“FOUL” SOCCER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17570, 22 June 1925, Page 1

“FOUL” SOCCER.

SENSATIONAL EVENTS IN AUSTRALIA. ENGLISH TEAM GETS ROUGH HANDLING. To-day's mail brought reports of sensational incidents connected with the tour of the English Soccer team in Australia. “ All sorts of tricks have been played against the visitors. They are having a bad time,” says Mr Arthur Bolton, a Wellington man, who saw several games. At Illawarra, the local side held up the match by demanding £1 a player before going on, and a compromise orf 15s was arrived at. The miners luridly said what they would do with the English team. Head below what the English team did.

AMAZING INCIDENTS.

After the New South Wales match, | said T\lr Bolton, the English team -went | to Sydney for the match with Metro- j politan, and this was a walk over for I the visitors. They scored three goals, j and were never extended while the ! Aussies all out. They only scored I one goal, a penalty. The ball came in ! from the left wing, and the full-back and an .Australian forward met in a straight shoulder to shoulder charge. The referee alleged that the back used his elbow, and awarded a penalty, but this was emphatically denied, and was the only occasion upon which the English team protested against a decision. The penalty was converted. Meanwhile word was going round on the South Coast, where they are worthy miners, what the local team was going to do with the Englishmen. J This local XI. was the only district team to beat the New Zealanders, the j Canadians, and to draw with China, | and what they were going to do with j the English team was something wonderful. The word reached Air John j Lewis, so he took the team to Thirroal, seven miles from Wollongong, for strict j training. The ground is a private one j with no accommodation, and there was only a small roped off enclosure for special visitors. The referee's whistle went for the teams to turn out, and the English teani appeared at once. Twice more the whistle went, yet five minutes elapsed before the local team turned out. They were inside their tent, and had demanded a payment of £t per man before starting the game, claiming that as there was a gate of £450 they were entitled to a share of it. A compromise of 15s was arrived at, and went to show what they were going to do with the Englishmen. Air Bolton's statement is confirmed by “A.J.8." in the “Arrow,’’ which is incorporated with the "Refereee.” lie writes as follows: “When I arrived at Wollongong on Saturday and made my way from the car' to Bodc's ground, I found the Englishmen - stripped (and ready for action. They were in their dressing room waiting for the Illawarra team to go on the field. When 3 o'clock arrived and ‘The Zebras’ lias not tripped on, some of the English players became suspicious. I heard one say: ‘What’s doing?’ Pros, can scent a sur- ] prise a mile off. “In the Illawarra dressing room I found the local officials looking glum. President Bill Cunningham was as affable as usual, and Judy Masters could not have been nicer; but I could see I was as popular as the plague, so I left. A hold-up was in progress. To fine things down. I understand ever}'’ player in the Illawarra side demanded £1 down for his services that after- j noon, but eventually turned out for 35 bob. Six thousand spectators had paid £450 at the gate, and the players argued they were entitled to a portion of

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED,

Mr Bolton then described what real- , lv happened. The locals were going | to “ lick 'em hands down.” but when an offer was made to take a. modest : bet. they only wanted six goals in. The Australians won the toss and ' England kicked off. For twenty-five j minutes the local team hardly touched the ball. Alachinc-1 ike swerving, low ground parses, so swift as to almost paralyse the opposition. All tlio English forwards except one scored, and J in twenty-five minutes they registered j eight goals between them. That was what the Englishmen could do if they were only bent on winning. It was enough. It electrified the crowd.

Then, tiie visitors turned their attention to that end that had brought j them to Australia, to teach the j Autipodeans the liner points, the real art in the game. Jt was a typical example of the masters and the children. and the lesson was a double one, for at the end of the game the impression that ‘‘Jack is. at good as his master ” was entirely eradicated. The foul committed on YS hit-taker, the English right back, excited the utmost indignation amongst the spectators and the English team. It was one of the most agonising hurts sustained in soccer, and "Whittaker's sufferings were terrible. He will probably be unable to play any more during the tour When the teams l*?ft the field, a spectator asked the Australian responsible for the injury what was the matter, and Air Bolton, who was standing by, heard the callous reply, ” Go and ask the your-* self.” The English team has been having a bad time already, for already two are laid up out of the eighteen, and three others arc under the doctor in Sydney now. All sorts of tricks are played against them, ankle tapping, tripping, sliding down in front of a player and entangling Ins legs. “One cannot feel sorry for the two Australians who themselves fell into a trap set for the Englishmen and were badly hurt themselves,” added Mr Bolton. The* visitors only use their weight in fair charging and defending the goal, and they play a- scrupulously clean, sportsmanlike game. Although ho did not think New Zealand could beat them, a New Zealand team would give them a better game and a sportsmanlike one, and this will be generally conceded. Air Lewis said bo would very much have liked to have brought the team to New Zealand.

SCATHING CRITICISM.

Following the report cf the match the ‘ Referee " says: . The present tour should bo a Inigo success if foul play be exterminated. If it is allowed to continue we may find the star players of England and Australia, sitting in the grandstands while “* kick and rush ” players bore stiff; small gatherings of partisans. I wc.s very disgusted last season with wliat went on during some of ih' : ‘ Canadian matches, and know ior a fact that the game lost good friends because dirty tactics were allowed to go on practically unchecked.” A blunt Lancashire man. Air John Lewis, is in the habit of saying jus', what lie thinks about things at all times; lie never nances matters; hut we have tolerated foul play and players for so long that the English manager caused a mild sensation at the dinner which followed the match by the directness of his speech. “I run disgusted with to-day’s match,” Air Lewis began. “ Foul play went on unchecked, and if our players are assaulted there is the danger of retaliation. Things which happened to-day were a disgrace to Soccer football. Those are strong words; but I am in tbo habit of saying just what I think when 1 foci strongly about things. For a man who will deliberately hurt an opponent there is no room on tlio football field. Had to-day’s incident happened in England, the offender would have been sent off the field for a considerable

SUDDEN DEATH.

"William Sturgis, a single man, aged 56 years, died suddenly at his residence, 65 Durham Street, this morning. He had been receiving medical attention of late, and it is understood that an inquest will not be jieces.sarv.