SPORT IN BRITAIN

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4347, 11 January 1938, Page 2

SPORT IN BRITAIN

LONDON, November 18 ATHLETICS.

The British Amateur Athletic Board has an unusual and probably 50 _*f this country is concerned a umquo problem to solve. In Jun ® °L year A. G. K. Brown ran Fenner’s track, Cambridge, in 9-7 sec, which was the time made by U. n. Liddell when he set up the existing British record. A claim has been made that Brown’s name might be coupled with that of the great Scottish sprinter as record-holder. Inquiries show that there is a decided fall in the sprint track at Fenner’s and no time made in such circumstances could be accepted as a record. It is stated, however, that while there is a fall of something like 50yds or 60yds, the ground rises again so that at the tape it is level with the start. Assuming that this is confirmed by the surveyor’s report which tne board is requesting, what will have to Be decided is one question: Is the advantage gained by running down mil for 50vds or 60yds entirely counterbalanced by running up lull for the rest of the distance. At first glance one would answer yes. There are, however, close students of the matter who say that the extra momentum gained from the incline enables the sprinter to overcome the rise in the track without appreciable loss to his normal speed. Brown, by the way, is doing no racing just now, being content to keep in reasonable condition by weight-putting and similar lighthearted exercise. He is not the only prominent athlete at the University who prefers to reserve his energies until the approach of the Oxford and Cambridge sports in March. So when the annual relay match takes place in a week or two both sides may call on some of those who took part in last Saturday’s freshman’s match. So far as results went, it proved a decisive victory for the young Light Blues, with nine victories in 13 events, or on the new points system, a margin of 27, 72 to 45. If one accepts H. Merz, winner of the weight and high jump (he will he remembered as a member of that very successful side from Salem, Germany, in our public schools championships), and P. J. Wells (100 yds in 10.2 sec), Oxford appeared to have few men of merit. Whereas for Cambridge A. R. E. Rhodes (440 yds), A. E. Smith (half-mile). S. L. Doman (mile), and H. C. Still (three miles) may one day be men of established reputations. BOXING. There is much to be said in favour of the National Sporting Club’s policy of limiting the prize money they are prepared to offer to get our leading professionals into the ring. The club refuses to be stampeded into offering the that some professionals and ttfeir managers are asking. And, judging by the attendances the famous club gets at its functions, they have no cause to regret. Indeed it is whispered that other big promotion concerns will stipulate in future that the prize money shall approximately be nearer to the box office receipts than the price the boxers put upon their services. The public are not fools, and when they can see such boxing as they saw when our ex-champion, Harry Mizler, met the American, Al. Roth, at the N.S.C. on Monday, they will assuredly be content. It was a battle of styles, Roth sparring in the accepted American two-handed style, and Mizler depending largely on the good old English straight left. For once in a while the English style was triumphant. Since lie left the amateur ranks after returning from the Olympic Games in 1932 Mizler has had a rather chequered career. 'On this occasion, however, his boxing was well-nigh faultless, and he was a winner from beginning to end There is, however, a sound excuse for Roth, who fought a splendidly plucky and sportsmanlike bout. Before he went into the ring one of his hands was unsound, the other went during the bout, and now he is under treatment for both. His customary hard hitting, which alone was calculated to upset Mizler’s cleverness, was, of course, missing, and the. gallant American thereby robbed of the chance of victory. Roth is not singular in suffering with his hands. Our famous flyweight, Peter Kane, has had to cancel his fight with Georges Battaille, of France, on November 23 on the same account. CRICKET. The decision of the M.C.C. Board of Control not to extend all the test matches with Australia next summer to five days has caused a great deal of disappointment amongst those who maintain that it is a foolish business to bring the Dominion players so many thousands of miles without doing all that is humanly possible to ensure that there is a reasonable prospect of the test games—the prime object of the tour—being brought to a definite conclusion. There was a fight, it is understood, before the advocates of the change were beaten. The reason that carried the day being that each fiveday test would cut into three matches of the county programme. This, however, need not have been the case if a Saturday start instead of a Friday start had been agreed upon. If rumour is correct, it is further proposed to reduce the total hours of play by one and a-half by beginning at 11.30 on the second, third, and fourth day, instead of 11 o’clock, as was the practice in 1934. Unless we get more natural wickets, one can well visualise a series of drawn games in the tests if we get a dry summer. On every account let us" hope that one’s forebodings may prove wrong. SOCCER. England’s selectors are learning their lesson. In previous seasons, in their desire to make a good team better, they have remodelled the international side, sometimes out of recognition. Against Wales yesterday the only change from the team that beat Ireland so handsomely was at outside right. Curiously enough, it was there that Wales made the only alteration in the side victorious over Scotland. Though Wales' is naturally compelled to give continuance to its players from the fact that the choice is much more restricted from that of England—for instance, Gray, of Chester, has kept goal for the principality 22 times —the nearest approach to this on the England side is Brook, of Manchester City, who has been capped on 17 occasions. England’s victory by 2 goals to 1 in this important

