SOCCER FOOTBALL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 18 June 1936, Page 3

SOCCER FOOTBALL

ENGLAND’S DISASTERS ABROAD (By Air Mail —From our London Correspondent) LONDON, 14th May. The football countries of Europe are convinced that England has lost its supremacy. The national team have just returned from Vienna and Brussels, where they played Austria and Belgium, and they lost both matches. Austria played so finely that a defeat by two goals to one left no sting, but 'lie success of Belgium, who are one of the weakest of the Continental sides, was a humiliating experience. It was, in fact, the worst blow English football has ever suffered. But to those of us who accompanied the players on the tour the disasters could be explained without creating excuses. After perhaps the hardest season in the history of the League, the players were exhausted before they set off. The party included as many as six members of the Arsenal Club, and they had played four games, including the Cup game, but they were tired both mentally and physically. The tour entailed travelling over three thousand miles in five days, two nights of which were spent in the train, and they had to play the two matches within three days. In the circumstances, it was not surprising that they had lost the spirit and virility of athletes, and were unable to do themselves justice. On arriving back in Brussels it was found that neither Bastin nor Bowden was able to play, owing to injuries sustained in the match in Vienna, and Barkas, the reserve back, had to be included as the inside left. But, despite all the troubles and difficulties, Belgium should 'have been beaten. Under ordinary conditions any First Division club would have been too good for them. The leaders of European football realise the dire handicap under which English teams take part in matches abroad, and after the game with Belgium, Mr Karel Lotsy, the chief of the game in Holland, expressed the hope that in future fixtures would not be arranged at the end of the season. “It is not fair to the players,” he said. “It was pathetic to me to see men whom we know to be among Ino best players in the world struggling so vainly against the Belgians. Obviously they were worn out, and they did not show 50 per cent, of their proper form.”

But it is an awkward situation. Although it is felt that.these end-of-the-scason tours ought to be abandoned, a policy of isolation cannot be adopted. At once it would be said: “England were ready to visit Europe when they were sure of winning, but now they are afraid to come because they realise that they may be beaten.” The alternative is to send the nationalteam abroad during the season, but I do not think the clubs would sanction this arrangement. They want the men for their own matches, and they would insist on retaining them. But the present position is very unsatisfactory, and I think an attempt may be made to modify it.