ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1929, Page 4

ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

PROFESSIONAL GOLF. THE OLD ORDER CHANG ETH. (From Our Own Correspondent). London, Sept. 19. The personnel of competitive professional golf: i s changing. This has been marked this season in the different events, and. especially in the match-play championship which is about to begin at Wentworth, one of the new clubs on the outskirts of London which is being run on the lines of the American country club with a dorniy house, ballroom and other games besides golf. The field is thoroughly representative of British golf of the sixty-four players being draWn from all parts of the country, but of the older players J. H. Taylor was the only one to survive the preliminary test, and he declares that he can only keep up with the long hitters of the day by using a spoon for the second when an iron is all they need. But Taylor is almost as sure of reaching the green with a wooden club as ..they are with an iron.

Another notable absentee is Edward Ray, and he ■ felt his -failure to qualify rather acutely. Since the event was instituted in 1903, this was the first time he had failed. The game has not gone well with Ray for some time. He is fifty-two, and it is only to be expected that his powers are diminishing. ’ He is, however, still able to drive a prodigious/ distance, and, curiously enough, any decline that may have taken place has been in the short game. Though a big man, weighing more than fourteen stone and standing over six feet, Ray has always been outstanding for the delicacy of his touch. Indeed, there have been few better- putters, and he played the short chip shots 'with his mashie niblick with telling effect.

George Dun Can, too, is missing from the list, but he did not enter. Since the spring he has been in France with the Aga Khan and his friends, and' it was not possible for him to return home. Duncan realised that in turning free lance it might be necessary to retire from some of the c 'petitions, but he was prepared to do this, and financially it has been in his interests to do so. As a matter of fact, it is probable that Duncan has made more money this year than ever before.

The chief players in the championship are Charles Whitcoinbe, last year’s winner, Compston, Mitchell, Cotton and Jolly. Unfortunately, the draw has resulted most unkindly for them, inasmuch as they are bound to meet in the early rounds. Whiteombe has been ill since the championship. He was badly gassed during the war, and there are times when the game is beyond him. Indeed, it is remarkable that he is able to do so well. Mitchell now enjoys better health, and though Whiteombe aiid Compston are formidable opponents he is the favourite.

THE SOCCER CODE. A SCOTTISH DISPUTE. For two years or so a dispute in Scottish football has shut out all the young players from the senio,- clubs, and this, and the fact that so many of the star men have been transferred to England, has been largely responsible for the lowering of the standard of -form. More than ever Glasgow Rangers are out-

standing. Indeed, their success must be monotonous even to their own supporters. They ran away with the championship last season, and already they have claimed a big lead. All the time there have been most excellent young players at the door of the clubs but they have not been available.

As was only to be expected, the English clubs, in expectation of the settlement of the dispute, have had their eye on this prolific nursery, and it was understood that they were to make a rich haul of recruits. Moreover, they were to get them without fee. But those who thought the Scottish authorities would meekly stand aside and see their young hopefuls carried off, without making an attempt to keep them, had a poor appreciation of their shrewdness. It is believed that the dispute is about to be settled, and oneof the clauses inserted in the suggested agreement will compel all the young players to join a club under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Association. There is no doubt that many of them will eventually their way into English football, but the effect of the agreement is that they will only be obtained by paying for them in the usual . way." This turn to the trouble has come as a surprise and a shock, but as has been said it was too much to expect that the best young players in the game would be acquired for the asking. Besides, Scottish football is in such a state that every recruit is needed. In any case, it is doubtful whether it is wise to bring young players to England where the conditions are so different. At home, the clubs whose resources are so slender, have to be patient and give them every chance to develop. In England, however, results have to be obtained quickly, and if a player does not at once justify himself he is very liable to fall into the background of the game, and he may not get another chance. This is one reason why so many Scots are judged as failures and are allowed to .return home. On the other hand, they are very apt-to become discontented, and even when -they have made good, they often ask to go back. This request has just been made by Gallacher, the Newcastle centre-forward. At any rate, he has applied to be transferred, and it is understood that he desires to re-enter Scottish football.'The best centre-forward in the game, though a difficult man to manage, Newcastle United insist on retaining him, and in the circumstances the player must fulfil his contract. Even when it is up he can only leave, provided a club are prepared to pay the fee demanded.

