Alarums and excursions

Press, 10 December 1982, Page 19

Alarums and excursions

ERIC JACKSON. a former long-time hockey-playing teammate and friend of Cyril Walter, now a keen runner, is disturbed by two recent reports. He writes ... I am bitterly disappointed and distressed that Rod Dixon has once again been cheated of yet another world record through unfortunate circumstances. I also sympathise with the organisers, who can not be held responsible for the gross error in measurement of the course. There is no real mystery about this. I can assure all those who really care. Actually there are two reasons why things went wrong. The first is obvious. How can the measurers be expected to measure a kilometre accur-

ately when they can't even pronounce it properly? The second is just as obvious. particularly to us local residents. We all know that the course was around an area which would be well below sea level if it were not protected by the causeway. This fact would clearly affect any measurements. Surely the measurers could have ’ borrowed an asteroid barometer from the university and checked this out. Well, this should see the measurers right in future but if they want me to help I am quite useful in measuring these things. I ran almost right around this particular course once and therefore know the exact distance. If not satisfied with my word on it. I am prepared to prove it by stepping it out. Anyway. Dixon would have

no right to complain. He should have been disqualified for not running in his own shoes. I know for a fact that his were stolen by some unsporting dark-skinned athletes (no. I am not a racist), some years ago. ¥ ¥ * I was delighted to read in "The Press" that we are about to regain our rightful place at the top in world hockey. This fact emphasises the correctness of the whole approach of the NZHA in recent years and is an endorsement of their complete grasp of the fundamental principles involved. The current high hopes for the team also give the lie to the false and long outdated theories of C. V. Walter and his kind who are once again proven wrong. I myself personally, can

testify to the absurd theories of Walter as I played under and with him for countless years in university teams. Walter was an obviously useless player who tried to model himself and others on players of non-white origin (I hasten to point out that I am not a racist). His teaching only involved a lot of talk, running about without the bail and forever urging players to keep passing the ball to each other. Never a word about getting the ball straight down the -other end and scoring a try. He has obviously learned nothing from our conspicuous success as a rugby playing nation. I now see that running around without the ball seems stupid to some people and is nowhere near as efficient as simply becoming the top nation without even having to play to prove it.