GEORGE GIFFEN

Evening Star, Issue 18158, 26 December 1922, Page 4

GEORGE GIFFEN

. 'AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST ALLROUND CRICKETER. APPEAL BY J. DARLING. The following, from the pen of Mr Joe Darling, the famous Australian batsman and captain (now a farmer in Tasmania), appeared in the last number of the ‘ Australasian ’: — Last year I wrote to you in reference to the Board of Control for Australian cricket sotting so much aside out of tiie profits of the visit of the last English XL to Australia, also out of the profits made out of the tour of the last Australian XL to England, to form a nucleus for a fund to help any Australian cricketer who may be in need of assistance later. I claim that very few people realise the sacrifices that a first-class cricketer makes in playing in representative cricket in Australia. He absolutely jeopardises his prospects in life by playing for any length or time in these matches, as no one can afford to employ him in a_ high, position of responsibility, for the simple reason that a first-class cricketer, when playing in Australia, has to bo away from his work at the very busiest time of the year, that is the summer time, and when visiting England get leave of absence for practically twelve months, as ho has to play the season in Australia before the team leaves for England, and then play the following season immediately on his return. Only an old player knows the time lost in preparing and training for these matches, and a,player to reach the top and be selected to represent Australia has to make great sacrifices in. many ways. For a time he may be all right, but as time goes on he finds himself, in most cases, up against it, for the. simple reason that no one will give him j a position of great responsibility as long as ho keeps on playing big cricket. ' Now take George Giffen’s, case. I know for a fact that Giffen used to get leave of absence without pay from the Post and'Telegraph Department in ! Adelaide, where he has been employed for forty years, and this meant that he lost much time, .and it was not long before men who had joined the service after him were put over his head, and he became their junior in position and as regards pay. Now that George Giffen is reaching the age for retirement I think it only right and just to him, considering what he has done for Australian cricket, saying nothing of what he has done for South Australian cricket, that the cricket-loving public throughout the whole of "Australia should give him something in the way of a testimonial and benefit match to show their appreciation in. a practical manner towards helping our old Australian champion in. his old age. I claim that George GiSen has done as much as, if not more than, anyone in the past to put Australian cricket in its present position. It is not generally known that if it had not been for George Giffen Clem Hill may not have been seen playing in test matches. In 1896 the - three selectors for Australia selected the team for England, and when the team was chosen Hill was not included in it, although George Giffen, who was one of the selectors, tried to get him into the team, but the other two selectors would not pick him. George Giffen was _so keen on Hill being included, realising the great promise Hill showed of being a. great cricketer if he could get a trip to England—without which no player can ever reach the top, as cricket in England is played under so many varied conditions—that he called a meeting in Sydney of the players selected, and the team as a whole (not the three selectors) included Hill in the team, thanks to George Giffen, Olem Hill and the Australian public owes George Giffen more than is generally known. George Giffen, off his own bat, forced New South Wales and Victoria to play. . home-and-homs matches with South’ Australia, and (by doing this gave Hill, Jones, Lyons, Jams, Fellow, myself, and others the opportunity of gaining such experiences by playing in these interstate matches that it improved our cricket to such an extent that we were selected for Australia.

I say emphatically that if South Australia had not bad George Giffon it is more than likely that Clem Hill and myself may never have been heard of in the cricketing world. Very few people in Australia realise this. Not only did George Giffen, through his wonderful abilities and stamina as a cricketer, force the two 'big States to play ho'me-and-home matches with South Australia, but he did ail he could to improve South Australian and Australian cricket by bowling at Clem _ Hill, Lyons, and myself, and coaching .Jones to bowl. Many and many a time has George Giffen 'bowled at the nets at Hill and myself for close on an hour, and we were thus enabled to get test match bowling at the practice nets, , GiSen used to do all he could to get us out, and wp. naturally did all we could to prevent him doing so, with the result—and I am not ashamed to say it—that if there had been no George Giffen in South Australia I, myself, . anyway, ■would never have been tire player 1 was, aa no 1 player will rise to the top. even if he has the cricketing ability in him, unless he plays against better cricketers than himself, and thus develops his latest abilities. I claim that Clem Hill owes even more to George Giffen than I do, and if George Giffen did nothing else than give Australian cricket Clem Hill—and 1 say emphatically that he did so—then the public should show its recognition in a practical manner. As no one seems to bo moving in the matter, then I would respectfully ask you to assert your influence and try to have two benefit matches played this season, one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne, for the benefit of this grand old player, < Georgre Giffen, and also start a testimonial fund, and if you will do so I will contribute ten guineas. MB WORRALL’S APPRECIATION. Mr J. "vVorrall. who writes the cricket notes in the ' Australasian, - appended the following note to Mr Darling’s letter:— It snows a good trait in human nature when an old international such as Joe Darling is not forgetful of our old champion, George Giffen. ,111 those who have participated in big cricket are quite conversant with the facts as enunciated by Darling so far as promotions are concerned in business life. It is on© of those little ironies that are ever present in the amenities of cricket. The suggestion that the Board of Control should inaugurate a fund for old cricketers who may need assistance is a good business one, and I. foal sure that if the subject was brought before the proper authorities there would be no objection to such a sound proposition. From a cricket point of view George Giffen has been a great Australian, and for that reason alone deserves well of his fellows. He is the best all-round cricketer Australia has ever produced, and a benefit initiated and managed by the Board of Control would not only be a generous act, but also popular and welldeserved. We all know that the old champion had a bit of a kink at times, yet no man living or dead has done more for the cause of Australian cricket than -the keep-eyed, suntanned. tough ol<l son of South Australia. Apart altogether from his wonderful records with bat and ball for bis own State and for Australia, the fact, according to Joe Darling’s letter and popular opinion as well, that he was instrumental in developing, the latent talent of two such past-masters in the art of batting as .the lefthanders Clem 11)11 and Joe - ’Darling, entitles him to anything in the way of monetary assistance that this country can offer such a player. We must not ferget the heroes of the past, and fai)uro t to recognise the pioneers is an .unforgivable sin. Personally X would,

like to see the match or matches, if arranged for his benefit, entitled Australian Eleven v. Rest of Australia. I would suggest to Joe Darling that he communicate with the South Australian Cricket Association on the subject, and thus have the question of a benefit to the old champion brought before the managing booty .of the game in a proper and constitutional manner, if the proposition meets with the success it deserves I can assure the sponsor that it will receive splendid help from those cricket writers who were contemporary with Giffen as players, who will regard doing homage to our old champion as a labor of love.