TOPICAL TATTLE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4325, 3 August 1937, Page 2

TOPICAL TATTLE

NEWSY NOTES ON SPOUT First Time in History. After some delays the New Zealand badminton championships have been allocated to Dunedin. They vv.ll be held on September 8, 9, 10, and ii. The occasion is the first m the history of New Zealand badminton that the national events have gone to the south.

Will Bob Pearce Come? Evan Paddon is already on the lookout for a match for the sculling championship of the world with H. K. Pearce, who now holds the title. A cable message was sent hist week to Pearce, who lives at Hamilton, On tario, Canada, asking his terms for a match with Paddon. His reply was that he would require £ooo expenses in addition to the stake for a match on the Parramatta. Sculling enthusiasts on the northern rivers should not have much trouble in raising that amount (says a Melbourne writer). Changed Fortunes.

The Everton Club, a leading professional Soccer side in England, made a profit on last year’s working o £3 332 15s 3d. compared to a f° ss or over £B.OOO the previous year. ihe better return was brought about largely bv the club’s longer run m the English Cup competition last year, and owing to the fact that considerably less was spent in transfer tees than in the previous term. Ibe amount taken up by Payers wages and transfer fees was £lo,oo_, as acrainst £20,407 the season before; receipts, £49,172, were up by £7102; and percentage of away gates, £5,253, was also £1,404 better.

Succeeded His Brother. Last vear the halt-back in the Otago Bovs’ School first fifteen was L. I. Scott, “and he was also captain of the team. Scott has shown good form behind the Kaikorai scrum in the senior competition this season. Filling his place in the High School team this year is I. R. Scott, a younger brother, who promises to develop into just as good a half-back as the present Kaikorai player.

Sporting Legal Firm. One of the foremost sporting legal offices of Sydney is that of Mr M. E. Rosenblum. Mr Rosenblum himself is one of Australia’s best hammer-throw-ers, and holder of the Australian record. Jack Metcalfe, the famous high jumper, and Bill Mobbs, well-know n rower and Rugbv Union footballer, are members of the staff. The office will gain further sporting prestige next August when Metcalfe and Mobbs will go “to Mount Hotham as members of the Sydney University Ski team (says the Sydney ‘Referee’).

Japan’s Olympic Games. Advices from Tokio quote Jack Medica, of Seattle, as stating that he believes Japan will outshine all countries in swimming at the 1940 Olympic Games. Medica is also reported to have expressed the opinion that Europe will reign supreme again in water polo and swimming for women, and the .United States in diving.

Amateur Rowing Definition. Rowing enthusiasts all over Australia (says the ‘ Australasian ’) are pleased that the alteration in the amateur definition made by the English rowing authorities. The change whereby manual labourers and artisans may compete as amateurs is most important. In the event of an Australian crew going to England to compete there will not be so many difficulties to contend with in making up a representative crew, as the old rule made it hard to select a representative combination. Last year, when the New South Wales police eight went to Berlin for the Olympic Games, it was not able to enter for Henley, and Bob Pearce, the present world’s sculling champion, had his entry refused when he was a member of the Sydney Club, as he was a carpenter, and it was only when he went to Canada and obtained a position as a traveller that his entry was accepted for the Diamond Sculls, which he won in 1931.

International Athletes. The English Amateur Athletic Association has accepted the offer of General Critchley, the well-known sports promoter, to organise an international athletes’ meeting at the White City Stadium on the August Bank Holiday for the next three years. General Critchley will guarantee against loss up to £IO,OOO. This is one of the most revolutionary moves that have been made by the English Amateur Athletic Association for years. A big team of American stars will tour Europe this year, and the best of them will appear at the White City. At a meeting after the last Olympics with America competing against the Empire at tho White City, the public showed its appreciation of international athletics by 93.000 of them attending.

J. W. Stead’s Rugby Memoirs. The splendid series of Rugby memoirs from the pen of the famous All Black, J. W Stead, have created Dominionwdde interest, and a letter has been received from a former Dunediuite, nowresident iu Hawera, who has written asking for extra copies of the 1 Sports Special ’ containing the articles by Mr Stead, and especially those having reference to the tour of the 1905 All Blacks in England. He stated that he desired to hand them to a member of that famous combination, Mr James O’Sullivan, with whom he had discussed the interesting and able articles, and Mr O’Sullivan expressed a wish to see them. “ I appreciate your 1 Sports Special ’ very much, being an old Dunodinite.”

No Cliques. There are no cliques among the Springbok footballers, thanks to the shrewdness and good fellowship of the manager, states an Australian journalist who is travelling with the team Mr Percy Day, the manager, is well assisted by Mr Alex de Villiers. From the beginning of the tour the players were well mixed at the tables and in the cabins. From time to time the table groups have been altered to en-

able the players to get to know each other thoroughly. Consequently, many fine friendships have been made ami this should he a big factor in a happy tour

Great Come-back. Selected to play full-back for J aranaki against Auckland to-day, Arthur Collins, former All Black, has made a remarkable recovery. At the beginiiincr of the season he was seriously ill with pneumonia, but through sheer willpower he has made the grade (says an exchange) Five weeks ago he appeared in the Clifton team, and when he gave an indifferent display critics considered he was asking too much of himself, an opinion further emphasised when Ins form the following week was still unimpressive. In the recent NorthSouth trial match, however, he gave a glimpse of his old self, and in view of this he has been given his old place in the representative side. Every Taranaki enthusiast expects him to be right into his stride when the provincial team steps out against the Springboks.

Swede’s World Record. The Swedish runner, John Henry Jonssou, who came third in the 1936 Olympic Gaines 5.000 metres run, made a World’s record of omin 18.4 sec for 2.000 metres on July 2, at Stockholm. This beat Jules Ladonmegue’s sinin 21.8 sec record made in 1931 in Paris.

Youth Prevails. Johnnv King, bantam champion of Great Britain, retained his title when lie knocked out the foremost challenger, Johnnv Brown, in 13 rounds at Bellevue ‘ Manchester. Brown, former world's fly-weight title-holder, and a veteran of the ring, could not pace it with his youthful, hard-hitting opponent.