SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22203, 4 December 1935, Page 6

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our English Correspondent.] LONDON, October 16. ATHLETICS. The committee of the Amateur Athletic Association is much exercised in its minds over, the question of Sunday sport. Unlike the Football Association, which has a very strict rule against football on Sundays, the governing body of athletics has no law against competitions on the first day of the week. Nor has it needed one, for such meetings have been extremely rare. Now it is being sought in certain directions to put such a law on the Statute Book. It is argued that Sunday athletics is good neither for the would-be competitors nor for the community at large. On the other hand, it is pointed out that for certain sections of sport lovers, such as Jews and those engaged in certain professions and trades, Saturday is impracticable, and that therefore they should be allowed to follow their pastime on Sunday. Counsels _ are divided. Members -of the committee holding such diverse tenets as those of the Established, Nonconformity, Roman Catholicism, and even Mohammedanism and Agnosticism have all expressed their opinions. The upshot of it all is that it has been decided to leave the matter to the affiliated clubs when they assemble in general meeting in March next. BILLIARDS. Walter Lindrum was a popular figure when he came to England and carried away the billiards championship. _ All the more regrettable, therefore, is it that the great Australian cannot be induced to visit the Old Country to defend his title. Instead of that we have just extended a welcome to his_ capable nephew Horace. Judging by his initial appearance, the younger player will not return to Australia without adding further lustre to an already great name. Lindrum realises that he has severe tasks in meeting Davis ; Smith, and Newman. It was against the lastnamed that he began his first match of the tour on Monday. It is to last a week—the custom of playing for a fortnight has gone by the board —and so far the young Australian has fully held his own. At snooker Lindrum is even more proficient, and we are looking forward with considerable interest to his meeting with our champion, Joe Davis, at that form of billiards. BOXING. Jackie Brown made his first appearance in the ring since his defeat for the world’s fly-weight championship by Benny Lynch, when he met Bert Kirby, of Birmingham, at Bst 61b. _ This was the fourth meeting of the pair, and the contest went nearly the full stipulated 12 rounds, for it was not until the last that the referee stopped the fight and awarded the verdict to Brown, who thus brought his score with Kirby to three victories to one. The latter boxed most gamely, and had some excuse in that his match with the Manchester man was only fixed up a fortnight ago, when Tom Pardoe found himself unable to keep his engagement to fight Brown through an attack of tonsilitis. ■When Harry Mizler produced his wonderful comeback against Gustave Humery it was confidentially expected that the Eastender would be given priority in challenging Kid Berg for the light-weight championship. So he might have been, but when he attended a meeting of the British Boxing Board of Control on Monday he stated that he did not feel well enough to undertake the task of opposing his fellow-Hebrew. In the circumstances the board looked elsewhere, and have sanctioned a match between Berg and Jimmie Walsh, of Chester. The suggested date was November 5, but permission has been given for an extension. November 5 is also the date fixed for Tommy Loughran’s fight at Wembley. The ex-holder of the world’s cruiserweight championship does not yet know the name of his opponent. Who will it bo? Petersen is on his honeymoon, Harvey and Phillips have a match of their own at the end of this month. This practically leaves only Wenstob and Strickland as candidates to meet the American at Wembley. If Maurice Strickland gets the honour it will be a real test for him. One swallow does not make a summer, but the gallant young New Zealander showed such fine form when he defeated Ben Foord that, even allowing for the latter’s misfortune of a damaged eye, he must have a great chance against even such a tried and talented boxer as Loughran. [Loughran beat the New Zealander.] CRICKET. Memories of many a famous match were revived by the passing of Frank Mitchell at the age of 63. In the midnineties the famous Yorkshireman gained a triple blue at Cambridge where he represented his University at cricket, Rugby football, and athletics. His prowess at the last-named was confined to putting the weight, and he was far more distinguished at our great summer and winter games. At cricket he appeared for his native county many times, his batting average being 34, and he had the distinction of representing both England and South Africa on the tented field. At Rugby, too, he gained his international cap as a sturdy hard-working forward. Lately ho had settled doiyn at Blackheath, and his son, B. Mitchell, having a Kent qualification, has figured in the Home Country’s side. It was only this summer that Frank Mitchell wrote and published his reminiscences.