LONG-DISTANCE RACES. BRITISH WORLD’S RECORD. The Amateur Athletic Association are being strongly urged to drop several,' if not all, the.field events from the championships. Every year foreign competitors come over, and make almost a clean sweep in these meetings with little or no opposition. The reason for this is that this class of at? letics is not popular in this- country. Indeed, it is difficult to get men to take them up, and when they do so it is in a halfhearted way. Recently, it was pointed out to the writer during a meeting how, whilst some preliminaries to field events were taking place, the men, stopped to watch the runners on the track, plainly showing where their chief interest lay. In 'recent years coaches have been provided, and clubs have granted special facilities for practice, but there has been no improvement, and now the authorities are considering whether it would not be wise to cut field events out of their programme, or, at any rate, considerably reduce them. In matches against both France and Germany this season, we have done extremely well on the track, gaining a majority of points, but we have lost on the aggregate through almost complete failure on the field.

In the closing days of the season a very remarkable performance has been accomplished by Cyril Ellis, the Birchfield Hamer, who broke the world’s record for 1000 yards. It was a deliberate attempt, and he was helped by three men who each played a part as pacemakers. He completed the distance in 2min 11 l-ssec. This was a second faster than the time set up eight years ago by the American, Larry Brown, and 3 3-ssec better than the British record established 31 years ago on the same track at Stamford Bridge by the Cambridge University runner, W. E. Lutyens. It is quite likely that Ellis will improve on this performance. He has covered the mile in private in 4min lOsec and the half mile in Imin sosec. One of the finest middle distance runhers British athletics has produced, Ellis is still young enough to improve, and it is hoped that he will at least retain his best form until the next Olympic Games which are to be held in Los Angeles three years hence.

BOXING AND BOXERS. REGRETTABLE DEFEAT. I much regretted to hear that Charley Smith, the Deptford heavyweight, was beaten by the Italian-Ameriean, Cavaliere. Especially am . I sorry ■ because from all accounts Smith was in no fit condition to do himself justice, owing to the effects of colds and boils and abscesses. It is hard to believe that he was in such bad shape as he is reported to have been, for Tom O’Rourke —whom I have known for more years than I care to remember —is not. the manager to run wittingly into danger... O.’Rourke is probably the oldest of all American managers. He it was who brought that wonderful black, George Dixon, to this country, and what he does not know about the fight game is not worth knowing. It may be that O’Rourke decided that even a half-fit Charley Smith could dispose of C’ayaliere. It would appear from the details of the fight that Smith had his man nearly out right away, and that until almost half way he seemed to be winning comfortably. It is this very fact, in light of the result, that suggests that Smith was not his normal physical self, for it is agreed by all those at the ringside that had he not gone weak he must have got the verdict. . It is unfortunate for Smith that little or no thought will be paid to the fact tha he was a sick inan. I is against him that he was beaten, and, believe me, they have little or no place in the States for a fighter who has been beaten. I hope the happening will not mean the almost immediate return of Smith. It is my belief that,, given reasonable chances, Smith will make good in America. He •’will .not get as far, perhaps, as a fight for the title, but at least he would prove that, as heavyweights now go, he is far from being a duffer. All Liverpool was delighted to hear of

the success of Dom Volante in his first bout, which was at Brooklyn against a local and popular featherweight, named Wallace. I would urge nothing against those responsible for the conduct of any fight in America, but without offence I may say that the stranger who beats a home-town fighter has got to be some fighter before he may get away with the verdict. It is necessary for the invader to knock his opponent near to stone cold. Whether Volante had his card marked or not I cannot say—most probably he had —at any rate he fought precisely on the right lines. As soon as he was called into action he let himself go for all he was worth. Volante should do well out there, for if there is one thing he relishes more than another it is a downright fight. He has much ability, and I have seen him fight after the manner of a champion. It is in his favour that the present stock of featherweights are not of outstanding' quality—else Andre Routis would surely never have won the world’s title. There is certainly none to compare with what Johnny Kilbane was at his best. . I do not know whether Routis is still in America., Last time I heard of him he was there. It would suit Volante .entirely. if he had the great good fortune to bump up against the Frenchman in the .States.

