SPORT IN BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1939, Page 4

SPORT IN BRITAIN

EFFECT OF THE WAR. LONDON, September 6. For the time being all forms of sport are at a standsaill, but, if the 1914 precedent is followed,, racing and football will eventually be resumed on a modified basis. There are now, on the other hand, more imperative reasons against the gathering of crowds than in the last war. A certain number of race meetings may be possible at Newmarket, where substitute’ races for the Derby, the Oaks and the St. Leger were run in 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918. The Jockey Club and the National Hunt Committee are meeting later in the week, when plans for the continuance of racing on a restricted scale will, no doubt, be discussed. In the meanwhile, the majority of trainers intend to keep their horses in training. Some horses may be sold to Irish owners. Brood mares and fillies will be retained wherever possible. The position of professional footballers was explained by Mr W. S. Cuff, president of the Football League. Until the League Management Committee has considered the position, he said, clubs should instruct their players to stand by. The Ryder Cup match between Great Britain and America, which was to have been played in Florida in November, has been cancelled. Among other important professional fixtures cancelled are the £1250 match-play championshiu fixed for next week at St. George’s Hill, Weybridge, and the £5OO Dunlop-Metropolitan tournament at Wentworth.

The English Women’s Championship and the county finale at Canton, Yorks, which were to have been played from September 29 to October 6, will not take place. A protest against the closing of theatres and cinemas has been made by Mr Bernard Shaw. He calls it “a masterstroke of unimaginative stupidity.” “During the last' war,” he adds, “wd had 80,000 soldiers on leave to amuse every night. There were not enough theatres tor them, and theatre rents rose to fabulous figures. Are there to be no theatres for them this time? We have hundreds of thousands of evacuated children to be kept out of mischief and traffic dangers. Are there to be no pictures for them?”

Mr Shaw concludes: “All actors, variety artists, musicians and entertainers of all sorts should be exempted from every form of service except their own all-important professional one.”