SOCCER. It is a tribute to the level of ability amongst League clubs that at this moment only eight points separate the leading club in the First Division from the club at the foot of the list. Huddersfield have 14 points and Everton 6. Small wonder if, in such circumstances, two or three consecutive reverses for a club cause its manager to go dashing round in an attempt to secure new players to make good the deficiencies through injuries or loss of form. Complaisancy at this period of the season might mean relegation in May next. Advantage of ground always plays a large part in the destination of League points. Last Saturday _ the five leading clubs in the first division appeared on the grounds of opponents, and not one of them was successful. One was prepared for the defeat of Derby County (their first since September 1) by the only goal scored on Sheffield Wednesday’s ground, and, also perhaps, for the overthrow of Huddersfield (4-2) by free-scoring Middlesbrough who have netted the ball 33 times in 10 matches. The defeat of Sunderland by no less than 4 goals to love at Grimsby came as a surprise, though it should not be forgotten that it was Grimsby who inflicted on Arsenal their first defeat of the season. The champions were engaged in a duel with their London rivals, Chelsea, before a record crowd for a League match of 82,905, and while some critics think Chelsea should have won, most of the spectators, left the ground satisfied that the draw of a goal apiece was a fair result. A few weeks ago Manchester City were challenging for the lead. One point in their last three matches has momentarily dimmed their hopes. They ' could have found little satisfaction in their 4 to 1 defeat at Blackburn where the Rovers have won on four successive occasions. It is sad to see famous old clubs like Aston Villa and Everton near the bottom of the table. The latter miss their famous international, Dixie Dean, who is kept out of the field by injuries. Like Huddersfield, the second division leaders, Leicester City were thrashed, Bury beating them by 3 clear goals, and this after the City had recorded six successive wins. The present runner S-up, Manchester United, scraped home against Fulham. Tottenham Hotspur may not be convincing their friends that they have a promotion team. Nevertheless they go on winning their games by substantial margins and, level on points with Manchester United, are only a point behind the leaders. Like Huddersfield, Tranmere Rovers, the foremost side in the third division (north), lost For the first time -i Wrexham. These results leave Chesterfield the only unbeaten side in first-class English and Scottish football. : Next Saturday the East Derbyshire side entertain Tranmere, who are certain_ to do their best to rob them of their solitary distinction. Probably the best performance in the southern section was Newport County’s victory by- 5 to 2 at Watford, though Boscombe are also to be congratulated on beating Brighton -on the latter’s ground. Reading show the way with a two-points lead over Coventry City. Celtic and Rangers, being engaged in a Glasgow cup tie did not play in the Scottish League. This enabled Aberdeen to go to the top of the table. THE ALL BLACKS. A week ago, after their very fine show against Lancashire and Cheshire, one expressed the_ opinion that the All Blacks had run into their very best form, and that it would take an extremely fine side to extend them. That opinion has not been borne out in the two matches played during the past week. It is perfectly true the New Zealanders have won them both. It is equally true that if the luck had run the other way they might well have lost both. At Gosforth, where they scrambled home against Northumberland and Durham by 10 points to 6, there was a strange lack of cohesion about the side. Later in the week they crossed the Tweed for their first match in Scotland. The All Blacks beat South of Scotland by 11 points to 8 at Hawick. Once again the tourists’ scrummagers have come in for severe criticism. But let the critics beware. The New Zealanders’ famous compatriot, _J. E. Lovelock, has declared that he is quite content to win hia races irrespective of the time recorded May it not be that the All Blacks are pursuing a similar policy and that when the time comes for the supreme effort the will and the skill will not be found wanting P London Scottish are still unbeaten. They beat Rosslyn Pailk on the latter’s ground by 16 points to 7, despite a fine rally by the losers. Richmond fell to their visitors by 7 points to 5, and the conquerors of the All Blacks had to fight desperately to win. Newport and Blackheath have met no fewer than 80 times. Their last encounter on the Welsh club’s ground resulted in New port’s favour by 12 points to nil. These were the most important of club results. In the only county championship fixture North Midlands, with 21 points, beat Leicestershire 3, and this result, coming after the overthrow of Warwickshire by East Midlands, suggests that we are reaching the stage where a combination of counties is bound to prove stronger than a single shire. GOLF. The unaccountable all-round failure of our English professional golfers on the other side of the Atlantic has been most disappointing. As a set off it is pleasant to reflect on the success which it attending the women golfers who are touring Australia and New Zealand. Their victory in every one of the singles matches at Auckland was particularly striking. Meanwhile, at home Miss' Wanda Morgan, by winning such an

important competition as the women’s autumn foursomes at Ranelagh, received some small compensation for her recent defeat in the championship. Her partner was Miss Doris Chambers, and both, especially over the last eight holes, showed form worthy of champions. LAWN TENNIS. The projected tour of British players in South Africa will, it is almost certain, not mature. The team should have started for the Cape two days after Christmas. F. J. Perry has decided not to cross from Australia, Miss Dorothy Round finds it difficult to get away from business in London, and Miss Kathleen Stammers says she sadly needs a rest from tennis. Take these three away, and what is left South Africa is scarcely likely to want anything but the best if the tour is to be successful financially. So it will not be surprising if it be abandoned altogether. RACING. What a reception Gordon Richards got at Brighton last Monday! The champion had .been out of the saddle for a fortnight through a spill on Tommaok in the Newbury Autumn Cup. He celebrated his reappearance by riding four winners and a third in six attempts. From Brighton the racing crowd went on to Newmarket. Here they saw a fine performance by Wychwood Abbot in the Champion Stakes. For some time Mr 0. V. Watney’s four-year-old has been possibly our best handicap runner. At Newmarket he distinguished himself in another sphere and won so easily that ono regretted that the Aga Khan’s presence at Geneva kept Bahrain out of the race. Gordon Richards’s fine riding at Brighton caused his mount in the Ccsarewitch, Tommaok, to be rushed to the head of the betting. Neither Tommaok nor any other of the more fancied candidates scored, victory going to Sir Alfred Butt’s Near Relation after a short-head finish with Princesse de Faucigny’s Nightcap 111., and Captain L., Montague’s Hoplit© third.;