TRENDS OF SPORT IN ENGLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 June 1949, Page 4

TRENDS OF SPORT IN ENGLAND

Soccer For Masses, Golf For The Rich “Since my arrival in this country, a little more than three months ago, I have been very impressed by the sport which I have seen,” said Dr. C. Stuart, radiologist at the Wanganui Hospital, in a talk on “The Trend ol Sport in England" to members of the Wanganui Rotary Ciub yesterday. He had seen the" annual bridge-to-bridge swimming race, the races and the Rugby representative match between Wanganui and Taranaki on Monday. Dr. Stuart bad attended the Olympic Games and said all the leading athletic talent of the world had competed there. Large attendances had been recorded and competition had been keen, with the Americans predominating. In England, said Dr. Stuart, Rugby was looked upon as the game lor the upper classes, while Association football was the popular game of the masses. The following of Rugby was limited because only the public schools and universities played it to any large extent. Apart from the ’Varsity match, international fixtures and some other engagements, the attendances at Rugby club matches were small and lacked the following the game had in New Zealand. Bowls and tennis were played much the same in England as. in the Dominion. Tennis, however, was not given the encouragement in the public schools that it should receive. Dr. Stuart described golf as the ricli man’s game in England and golf clubs were really social clubs, where the 19th hole was a popular meeting place. He had attended the final of the English open championship and the gallery had totalled 10,000. He said that the Belmont links in Wanganui were very fine indeed. The tremendous following soccer had in England, and the enormous crowds which attended both club and cup-tie matches had to be seen to be believed, said Dr. Stuart. The clubs were privately owned, with boards or directors. Players of some of the leading clubs were paid £l2 a week and the transfer fees paid to clubs for star players went into thousands of pounds. The players concerned, however, did not benefit by the fees. Closely allied with soccer was the football' pools, in which practically every family in England participated. Large sums of money were paid out each week and the revenue derived from postage and postal notes was of much financial gain to the coffers of the Government. Dog racing was another sport which had a tremendous following, and in which there was a large gambling element. It was conducted on palatial lines and with every comfort. Horse racing had its legions of followers, and races were run each week day, with the larger meetings on Saturdays. National events, like the Derby and Grand National, drew attendances from half a million upwards. . Dr. Stuart was thanked for his address.