' BERG MAKES A MUCKLE. On the night that Volante fought at Brooklyn, and in the same ring, Kid Berg was . the winner against Georgie Balduc, a useful customer, so it is said. Berg had the fight given to him on a foul in the second round, but from all accounts Berg was bound to have beaten the American, so marked was his superiority in the„ first round. Nearer and nearer does the Whitechapel boy get to a fight for the light-weight title with the holder,- Sammy Mandell. And tiie while he is waiting the pleasure of the champion, Berg, like the wise boy he is, is getting as many fights as he can possibly squeeze in a month. I do not know what he is making out of.each contest, but if he is carrying on as Freddie Welsh used to do —that is, on the principle that every mickle makes a muckle —he will soon become more than passably rich. I must say that, high though my opinion .of Berg has always been, he has exceeded my expectations by far. Another comforting piece of news—and I hope it is a happy omen —is the matter of the Baldock and Brown fight. Jack Harris, the. little Manchester boxer who is acting as Teddy’s sparring partner at Gus Wilson’s place at Orange Burgh, turned out at the Olympic Athletic Club and outpointed Vincent Clions of Toronto.

BAD SUMMER FOR CRICKET. GOOD-BYE TO SOUTH AFRICANS. The South African cricketers have packed their bags and are ready to depart for home. They have had a happy time, and if they have not realised their highest expectations on 'the field they have played fine sporting cricket. At one time it was feared that the tour would result in a serious loss. Fortunately, the receipts from the closing matches have been very much better and it is now hoped that the accounts will be squared. But it was expected that the tour would result in a financial windfall for the South African Association, whose resources are very slight, and in this sense the balance-sheet is a big disappointment. It was the test matches played in Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds which caused the takings to drop below the. total anticipated. Those at Lords and the Oval were entirely satisfactory, though even at these London enclosures the attendance was not up to the average of a match with the Australians. Tlie truth is that it it has been a bad summer for cricket financially. All the counties have suffered. There is not one whose receipts have not dropped,.and it is feared that several will be in difficulties and once more have to draw on the generosity of those who guarantee their expenses. Fortunately, all have received a grant of £5OO from I’e handsome profits of the M.C.C. tour in Australia. The final records of the season have not yet been made up, but over a dozen players have exceeded two thousand runs, the top scorer being Woolley, with Hammond a close second. But Jack Hobbs is at the top of the averages, having obtained 220*0 runs in thirty-six innings at the rate of seventy each. So far as the bowlers are concerned Freeman is- at the head of the list with 254 wickets, but his successes have been pnore costly than in the case of several other men. Richard Tyldesley, - the Lancashire slow bowler, has the best average, his 150 wickets having been secured for fifteen runs each.

FOOTBALL OPENS. 88 DEGREES IN THE SHADE. The footballer has had a distressing experience, the opening games having been played in a heatwave. On one match day the shade temperature was eighty-eight degrees, and at the finish many of the players were in a state of collapse. Indeed, in a few cases men had to leave the field for stimulants, and they only returned to drag their legs in a despairing effort. To make matters worse, the turf has been as hard as concrete, and though there have been no serious injuries men have been kept out of the game through bad bruises. As is usual, the Rugby clubs of. London have delayed their start for a few weeks, but many of those in the provinces have begun, and the conditions were worse for them than for the professional Soccer players. In these circumstances the form so far shown cannot be accepted as entirely reliable. But Derby County were one of the clubs who were expected to excel and they have begun by winning three games. Indeed, in the senior section of the League they are the only side to earn every possible point. It was anticipated that Sheffield Wednesday would share this distinction, but they have been beaten at home by the Arsenal. This result was the more surprising by the fact that the London team had to take the field without four of their regular first team players, one of the absentees being the star, Alex James, who had been hurt in each of two previous games. But the reserves rose to the occasion in great style and contributed largely to the first win recorded by a visiting side for over a year. When they Obtained Brown for £OOOO from Huddersfield it appeared as if they had made the team

into one of the best in the country, but they have experienced difficulty in fitting the new man in and they have won only one of three matches. Worse still is the record of Portsmouth, who reached the final of the cup competition last w

lost every game though the team iia - exactly the same. The surprise team of the second division are. Oldham,, who have gained the maximum points. Truly form is mysterious. Last season. Oldham were in serious danger of losing • .their place", in thesebmpetitiom.’ ; ' ■“ .