TOPICAL TATTLE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4281, 22 September 1936, Page 2

TOPICAL TATTLE

NEWSY MOTES ON SPORT League Players at Home. C. Blacklaws and E. T. Hall, formerlv of Auckland, have been regular members of the St. Helens Rugby League team since they wont to laud" They have now signed for the Hornets. The Rochdale ‘ Observer remarks: They are typical colonial forwards, who are expected to add to the power of the Hornets’ pack. Off Form. The great Finnish javelin thrower and world’s record-holder, Haiti Jarvinen was oft form at the Olympic Game’s, and this event was won bj Bernhardt Stoeck, the German, with a heave of 235 ft 8 13-32 in. two linns, Nikkanen and Toivonen, were second and third, with Jarvinen getting only fifth place. Alton Terry, the only American in the finals, was sixth with 220 ft 3Jiu. Two Aces in One Day.

Here is a feat which surpasses the wildest dreams of all hole-in-one o’olfers —two aces in one day. *V Ressner a Canadian, fired with his iron on’ a 12oyd hole and rejoiced to see his tee shot roll into the cup. As the foursome came up to the same ho e in the afternoon Bessner remarked: “ I’m going to do that again. He did, and was just as astonished as his companions.

Firpo’s Unsuccessful Come-back. The come-back campaign of Luis Fi r po one time “ wild bull of the pampas,” ran into misfortune some time back when the aging fighter was forced to abandon his scheduled lUround bout with Arthur Godov in the third round. The bout took place at Buenos Aires, and Firpo was down several times before he quit. He resembled not in the slightest the fighter who put Jack Dempsey through the ropes more than a decade ago. Firpo weighed a paunchy 240. Godov —>L

Verity Finds a “ Spot.” When H. Verity, England’s left-hand slow bowler in test cricket, completed the taking of a hundred wickets in the current season of first-class cricket at Home, bv capturing, for Yorkshire, nine wickets for 48 runs in an innings of Essex, he dismissed eight batsmen in succession. M. Leyland broke the sequence by capturing the ninth wicket. Verity had found a “ spot and pitched on it with great regularity. In the first innings of Essex he had taken six for 52. It was the third time this season in which he had taken 15 wickets in a match. Wrestlers and Eye Disease. “ I shall get in touch with the authorities immediately and see that the doctor who examines these men knows of the statements you have made,” said the Commonwealth Minister for Health (Mr W. M. Hughes), after he had heard allegations that five wrestlers, who were to leave New Zealand for Australia, were afflicted with trachoma (says the ‘ Sporting Globe ’ of September £). Trachoma is a contagious eye disease. “ I am surprised at this. Wrestlers have enough risks in the ring without trachoma. I think it is hitting below the belt,” Mr Hughes added. The deputation introduced to the Minister by Mr Price, M.H.R., included the wrestlers Hugh Whitman, Douglas Clarke, and Jack Higgins.

Bradman the Magnet. Don Bradman’s influence on the gate receipts at big cricket matches lias long been recognised, and last season, when he reappeared after an of a season, as a result of his operation in England, there were striking examples of it. Each of the State associations benefited enormously by his reappearance in the shield games. One example was provided in the match between South Australia and Queensland, at Brisbane. The financial statement presented at the annual meeting of the Queensland Association last week showed a loss on the season’s operations of £574, and it is considered that had Bradman not batted after lunch on the Saturday the loss would have been nearly three times as much. The profit on that game was £1,333. This result shows a startling contrast to the other three big games played in Brisbane, the profits on which were: M.C.C., £7l; New South Wales, £120; Victoria, £47. No wonder cricket executives look forward to the appearance of Bradman in their games. He is the moneyspinner for them in big cricket. Guarantee For Ross.

Charlie Lucas has deposited £12,500 with a Sydney bank. This has completed the guarantee for a fight between Carroll and Ross, which will be paid to Ross before he enters the ring for the world’s welter-weight title fight on December 8 (says the ‘ Sporting Globe ’). Lucky Larwood. Although the weather was more suitable for football, the crowds rolled up at Trent Bridge for Notts’s benefit to Harold Larwood. If officialdom required any evidence of the big-hearted bowler’s popularity, it had it in the attendance figures for Notts’s match with Yorkshire. More than 12,000 paid for admission.

Gilligan To See Tests. Mr' Arthur Gilligan, captain of the 1924-25 English cricket team in Australia, will see at least'three of next season’s tests in Australia. He has written to Mr R. J. Hartigan, one of the Queensland members of the Australian Board of Control, to say that he will travel by the Strathaird, which is due at Brisbane on November 30— four days before the first tost starts.

Tennis Nursery. In an effort to secure England’s lawn tennis future some members of the Lawn Tennis Association are pressing tor the establishment of a “ nursery for young players. At the moment England’s tennis supremacy rests almost entirely noon two players. Perry and Austin. Unfortunately there does not appear to be any promising youngsters to succeed them. The L.T.A., apart from organising certain tournaments, has never made any effort to

find or encourage young talent. So a number of the more progressive members of the association suggest that the Covered Courts Club at Dulwich should be purchased and used as a training centre.

Following His Father. Doug. Richardson, captain of the South Australian schoolboys’ baseball team, is a son of Vic. Richardson, a champion in many branches of sport and captain of the Australian cricket eleven that toured South Africa last season. Until two seasons ago Vic. himself played foi the Sturt Baseball Club, though not regularly owing to business reasons. If Doug, is as good as his father in sport South Australia will be satisfied.

Spread of Rugby. “ Victorian and South Australian Leagues will have to face the probability of growing competition from the Rugby code, which is extending southwards from New South Wales through the Riverina,” said Major W. Conder, president of the Australian Amateur Football Council, addressing South Australian League delegates (states the ‘Sporting Globe’). “ Victoria, with all its wealth, considers itself impregnable, and yet there are now 70 Rugby Union clubs in that State, and visiting New Zealand teams include Melbourne in their itineraries. A few years ago there was no Rugby team in South Australia; now there are several, and interstate matches are played at Melbourne and Perth.”

Jesse Owens’s Conqueror. What kept Eulaco Peacock, the 1935 conqueror of Jesse Owens, out of the American Olympic team? That question has been asked frequently in athletic circles of late, says an Australian writer. Well, the answer is a pulled leg tendon. He attempted to get into the United States Olympic team, but the leg injury was too great a handicap, and he ran last in a heat of the 100 metres in the United States Olympic final try-outs. Then, in the broad jump, he was able to do only 23ft 3in. But we will hear more of this negro Hash, for the man who could conquer Owens must be the greatest sprinter in the world to-day.