A CLERGYMAN ON FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4872, 18 June 1890, Page 4

A CLERGYMAN ON FOOTBALL.

At tho annual meeting of the Wanderers' Football Club held in Dundee a few weoks I eince, the Bev. H. M. Davidßon presided, and made some remarks about football as a gome. Tho rev. gentleman aaid he would not be chairman of that or any other ireetiug if ho a rTght and a proper, and a manly, and, he 1 would jay, a Chriatisn-like occupation for any young man of health and strength to undertake. There were, however, one or two clamant evils attached to it whioh it would be right of him to mention. One day he went too football match in Dundee — he would not eay which ground — and be was eorry to say that on the part of a large section of the spectators he had to listen to a great deal of j language of such a kind that he hoped ha : might never hear it again. He thought when any olub had the chance of attracting interested spectators to any game that its members should see that nothing offensive escaped the lips of anyone. There were n grenfc many people who objected to football either on Saturday or on Sunday, and it behoved the football players to be very careful indeed. He could tell them what it was that did harm, what it was that spoiled the Sunday service for the football players. It was not the Saturday afternoon's play, it was the Saturday evening that followed the play. He was an old football man, and knew. (Laughter.) He had played football up and down the country for several years, and, except on two occasions, when he met with very serious accidents, he was never absent from the morning service. There wob no reason why that should Dot bo said of every football player. If they got a black eyo | that was no reason whv Miey should not be in church. It all depended on the way they got their black eye. If it was got in a disreputable way they might be ashamed of it, but there had been many an honourably got black eye. A black eye got on the football field he counted no dishonour, and was not sufficient to disqualify anyone from attending church. If ho saw any of his young men in church with a black eye he would juet assume that they had been playing football on Saturday afternoon. (Laughter and applause.) If they were going to put down everything that had one or two drawbackß they would have to put an end to a great many more things than football. Of such things were Presbytery meetings. (Laughter.) There was a great similarity between a Presbytery meeting and a football match. In the Presby teries they had scrimmages occasionally, and he had seen a foul even. (Laughter ) They wore otten comeroa, and a free kick was often given. An off-Bide was far too frequent an occurrence ; and ho would say that in the Presbyteries they were also umpired, and that they always obeyed the umpire. There was another resemblance. Both football matches and Presbyteries got a great deal of notice from the members of the press. It was not altogether of a favourable kind. The secular press was down on Presbyteries, and the religious press was down upon football. The reason why it was so, in his opinion, was simply that neither of them knew very much about what they were talking. (Laughter.) What ho meant to say was that the seculor preßs did not know very much about religious and ecclesiastical affairs, and the religious press unfortunately did not know anything at all about athletics. (Hear, hear.) His hearers knew very well that athletics wera coming to the front vore and more every day. The conditions of life in largo towns demanded aclivo and continuous athletics for every young man who wanted to. preserve a sound body and a sound mind. Ha would like to see as many young men as possible exercise the noble game of football. It was the grandest game which was ever invented for a healthy man. He trusted their club would go on and prosper in every respect.