SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 11

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our Correspondent.! LONDON, January 14. ATHLETICS. A member of the General Committee has informed the writer that he proposes to move at a forthcoming meeting of the committee that Great Britain shall not send an athletic team to the next Olympic Games. He bases his objection to our participation on the § round that the distance between Lonon and Tokio means that we cannot hope to be anything like adequately represented in the Japanese capital. One cannot imagine that the proposal will be seriously entertained by the A.A.A. It is perfectly true, that some of our leading athletes may find a difficulty in leaving their daily occupation for the length of time involved in a journey to the Far East and a stay of a fortnight there. They would risk their livelihood by pressing for leave of absence, for employers are not so well disposed towards sport that they would willingly consent to so long an absence. Nevertheless whatever be the strength of her team, it is Britain’s bounden duty to support the Games, and.our hopes of holding the 1944 Olympiad in London would certainly not be realised if wo were absentees in 1940. We must do the best we can with the men and money (an important factor) at our disposal. In 1932 Great Britain had only 19 competitors at Los Angeles. Yet from them we furnished the winners of the 800 metres and the 50,000 metres walk. The suggestions of abstention from international competition is not favoured by the International Athletic Board, as is shown by the announcement that for the first time a team will be sent to the next European championships, which are to be held in Paris in the summer of 1938, a few months after the Empire Games in Australia. BILLIARDS. Leading snooker players are getting plenty of practice for the world’s championship. The holder, Joe Davis, is at present meeting Horace Lindrum in an exhibition match at Manchester. On Monday the Australian made a break of 141, which beat the world’s record held by Sydney Smith by seven. Unfortunately for the Australian the table on which the match is being played had not previous to the game been measured and certified correct, so Lindrum will have to go without the honour to which he seems so justly entitled. There was, by the way, a prospect of Davis meeting his brother, Fred., in the first round of the championship, but the latter has been knocked out by thfe Welshman, W. A. Withers. BOXING. Just now it is the little men on whom boxing interest is centred. Next Tuesday there will be the big battle between Benny Lynch and Small Montana for the world’s championship fly-weight title. All those who have seen the Philippino at work since his arrival in England are agreed upon his wonderful speed and stamina. Half a dozen rounds with a sparring partner at top pressure never seem to affect him in the slightest. The Scot is likely to play second fiddle in the matter of speed, but his admirers claim that he will more than atone for this by the weight of his punches. We are promised a bonny fight. . „ „ Twenty-four hours later Peter Nano will be having another bout with Angelmann in Paris. Kane had already beaten the Frenchman over here, and is satisfied that he can repeat the operation. As the fight is at Bst 21b it viously cannot count for the fly-weight championship. Once these fights are out of the way attention will be turned once again to the heavier division. Ben Foord’s attack of influenza has caused his fight with Jack Petersen on February 1 to be postponed, but the interval of waiting is not likely to be lengthy. Apart from this bout British heavy-weight boxing promises to have the brightest season ever known. The winner of the FoordPetersen fight will meet Max Baer on March 15. Joe Louis is expected to fight in London in June. Buddy Baer, Walter Neusel, and Max Scbmelling are other foreign boxers who have expressed a desire to appear over here. There is one other whoso appearance in our English ring would prove a tremendous at-i traction. Reference is made to Gnnnar Baorlund, the young Finn, who has been building up such a reputation in America. There is just one possible hitch in considering these arrange-

ments. The Ministry of Labour and the British Boxing Board of Control will have to be consulted, and the former may not be complacent over the suggested employment of so much foreign labour in this country. CRICKET. Enthusiasts are still discussing the ifs and ands of the third test match. If only Allen had declared England’s first inings when Hammond got out, if the bowlers had not had to do their work at the start of Australia’s second venture with a wet ball, and so on and so on. All this, of course, is idle speculation. The average sportsman recognises that Australia won, and won well. By doing so she has re-established the Commonwealth as a fighting force in the struggle for the ashes. We have still a fortnight to wait for the beginning of the pext test at Adelaide, The matches at Launceston and Hobart have left us with the composition of England’s side still possessing three conundrums. Will Duckworth keep wicket instead of Ames? Will Fames come in as a third fast bowler? And will Wyatt be chosen to open the innings with Barnett? Each presents a nice problem, and gives enthusiasts in the Old Country something to argue about over the fire. SOCCER. Without conceding that football is any rougher to-day than it has been at any time since it became popular 70 years ago, the authorities are considering various ways and means of stamping out roughness as far as possible. The Swiss Football Association has adopted the plan of sending off a player for foul play and recalling him at the end of a specified time, just as is done in ice hockey and water polo. In Eng* land the suggestion has been made that a player may be sent off for the rest of the match without any further disciplinary action except in notoriously flagrant cases. The numbering of players is also to be proposed again, and although this, if carried into effect, will be done with the object of assisting the spectators to identify the players, it might also cheek foul play. No footballer would like to hear the crowd yelling: “Now then, No. 9. play the game!”

