The Football Fetish.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13608, 30 May 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Football Fetish.

Xew Zealanders are wonderfully organised (says the Xew Zealand Times). Everybody belongs to some society. There are no organisations better illustrative of the New Zealanders desire to say something to a chairman than sports organisations. Bub sport and its control is so absolutely a business that it is in danger of being a burden rather than a relaxation. The New -Zealander takes his sport too seriously. There is greater gravity at a football control meeting than in the Houses of Parliament. The painting of »• goal-post is a matter for long and frequently acrimonious discussion ; ihe mnt-.er of a "uniform is of more moment than o. proposition .to connect the North and South Islands with a bridge. If the young New Zealander were to give a-v much serious thought- to the endeavours of Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thureday and Friday as he does to the business of Saturday afternoon he would beat all competitors out of the field. A genuinely enthusiastic footballer frequently uses up about three evenings a week to get into training for a two-hours' game on Saturday. This may be excusable, but when it comes to wasting two hours of an employers' time every day tilling the opposing Rugby Kruger with one's mouth football betcomes expensive. The serious "sport" (and nearly all New Zealand sports are fearfully serious) frequently declares at smoke concerts that he must have a sound body in order to Lave a sound mind. He lia* se«*u 'that- *• fopv-b"»lr somewhere. But the drawback is. that so much time is occupied in football reminiscence and prophesy, that very little is 'left for reading, outside, of course, a strict study of press comments and the rules. It is the true avocation of your serious footballer to obtain a position which will not interfere with the strict discharge of his exacting duties as a scrum pivot or a centre three-quarter. A representative "kicbist," for instance, must- be very careful in liis selection of the gentleman upon whose establishment he proposes to confer the prestige of his reflected glory during the rare and radiant hours when he is not in hospital or absent on tour. There is no worship nowadays of the young man wlio excels in ordinary avocations. He may be irradiated by the glad light of an approving conscience, but he cannot really count on public approbation "unless he can run a hundred under even or take a lightning pass from Offside Jack or Jim the Sprinter.