FOOTBALL FOR WOMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 6

FOOTBALL FOR WOMEN

ATTITUDE OF THE FA. ’ FOR AND AGAINST. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) LONDON, December 13. Should women play football? The Football Association baa settled the question by deciding to request the clubs' under its control not to allow the use of grounds for women’s “footer” matches, because it coneiders the g-amo unsuitable for them. The unanimous resolution by the association runs:— Complaints having been made as to football being played by women, the council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable ter females and ought not to be encouraged. Complaints have also been made as to the conditions under which some of these matches have been arranged- and played, and tho appropriation of the receipts to other than charitable objects. Tho council are further of opinion that an excessive proportion of the receipts are absorbed in expenses, and an inadequate percentage devoted to charitable objects. For these reasons the council request clubs belonging to the association to refuse the use of their grounds for such matches. A request from the F.A. amounts almost to an order. BIG SUMS FOR CHARITY. Ik a letter addressed to the secretary of the F.A., Major Cecil Kent (of Liverpool, formerly secretary of tho Old Westminsters’ Football Club), protests against a ban on women’s football. He has seen about 30 matches between women, and observes: "On all hands I have heard nothing but praise for tho good, work the girls are doing, and fho/high standard of their play.. The only thing I now hoar from the man in the street is, ‘Why have the PA. got their knife into girls’ football 7' What have tho girlo done except to raise large sums for charity and to play tho game ? ’ I know that no unnecessary expenses ore ever charged by the reputable girls* football clubs and that the charities alone benefit from the matches. Hitherto the F.A. have made no attempt to control girls’ football, but if they only legislate the girls’ clubs -will accept their regulotions cheerfully and abide by them faithlully.” Major Kent adds that if the Football Association’s ban is carried out "every Lord Mayor, Mayor, Unemployed Fund, ex-Semce Mien’s Fund, hospital, and other charity in England would be deliberately deprived of what is now a little gold mine to them. I am quite aware that tho FA- chanty matches annually raise about £20,000, but tbc' girls’ supplement to this of £IOO,OOO in two years can hardly be ignored.” VARYING VIEWS. To the inquiry, many West End surgeons reply with an emphatic negative, because tho game is much too rough. But there are differences of opinion among women doctors. For instance, while Dr Mary Scharlieb holds that "women are not built for such violent exercise,’’ Dr Elizabeth Sloan-Oheesex considers that women should be allowed to develop their own "psyche.” "After all,” she says, '‘women are human beings. The whole aim of living is that a person should in the social souse. If football will make a woman « better citizen, then let her play by all means. A woman should be free to choose." ' It is the opinion of Dr Christine M. Murrell (author 'of several books dealing with tho physical training - of women) that tho action of fho PA, in saying that football is unsuitable for females, “is unsporting and lacking in the usual British sense of fairplay. I see no reason, why it, should hurt women. If women played against men, it would be a different matter. Women play lacrosse and hookey with great benefit fo themselves; why should they not play football? lam quite-in favour of it. Whether women should play football in public in another affair upon which I express no opinion.” Miss T. Berkins, who haa played in Lancashire teams for five years, says:—“l have never been ill since I began to play foot-: ball, and I always have a good appetite after a match. I drive four looms in the cotton weaving mill, at Farrington, and that takes some doing, so football can’t bo doing me any harm. All the girls in my team think as I do, and the girls in the mill who play football are far healthier than those who don’t." The main question is whether, women’s physique is compatible with the roughest and most strenuous of games. As the Daily Telegraph sees Rugby, it is, in its simplest expression, a fight, nothing more and no'hing less. To pick up the ball and run with it, to be "tackled” by an opponent and violently brought down, to struggle in a "scrum”—all this represents a form,of athleticism which makeq a conspicuous demand on muscle and wind end endurance. There is no civility or politeness about a Rugby game of football. Its severity is even felt by the referee, who has to be especially nimble to avoid interfering too much with some desperate encounter. • "To think of women straggling in December mud is not a pleasant picture. It is obvious that such exercise must be -necessarily injurious for those who have more fragile limbs and less of what tho French philosopher, Bergson, describes as ‘elan vital.’ The experiment is really not worth while trying, for if men suffer in such rude exercises, how much worse will be the fate of women, with the chance before thorn of some grave catastrophe? Everyone likes to think that tho girls of England are full of physical energy and ready to encounter all risks. But in a matter of this kind they ought rather to listen to the advice cf those who, have studied the physical constitution of women, and have come to the conclusion that there ore certain games which it would be wiser for them not to' meddle with.” A SCOTTISH VIEW. "The FA.’s opinion will not alter woaneh’a views one bit,” said a woman undergraduate of Queen Margaret’s College, Glasgow. "i Lankly admit that it is quite unsuitable forwoijnen to attend, say, the matches played at Celtic Park, where the supporters of tho heme team conduct themselves like howling Dervishes. Tho language used by tho young men is dreadful, and not only round the playing pitch, hut in tho enclosures and stands. But the women in Scotland who have taken to football will not be dismayed by this excommunication order. Unlike tho football men in general, many women I know who .are footballers do regular work for charities.” GIRL CAPTAIN’S PROTEST. A vigorous defence of women’s focflball was made by 'Miss Long, captain of tho Strand Corner House women’s team. “In my experience of women’s football matches,” ehc said, “I do not remember any serious injury to any of tho players. What people forget is that women footballers play women, and not men. Oar girls are a wonderfully healthy lot, and thoroughly enjoy tho gome. We sacrifice our holidays for the game ond for tho sake of charity. Tho decision of the PA. does not affect uh very seriously, unless our firm decide to ban tho game. Of course, wo - get some fouls registered against us, but cm the whole I think women are cleaner players than men.” .