SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22571, 12 February 1937, Page 7

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, December 17. THE NEW KING. King George VI. shares his people’s love of outdoor sports and pastimes. As an active participant in games his greatest claim to distinction is in lawn tennis, at which he was skilful enough to earn a place in the great annual tournament at Wimbledon. He is fond of both codes of football; and on more than one occasion has been a welcome visitor at the Association Cup Final, where the twenty-two players have been presented to him and listened to bis words of encouragement. His Majesty has been president of the National Playing Fields Association since its formation some 10 days ago, and lias appeared on platforms in connection with the association’s annual appeal for the funds from which it has distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds in the acquisition and equipment of new sports grounds throughout the land. The Government’s new scheme of physical training will have a warm adherent in the King, who realises the necessity for it amongst the poor boys whom be has annually taken to camp to fraternise with the boys from our public schools. The Government’s plan was referred to the other day in a speech by the Minister of Education, Mr Oliver Stanley, whose views on compulsory training were very much the same as those expressed in these columns a week or two ago. It might be all very well in those countries where it forms part of a vast plan for compulsory service, but it was alien to British ideas and would, he was certain, be extremely unpopular if the Government tried to introduce it. One is glad to know from such an authority that there is no likelihood of an attempt to compel the youth of this country to physical training. ATHLETICS. Many fine athletes have figured in the Oxford and Cambridge cross-coun-try race. Among them havd been W. Pollock-Hill (now at 70 years of age, the vicar of a London parish), J. E. Lovelock, and J. F. Comes. Few, however, have come anywhere near to winning an English championship. The reasons may be two—the students are on the average four or five years younger than our crack cross-country runners, and their cross-country battle has always boon held in far less esteem than the athletic sports, and the stayers here in the main preferred to reserve their energies for the latter contest. Since Cambridge supplied the first three men home their victory in the race last Saturday was never in doubt. The winner, E. C. Weir, who was second in 1934 and third last year, showed himself easily the best of the 12 runners. One or two of the Oxford men did not show the best of judgment in tackling the hilly, heavy, 7\ miles course. The success of Cambridge by 24 points to 31 brought their number of victories in the whole series to 28 to Oxford’s 24. BOXING, The IS-year-old Liverpool blacksmith, Peter Kane, is wonderfully keen on boxing. Last week-end he fiew to Paris to watch Valentin Angelmanu beat Ernst Weiss for the flyweight championship. On Monday evening he was in the ring, showing his accustomed fire and speed in heaping the Belgian champion, Gaston Vandenbos in the sixth round. Tonight he fights A 1 Habb, a "German, at Liverpool. While in Paris he concluded an arrangement to fight Angelman, whom he has already defeated, in a month’s time. This fight may lead to complications, as the International Boxing Union, which controls professional boxing on the Continent, regards it as a bout for the flyweight championship. There are two other Richmonds in the field. Our Boxing Board of Control looks on Benny Lynch as the champion; America holds- that Small Montana holds the title. These two meet on January 19, the day fater Kane’s fight in Paris. If Lynch and Kane are successful two men in the country will be going about as world champion fly-weights—an impossible state of affairs. Kane’s mentors are, one imagines, too astute to match him against Lynch yet awhile, and the modest Liverpool boy will not wish to throw down the gauntlet to the clever Scot. Hence one may safely assume that either Lynch or Montana will reign. , _ Dave M'Cleave, amateur ex-cham-pion, has not been too successful as a welter-weight professional. He has gone into the middles and began his career in that division with a quite satisfactory victory over Bob Simkins, of Bridlington. CRICKET. It is hard lines on Australia that it cannot avail itself of W. A. Brown’s services in the second test, which begins at Sydney to-morrow. When Brown was here in 1934 we saw enough of his rock-like defence to realise what a fine first-wicket partner he would have made for Fingleton. Unless O’Brien comes in the defenders of the Ashes will be the same as took the field at Brisbane, and one must admire the selectors for the way they declined to be rushed into panicky changes because of the debacle in the first encounter. As for the English side, most of ns expected that G. 0. Allen and his advisers would let well alone and trust the eleven which won in Queensland. A change in the batting order did, however, seem indicated. Worthington did not distinguish himself as a partner for Barnett. Indeed, seeing that he seldom, if ever-, goes in first for Derbyshire it could only have been the dearth of opening batsmen that induced Allen to put him in so high up. Now that Fagg has recovered his confidence somewhat we shall expect him to go in first. The only possible change mooted anywhere was the substitution on the Sydney billiard-table wicket of Fames, the fast bowler, for one of the batsmen. As it turned out, Worthington will be displaced by either Fagg or Sims, the general opinion being the wicket probably being suitable for spin bowlers the Middlesex man will get the choice.