SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 18883, 6 March 1925, Page 4

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our English Correspondent.] LONDON, January 14. ASSOCIATION CUP TIES. There is a glamor about the Football Association Cup ties, and many people are attracted by such fixtures who care little about tho many league matches. Saturday marked the first round of the 1925 F.A. Cup, and many interesting struggles were provided. Surprises were not quite so numerous ae some times, the most noted of the prominent clubs to go under being Huddersfield. The league champions were called on to visit Bolton Wanderers, and, as the latter are noted cup fighters, students of form realised that the Yorkshire team had a severe task. So it proved, tho homo side scoring three times without response. Huddersfield will now be able to concentrate on the league championship, and it has Icon shown by past happenihge that it is eften as well that a club in the running for this honor is best out of the cup. The holders, Newcastle United, had an easy task against their Hartlepool visitors, the latter scoring once to the four goals by the home club. 'One of the easiest wins of the day was gained by Aston Villa when at home to Port Vale, the chocolate and light blue, men winning by 7 goals to 2. Tho Villa were unexpectedly beaten by Newcastle in last season’s final, and it may wed be that the club means to make a bold bid again this year, particularly as the position in the league tables gives no anxiety, and no particular hope for top place. _ West Bromwich Albion, leaders in the league table, ranked as another club with an easy task, their Luton visitors going under by 4 goals to 0. , , The third Eirmingham Club in Birmingham put “ paid ” to Chelsea s hopes, the Stamford Bridge brigade failing _to score on the “ Throstles ’ Ground, whilst the homo side netted the ball twice. Some clubs nearly always do well in cup ties, no matter how lowly placed in the ]eacue table. Preston North Lud furnished an example of this by beating theirManchester City rivals 4 goals to 1. Sunderland is a, club which somehow usually fails to do as well in cup tie fray as in the league. Perhaps wo shall see a change this scson, and certainly the far northern team performed _ with distinction on Saturday, when visiting Bury and winning by 3 goals to 0. Decidedly, this must bo counted about the best win of the day, as the Bury men are hard to beat ori their own ground. Everton played well when beating their Burnley visitors by tho odd goal in three, and a neighboring club in Liverpool had no difficulty in disposing of their Leeds United visitors by 3 goals to 0. Tottenham Hotspur xvas another home dull to score a 3 goals to 0 triumph, their victims being Northampton. How the enn ties draw the crowd may be judged by the official figures, sonic of the biggest being as follows : Fixture. Number. Gate. Bolton v. Huddersfield ... 50.412 £3,640 Liverpool v. Leeds ... 39.000 2,400 ; Aston Villa v. Port Vale 35,600 2,130 ■Tottenham v. Northampton 32,718 2,154 Newcastle v. Hartlepool 35,630 2,229 Sheffield Wednesday v. Manchester U 35,000 2,253 The Corinthians, last of the amateur teams left in, had to visit Sheffield United, where tho professional team won by 5 goals to 0. The amateurs proved a bic draw, however, as shown by the attendance of over 38,000 and receipts of £2,557. GOLF. Tho Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society held its annual competition for the honor of holding an historic putter, at: Rye, this year. Tho final stages were contested on Saturday, and it was generally expected that Sir E. W. H. Holderness, the amateur champion, and (’. H. Tolley, mi ex-champicn and the present champion of France, would fight out tho final. H. D. Gillies, a native of Now Zealand, and who gained a rowing bine at Cambridge, upset matters, however, and gained a remarkable victory. He first beat 'Tolley in tho semi-final after a great struggle. Tolley’s driving was so wild, at first, that ho twice had to use his niblick left-handed to get out of trouble. Ibis enabled Gillies to win the first three holes. In turn he got into difficulties, and Tolley took the next three. Once more Giliies got in and won the following four holes, the first half being at the eleventh. Tolley rallied, and by taking the next- four holes, squared the match. A half followed and Tolley became one up by winning the seventeenth. A bad drive looked serious for him at the next, but a wonderful marine shot over the clubhouse on to tho green gave him a great chance for a half and the match, lie missed a yard put, however, duo to the ball being partly stuck into the turf. Going the nineteenth, Gillies made no mistake at this, a four giving him tho victory. After Holderness had boat J. H. S. Vidor by 6 and 4 he w»s strongly fancied for the final, but a£rain Gillies was equal to the occasion. The latter took three strokes to reach the green at the short fourth, and Holderness had a big chance, but, trying to play a shot one-handed from the edge of a bunker, be missed and lost the hole. More bad luck came at tho tenth, where bo was stymied within a foot of the hole, and Gillies was now two up. Playing steadily, the latter strengthened his position, and finally won by 4 and 2. It was a groat performance to defeat two such noted golfers as Holderness and Tolley, and the New Zealander came in for many hearty congratulations. ATHLETICS. British sportsmen were naturally greatly interested in the American debut of P. Nurmi. That the wonderful Finn won both his races on making his appearance at the Madison Square Gardens track came as no big surprise. What is astonishing, however, is that he registered 4min 10 2-ssec for a mile, and that Joey Ray was only beaten by 3yds. This is 4scc better than ho has ever accomplished before, either indoors or outdoors, and makes one wonder if the measurements wore correct. This all the more so when tho cable states that Nurmi won looking over his shoulder and with ease. He is a marvel and quite likely to surpass all his previous efforts; yet a 4min lOseo mile on a board floor track only 176yds round is indeed startling. [Nurmi has since broken several records.] It should always bo remembered that whilst a track of ten laps to tho mile means many and small turns, there are certain advantages as compared to outdoor tracks. The absence of wind must mean a big gain or such fast times would not be possible. Ray, America’s best miler in athletic history, has run a mile on an outdoor track in 4min 14 2-ssec, and his previous best indoors was only one-fifth of a second slower. His latest effort is equal to,,4inin Usee—-truly more surprising than Nurmi’s performance, as most of us looked on him as past his best. It is clear that the change of climate has not upset Nurmi, and he may be counted on to accomplish many other big performances during his stay in America. Athletics in the Army have made big strides in modern times, as illustrated by the success of the Irish Guards team when opposed tQ the South. Lqiulor Harriet

at Couisdcn on Saturday. True, the home team was not at full .strength, for after supplying the individual winner in G. A. W. Davies, tho next arrival was only sixth. The Irish Guards had a level lot, and proved successful with a total of 90 to 120 points, the scoring being twelve a side. Of other notable events on Saturday, the club championships of the North London Harriers and the Queen’s Park Harriers claimed much attention. The former served to show' S. G. Gay to advantage, whilst J. C. Dixon, an ex-South-om champion, won the Queen’s Park title. BOXING. English boxing is bound to receive a big boom should the contemplated contest between Louis Firpo and Tom Gibbons be staged in London.' We have seen what a good man Gibbons is, as shown by tbe manner he played with Jack Bloomfield. Naturally, there is a desire to see the boxer who knocked Jack Dempsey out of the ring, and should the National Sporting Club be able to stage the match at Holland Park at the end of March, the event’ will rank among the greatest attractions of modern times. Quite a good performance was shown by Sid Pape in his bout with Seaman Willoughby at the Ring on Saturday. The Yorkshire champion went for the naval cruiser champion at once, and served out such punishment that Willoughby was beaten in a round and a-half, & body punch ending matters.