yorkshire Challenge Cup. In ISSO he scored five club tries and three for Lancashire, a county he represented in all that sea- j son's fixtures, and was also selected to uphold the honour of the north-west of England against the north-east, but was unable to play owing to meeting with an accident. In 1887 the forward not only notched seven club tries and four for Lancashire, but wore the jersey twice in England's North v. South contests, and early in 1888—before he left England for the Antipodes with R. L. Seddon's (later A. E. Stoddart's) Rugby combination —was presented with his international e%p. On that exciting and momentous tour —during which the Englishmen taught the colonials to what a state of perfection the passing game could bo brought—Eagles turned out in all the 02 matches, of which 19 games (Rugby) were contested in New Zealand and 15 ditto in Australia, where IS matches also took place under Victorian rules. Harry told me with great gusto (while imbiding lemonade) that he was presented by a number of Aucklandcrs, in solemn, ceremonious fashion, with a huge leather medal bearing the words: 'To the boss offside player of the world!' inscribed in gilt letters 011 both sides! 'Now I reckon those jokers were rather | hard 011 me, because I would have had to blossom into a champion indeed to equal some of the offside artists I played against in sunny Auckland about that time,' chuckled Harry Eagles, who, whatever may have been his shortcomings in the direction indicated, more than compensated for them by never disputing his skipper's orders or the decisions of an umpire or a referee!" 1

Artists With the Sculls. Soon after tlie Lake Takapuna rowing carnival (recently described by me), which was held on September 27, 1891, as a benefit to the Auckland sculler, Tom Sullivan, that worthy told an old friend of my dad's how Jem Stanbury caught the water first when commencing his 3 miles 300 yards Australian race in which ho annexed the world's sculling title from John McLean, and, apparently lifting his shell from the Parramatta River with powerful strokes, gained a three-lengths' lead. He continued to increase it, and, spurting magnificently at tbe close, finished the distance in 22 minutes 15i seconds as fresh as the proverbial daisy; a condition rendered the more remarkable because the temperamental Jem was inclined to laziness (like most big men) and, as Peter Kemp discovered, was difficult to train. The ''Young Giant" generally rowed at 12.5. but when inactive put on weight so readily that he sometimes tipped the beam at lOst. Sullivan observed that the Shoalliayen oarsman's latest excuse for "hanging lire" —and thereby incurring some unpopularity —in regard to his (Tom's) challenge, was that lie had agreed to visit America as the world's champion, and did not want his arrangements upset. It was Sullivan's belief —despite several Australian Press assertions to the contrary—that Stanbury was the equal of Bill Beach, if not of the late Henry Sear'.e. and Tom did not fear, as many Australians professed to do, that he would lose his crown abroad, ilv dad's friend did not again see Sullivan (with whom he and 'Pie' Wvnyard. of 1-tugby fame, had occasionally, as youths, dug for kauri -gum and shot rabbits Jit scrubclad O'Neill's Point, now the Auckland j suburb of Bayswater) after Wednesday, January 27, 1592, when he bade farewell I to numerous admirers, and left for I Svdney to finally attempt to arrange a

match —and perhaps hang another scalp 011 his wigwam pole—with the hefty, clever Stanlmry, for lie had 110 desire to acquire the world's title by default, but wished to struggle manfully for it with a pair of flashing sculls and a speedy wager-boat. Sullivan's Second Australian Visit. "All the life and light and beauty that belong to Svdneyside" —to quote Henry Lawson's famous line —were pleasingly evident when our hero again stepped ashore in New South Wales (where he, Croese, and Lambert had once created a sculling sensation) and, hiring a hansom cab, bowled along over the harbourfront's cobble-stones to report his arrival to his backers, the wealthy Spencer brothers —Sydney dentists —who immediately arranged for him to grant ait interview to the 'Sydney l'ield, in which journal his history and protograph appeared on the following February 23, and created much favourable comment. 011 May 1, Jem Stanlmry—who, having no option in the matter, had accepted the Aucklander's challenge—tried 1111availinglv to draw Sullivan out when both scullers practised 011 the Parrainatta, although ho should have had a good idea of his capabilities 011 a sliding-seat because, 011 the preceding April 23, Tom rowed a wonderful "trial" that the Spencers reckoned was the best they ever saw. Often, while practising, the rival pair sculled alongside each other from above the mile beacon (near which some cruelly-flogged, transported Irish rebels drowned a brutal overseer long ago) to Searle's memorial obelisk. Stanlmry rowed 28 faultless strokes per minute, has only apparent faults —according to admiring scribes —being an inclination to slightly°bend his arms, and roll a trifle in his boat.

