THE FOOTBALL FIGHT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14360, 4 February 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE FOOTBALL FIGHT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

liio lawst fusion—a. sporting one —is ymto us uuivous aa Uiut wiiim brought iii-j uuiiilictrng jjuiitioui elojueuts tea oy mcmi's Uoiuan una UuoU uigcuier so mo UWO UOiUlUtiliUi UlO tojUni-'y titm. J.JIU i'».U£;t>y I'uuLauu L-niou Jtud viio .iUoU'.UUIu itii,ttj iiiivu uomujujU tor tho puriJOao ui oorn-enng Uio uesl piuyttiji grounds uromiU l'ney iiavo tlociui-eu ' war tj til- iiuUa against- vhc .Rugby liOa&ue, uuU mo iaKiug what tiioy cunsiUor tho moot oliooLive means ot euiubai/iiig iho gruwuig xwuulnriiy or Uiu .Northern game — widen happens, by tho way, to bo a sort of Luther JBurbauk Dross between tho two games. Working with, those two strajigoly unlagon;sriu bodies are said to bo the Metropolitan Kugby Union, the British Football Association and tho City and Suburban Rugby Union. Tho wiJLingness of tho authorities governing Die Australian game to side with a sporting'body that has In titer to been openly and frankly hostile towards them is remarkable. It ;> even more extraordinary, however, when one "considers the different opinions hold by the tivo bodies on tlio question of amateurism, : - the rock on v/liich Nov.' South Wales foot/ball split a year or two-ago. The' Rugby Union interpret the term in ils narrrowest sense, "while the governing bodies of Australian Rules Football in the other Four States in which the game is supreme, take a tolerant view of the question of players' expenses. In Victoria, South Australia, -AYestern" Australia, and Tasmania, where the Australian game is practically the only game, it has been recognised that in order to maintain a high standard, some concessions are neoessary in tho case of men who cannot afFord to forfeit their wages when taking part in an interState or other extended tour. These men are reimbursed for what they lose by temporally relinquishing their occupations, while tho travelling allowances and pocket money are sufficiently liberal to prevent their .being out of pocket when they go away. The Rugby Union, on the other hand, not only declines to make up tlio wages lost, but is also niggardly—in the interests of amateurism, of course—in the matter of incidental expenses tfhat pla3"ers who have not a solid financial backing, or whose employers arc not enthusiastic tj the point of allowing them leave on full pay. are debarred from taking nart in matches far away from home. How the Australian \Rules League will be able to reconcile the position they have I taken up with the leagues in the other ! States is difficult to imagine. The ( League officials profess to be unconcerned about the combine which has been .formed with the ob}ect of squelching their game, and considering the popularity of the game thero would seem to be little reason for anxiety. It will be interesting to watch theoutI fiiro of this latest move, which the sporting public deplore. Amateurism t.i sport js something worth fighting for, but it should be a commrrnsense amateurism and not the sort that im-p-ises such snoblvsh restrictions as +lws« dcclar-d to be neoessary by the TJ"ion. Some reasonabV compromise rfiould bare hen possible between t.lra organisations now at one another's throats. It is nottool.nt.fi even now to .-"-range n basis of settlement that Would be RpHsfnotory to the sn"■virters of football, .who are. after all. 'he Ty>nTo who have the fr-ente.st claim. = ncb an arrangement would necssaril'- : ';rolro +V. r-ivment of ev'-er>?-= nif-r--hnVv liberal to r»rev»nt the •exClu"' , n ">' (lrsr-clnci; plovers who nre nnnliV -i'id nnwilT'nfr "to mnlce +hc nVnrd ,-. r ;fi«o s deimiTKVl T>7 tho advocates 'T militant amateurism.