HUGE FOOTBALL CROWD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20627, 28 July 1930, Page 10

HUGE FOOTBALL CROWD.

OVER 40,000 PEOPLE.

EDEN PARK SPECTATORS.

RECORD FOR THE DOMINION

INCIDENTS ON THE TERRACES

The largest crowd that has witnessed a football match in New attended the third Eugby test match at, Eden Park on Saturday. The gate takings will not bo counted until to-day, but an official estimate, based on the number of tickets issued, places the attendance at over 40,000, and tho takings at about £SOOO. Tho total gate takings of the tour are now well over £42,000.

Although tho attendance constitutes a New Zealand record, the takings are not as great as at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on July 5, when the second tost match was played. The gate then returned £6040, a Dominion record, beating tho Dunedin record, on the occasion of the first test, by £2499. The record prior to tho tour was held by Auckland, a gate of £5300 being realised iri 1921 when tho Springboks played their second test against New Zealand. The reason for tho comparatively small takings in Auckland is the fact that less stand accommodation is available at Eden Park than at other centres.

Ad Orderly Crowd

The huge crowd on Saturday was. on the whole, an exceedingly orderly one, but several missile-throwing incidents, prompted for the most part in a spirit of tomfoolery, occurred. Umbrellas which ( were put up during the brief showers were favourite targets for the crowds packing the hillslopes, and one man, who refused to take heed of a few warning pebbles, was compelled to obey the dictates of the crowd behind him when a well-aimed lump of scoria tore the cover T>f his umbrella. Warned that the crowd would brook no resistance, numbers of people lowered their umbrellas, while others sqatted on the ground with umbrellas above their heads so as not to obstruct the view of those behind.

At one stage, just before the big malch commenced, missile-throwing became very general on one section of the hillside, a group of spectators near the bottom being the target for a regular fusilado of orangepeel, screwed-up newspapers, bread-crusts und lumps of turf and scoria aimed with varying degrees of accuracy from those behind. Many innocent people naturally suffered and appeals for fair play from the announcer at the loud-speaker had no effect. The reason for the crowd's porsistance, as made plain to those in tho immediate vicinity, was not far to seek. A man who had suffered the displeasure of tho crowd for blocking the view chalked a bullseye on a piece of boxwood, which ho displayed aloft as a challenge to his detractors. Thus provoked by the target, tho bombardment continued for about 10 minutes.

Variety of Incidents

An interlude which occasioned much amusement for everyone but tho primemover and instigator broke tho tedium of waiting. A man rose up out of the crowd and, flinging wide his arms in an oratorical gesture, harangued the multitude on lines something like these: "Ladies and gentlemen, just listen to me for a moment. I have a suggestion to make. Let those people in front sit down and everybody else sit down, too. Then everyone will sec the game in comfort and there will be no obscuring the view." Knowing full well that if those at the foot of tho hill sat clown their view would still be obstructed by late-comers standing on tho level ground below, the crowd listened with amused toleration as tho well-meaning orator went on to expound his theory with some persuasiveness. Suddenlv an accurately-directed missile struck the now eloquent orator and no more was heard from him.

Ho tightly were the people packed on the hill immediately facing the grandstand that a movement on the part of two or three people caused hundreds to sway, and children trying to make their way through llio crowd resorted to the procedure of scrambling over the people's shoulders. There were no serious cases of rowdyism, although one man, who earned the displeasure of his neighbours by attributing improper play to a pronounced favourite, was jostled by several men during a particularly exciting moment in the game.

One of the hoardings on the top of the hill was stripped of a portion of its tin by some eager spectators, who felt the need of a better view, while a canvas screen erected by the park officials to cut off tho view of one of the "temporary grandstands" erected in private premises was quickly stripped of its canvas and the framework adopted as a stand by its despoilers.