match was well deserved. If not so, dashing and enthusiastic as their rivals,. the Englishmen were more methodical, and against a less solid defence would have scored more often, particularly in the first half. The result means that England cannot be beaten for the international championship and the jubilee trophy which accompanies it. At the worst, if Wales beat Ireland, and Scotland overcome England, the latter would share the honour with the Welshmen. Time was when the Corinthians could hold their own with the most powerful team in the land. Every League club was anxious to beat the famous amateur eleven, but few of them succeeded. Indeed, one recalls noble occasions when the Corinthians beat the then cupholders, Bury, by the colossal score of 10 goals to 3 The glory has departed from Israel, and now the club has to fio-ht its way into the competition proper for the F.A. Cup, It got there all riffht by defeating another amateur club, Ilford, in the last qualifying round. Things may be different next Saturday week, when Southend United, a third division League club, tackle the Corinthians. We are, by the way, approaching the time when the mighty will be amongst the contestants. At present the competition is being carried on to find out which 17 clubs will go into the hat with 47 others which have been excused until the third round. After that the real fun will had another afternoon last Saturday of freak results in the League. The treacherous state of the ground following a frost may have affected football on northern pitches, but the fact is there is no outstanding team this season, and, no matter where the crame is played, it is impossible to single out a club and say they are I certain to win. Liverpool are, perhaps, the most extraordinary side ot them all. They upset all calculations by beating the cupholders at Sunderland, and then after losing at home to Brentford they go to Manchester and overcome the League champions by o croals to 1. Liverpool have made a discovery in young Shafton, who is playing at centre. His success will be a encouragement to those managers who prefer to bring out youngsters rather than go into the transfer market and pay large sums for readymade players. The unfortunate thing is that while the youngsters are training in, the club may suffer many setbacks. Manchester City’s unexpected defeat was in direct contrast to the surprise victory by no less than 7 goals to 1, of Manchester United at Chesterfield, for the latter were right up with the leaders in the second division. London clubs did not have a particularly happy day. Brentford still show the way in the race for the League championship, but they dropped a point in their own enclosure to_ Middlesbrough. Chelsea, unbeaten in six matches, slumped heavily at Ever ton, while Arsenal, still all at sixes and sevens in the forward line, could only draw at Highbury with West Bromwich Albion. Charlton did better in draw, ino- at Wolverhampton, In the Second Division Tottenham Hotspur lost at Norwich and West Ham United fought out a goalless draw with the leaders, Coventry City. The latter are still the only unbeaten side in the four divisions of the League. They have drawn no fewer than eight of the 15 matches they have played. RUGBY. Matters in big football are taking shape. Soon we shall know who are to be the winners in the four groups in the county championships. In the South-eastern group it is practically certain the semi-finalists will come from Surrey and Hampshire. Yesterday the latter scored a narrow win over Middlesex, and one can expect a particularly tough encounter when they nieet Surrey at Southampton. Then the first English trial is almost due. and our Selection Committee is spreading itself over the country in the search for likely talent. Much depends on their labours. England won the international championship last season, but, by common consent, she did not establish a marked superiority over her rivals,. Hence a slight turn in fortune’s wheel may turn the tide against the “ predominant partner.” Amongst last Saturday’s unexpected results was the 19 points to 17 defeat of Cambridge University by Leicester. Cambridge lost through an inexplicable falling-off in all departments after they appeared to have the game in hand. There was an equally close struggle between Oxford and Blackheath. The great Obolenski was in fine form for the Dark Blues and bad much to do with their triumph by 21 points to 19. The pessimists who declared that the changes in the England Rugby League team had so weakened the side that Australia were almost certain to win the second of the three test matches had a rare shock when the tourists were beaten at Swinton by 13 points to 3. It must he admitted that it was their own shortcomings, particularly forward, that led to the heating of the Australians and gave the rubber to England for the eighth successive time It may be some time before Australia gets another chance, as there is little likelihood of an English team touring New South Wales next summer. GOLF. Foreigners must think English sportsmen quaint folk. Two of our most important bodies, the M.C.C. for cricket and the Royal and Ancient Club for golf, are entirely self-ap-pointed and only their prestige and the goodwill of their fellow sportsmen enables them to retain their authority and make the laws. The R. and A. always justify the confidence placed in 1 them. Thus early they have appointed a selection committee of five for the great Walker Cup encounter with the United States at St. Andrews next summer. These men will give unlimited attention to the form of our leading amateurs. Let us hope they will ultimately choose players who are something like a match for the Americans at the short game. Time and again the putting of our representatives in the Walker Cup has had to be written down as deplorable by comparison. LAWN TENNIS. Although the Czech International Club lost heavily (the margin was nine matches to three against them) to our International Club, they played some very fine tennis and. deserved to make a much closer match. The absence of Menzl made a deal of difference to the visitors. The famous Czech had one victory in three meetings with Austin to his credit. The English number one would have been delighted to meet him again, if only for_ the purpose of getting match practice with so doughtj 7 an opponent.