Sullivan, too, was highly praised by most of the critics, but one biased journalist—in whose opinion he could do nothing correctly—averred that his right arm was seldom square enough at the catch, his leg work required to be more vigorous, his left blade was buried inoie deeply than his right, and his body movements (etc., etc.) compared unfavourably with those of the champion, whose headquarters were at his old crib among the brown hills of Hyde, "\\ hence so many classy scullers had gone forth to gain victories, while Sullivan's base of operations was Senile's shed at Gladesvillo. George Fern, a well-known veteran oarsman, trained the 23-year-Hd Aucklander, and Peter Kemp, the world's ex-champion sculler, had taken in hand —as mentioned previously —his Shoalhaven opponent, who then sealed 13.4. Both scullers indulged daily in lengthy walks, sometimes going as far as the elevated orange orchards of Castle Hill, where a great, but unsuccessful, convict rebellion once occurred, and exceptional interest was everywhere manifested in their chances in the projected £400 contest (to be described next week) which was advertised to commence at Uhr's Point—where a quartermile bend was eliminated —and linisn at the rocks called the Brothers. Numerous "fans" congregated every morning anil evening 011 the river's banks to watch the trial spins of Sullivan and of St uibury—whose strokes were longer and more sweeping than those of the former, who sat, however, more evenly on his seat —or followed in steamers and launches the determined pair as, proud of their gleaming outriggers that cleft the broad blue waters like giant knives, they plied their sculls with youthful veins afire, lungs filled with the c-uea-lyptus-seented atmosphere, and hearts gladly responding to the undefinable glamour, that will never come again, of the romantic, sporting, hospitable, happy-go-luckv, semi-Bohemian Syd'iey of 1892. Some Famous Cyclists. "Wot was the most excitin' bike race you ever seen. ' J'"rb" asked "Snorky," as my two fly-pestered, dust-choked, footsore sundowner acquaintances tramped along, one summer morning, through a Whangarei district where W. Nehua-—one of the half-dozen surviving members of Joe Warbrick's "Native" footballers —still resides. "Well, .1 reckon, Snork, that the two-mile Austral Wheel Handicap; held 011 the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 011 October 30, 1897, by the Australian League of Wheelmen, took a power of beating," replied Herbert. "For this annual 'pro.' event — always Australasia's greatest — 220 rider's entered, an increase of 38 over 1890. C'. 1". Burden, the famous EngHshmaii, was scratch, and New Zealanders who answered the pistol were A. C. Forbes, 011 40yds, F. Hunt, 70yds, J. A. Body (f forget his handicap), and Teddy Revnolds, Auckland's idol, 011 90yds—a

start which the 'Sydney lieferec' complained was too much, considering his reputation. The race was decided in II licats, with 20 riders in each, before 30,000 'fans.' In the iinal, 22 competitors were engaged, J. Carpenter" (Victoria) finishing first, Body second, and F. Scott —also of Vic. —third, while Reynold*, I fancy, was well-placcd. The majority of the performers weren't accustomed to a grass track, and their machines, skidding badly, and crashing, causcd injuries to a heap of riders, soma of whom were carried off the field on stretchers."