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Press, Volume LII, Issue 9131, 15 June 1895, Page 5

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Sir, —Your leading article in yesterday's paper on " Rough Football" cannot be passed over by mc without some comment. In justice to the Linwood team I should like to point out that as long aa I was on the field on Saturday I saw no inoliuatiou to rough play whatever. The breaking of my collar bone was the result of a pure accident, and the same result would have occurred in nine cases out of ten when a man happened to be thrown in the same manner that I was. With reference to the alleged rough play which took place at Lancaster Park on Saturday last, no doubt the writer of the article could not diseimilate the difference between real honest hard play (which is the result of good training) and men running at each other like a bull at a gate, with tbtf intention of reducing the number of tue_? opponents, This is an error which a great number fall into, and 1 feel sure that if they were to analyse real hard play and what we call M buliocking " a good many woulc change their idea of what "rough play" ia. I should like to mention that, having known the Linwood fellows for many years now, I have never seen them play the game they have been so unjustly accused of playing; in fact, they have always played football in the best sense of the word, and if any of them have had the misfortune to get disabled they take their " gruelling" aa footballers know how to. In conclusion, I feel certain a Christchurch supporter would never have thought of writing such, aa article as appeared in your paper.— Yours, &c, •W. Humphreys.