“TOO ROUGH"

Evening Star, Issue 19994, 11 October 1928, Page 4

“TOO ROUGH"

SOSGER FOR POLICEMEN PING PONG INSTEAD? Ping pong for policemen! That satirical suggestion has been made by a British M.P., who was once a policeman, in reply to the official ban in Sheffield on <r the force ” playing Soccer because of the risk of injm-y. Football is too dangerous for Sheffield policemen, who have one of the roughest districts in the world _to patrol. Such is tho opinion of Chiefconstable Captain P. Shillitoo, who officially urged them to take up a gentler sport, such as hockey. He recommended constables to ask their wives whether it was worth risking a whole career for a game of Soccer. Sheffield police lost 231 forking days last year as a result of Soccer injuries. ... Captain Shillitoo is strongly criticised for discouraging police Soccer., Even the police chiefs of other cities condemn his attitude “ Ft sounds like returning to nursery days,” says tho secretary of the Police Athletic Association. “We are not a lot of babies. We have a hundred Soccer teams of metropolitan police. Of course, they get hard knocks, but that’s good for them. I should say that there are more injured in playing hockey.” „ _ , Chief-constable. Matthews, of Leeds, said that police should be encouraged to plav anv game calculated to keep them fit and better able to discharge their duties. Mr J. H. Hayes. Labour M.P.. who was a former policeman, said: “Why not ping pong? That’s less dangerous. Wo expect policemen to bo goodnatured and tolerant, and nothing, is mors calculated to breed this spirit than the Soccer field, where hard knocks have- to be taken.