All sorts of people are anticipating next Saturday’s Cup ties by naming three or four clubs from which the ultimate vviiiners at Wembley in April next are likely to emerge. It is a profitless task, for luck plays such a part in the destination of the honours that something like 25 or 30 clubs may be said to have an almost equal chance. Choice of ground, an injury to a key player, a doubtful decision by the referee may all mean further progress or exit from the Cup. One famous instructional, when trying to name the Cup winners, dismisses tlie Arsenal’s chances because no club has won the trophy in successive years since the Blackburn Rovers did so in 1890 and 1891. Surely last year’s experience should stand Arsenal in good stead, and since there is no doubt that at the moment they are playing better football than any other team, given a reasonable share of fortune’s smiles the holders seem to have a brighter chance than any of their rivals.

Confirmation of Arsenal’s present prowess was furnished when it went to Roker Park last week-end. and by drawing at one goal each with Sunderland became the first visitors to leave Eoker Park with a point. Charlton Athletic still dispute the league’s leadership with Arsenal. By virtue of defeating Leeds United by the only goal of the match it drew level on points with Arsenal. It is, however, greatly inferior on goal average. Arsenal has scored 55 goals and had 32 scored against it. Charlton’s figures are 32 and 27. Ground advantage was manifest in the Fjrst Division’s fixtures. Not a single visiting team proved successful, and only two captured a single ooint.

Things were different in the Second Division. Swansea, West Ham, Leicester City, Newcastle United, and Norwich City were all victorious on tlie

grounds Of their opponents. The Norwich win at Blackpool was the most sensational result of the day. It did not jeopardise Blackpool’s lead, for it is still six points ahead of its nearest rivals; but, following on a defeat by Coventry City, caused distinct uneasiness in the minds of the club’s supporters, The race for the Scottish League championship has virtually been reduced to tour clubs. Not one of these was beaten last week-end. At the head of the table stands Aberdeen, whose advantage over Glasgow Rangers, Celtic, and Hearts is 4 points RUGBY. There is no superabundance of real personalities in English Rugby just iiow, and the fifteen chosen to represent England at Twickenham next Saturday does not look a particularly conspiring combination. If it does not arouse great enthusiasm in the hearts of Eng* lishmen, it has certainly not struck terror into the hearts of the Welsh. Injury has robbed England of the services of B. C. Gadney, who would again have been captain, and the dashing wing three-quarter, A. Obolensky. In place of the latter wo have the wellknown sprinter, A. G. Butler, who narrowly missed selection for the last Olympic Games. If the Harlequin proves as effective as Obolensky did last season, and H. S. Sever has lost none of his tremendous power, P. L. Candler and Peter Cranmer should complete a fine three-quarter line. The experiment of playing J. L. Giles and T. A. Kemp at half should prove interesting. H. G. Owen Smit.h will not let England down at back. As he has represented this country before, there is no reason why cynics should have revived the sneer about a mail who has represented South Africa against England at cricket turning out for the Mother Country at football.

Welsh followers of Rugby express, themselves as confident in the ability' of the principality’s team to snatch another victory at Twickenham. There is the old combination of cleverness and dash in Wilfred Wooller and Claude Davey at centre three-quarter, and, although Wales has lost Cliff Jones through injury, Willy Davis is not likely to prove an inadequate substir tutc. Vivian Jenkins is a fine offset to Owen Smith at back. Forward it is probable that Wales is the stronger. Good enough in the loose, the English papk is suspect when it comes to honest scrummaging. Curiously enough, some Welsh sportsmen are not too well pleased with their forwards. So that, take it all in all, Saturday’s game, if it does not provide a classic encounter, may prove ns close as one could wish. [England won by 4 points to 3.] LAWN TENNIS. Fred Perry has mado an auspicious start in his career as a professional. His three victories over Ellsworth Vines, at New York, Cleveland, and Chicago, belied W. T. Tilden’s prophesy that Vines would “ murder ” him. Can it be that there is a touch of justified jealously in the make-up of Big Bill Tilden? While congratulating Perry, it must not be overlooked that Vines was not in the best of health. A man must be 100 per cent, fit to withstand Perry when the latter is in his most vigorous mood. RACING. With the exception of Reynoldstown (winner 1935 and 1936), Killsboro Jack (winner 1933), Castle Irwell, Brienz, and Belted Hero, all the best known steeplechasers are entered for the Grand National on March 19. The entry of 60 exceeds last year’s by six. The public will be as interested ns ever in Golden Miller, who ivon at Aintrce in 1934. Another horse that will attract a lot of attention is Davy Jones, who was desperately unlucky to lose last year’s race by running out at the very last obstacle. Apart from the national entries, the event that has caused the greatest interest is the first success of King George VI. on the turf. His Marconi won in a field of 14 at Birmingham, and thus created the extraordinary record of having won for three sovereigns, George V. and his two sons.