FOOTBALL SENSATION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14972, 20 May 1914, Page 2

FOOTBALL SENSATION.

BULL CLEARS THE FIELD

AX EXTRAORDINARY SCENE

The last quarter of the football match at Clayton on Saturday week will go down into history as one of the most exciting ever witnessed on tho Victorian football field (says the Melbourne '"Argus"). A bull, maddened by the red jeiscys of one of the teams, rushod the ground, and players and" spectators alike had to flee for their lives. They took refuge in a dressing-room, but the bull charged the door and broke it in. Then the infuriated animal wedged its shoulders in the narrow doorway and otood, wiid-eyed and bellowing, straining every muscle in its endeavour to use its horns on the hundred terrorised men ai»d women, who were so tightly packed in the little room that they were unable to move. The experience was so terrifying that those who perforce had to endure it say they will never forget it.

Those who were on the Held say that the iuluiiated animal scorned to suddenly appear on the _homon from nowhere, as no one noticed its approach until the central umpire; of the match (Mr F. L. Todd) was about to bounce the ball for the start of the final qnarter. The spectators were then in a circle around the field, but the bull was chargir-K across the field with its head down and its tail in the air. It was making straight for the re<l jerseys of the Clayton players, who were nearly all grouped round the umpire, when oik , of the s'-eetators gave a wnrning shout. The bulj was then or.ly 200 yards away. A wild switte , . - for shelter followed. The wou:en spoctators picked up their skirts in their bnnds. and several' of them half-jumped, while others half-fell over ;tii adjoining fence into a market garclenei's property. They raced over a plot of cauliflowers and cabbages, heed-jt-ss of the darnnye to the vegetables, rhich the owi.er intended cutting for the market during tho week. In thi l '- way fully twenty people reached safety, for, as it hnpponed, the bull made no attempt to follow them.

The bull made straight loi* the door of the dressing-room, ami when its horns and head crashed agaiu.st the woodwork of the door, the wlio'.e building trembled. The room i* only 12 feet; square, but somehow just on n hundred men nnd women had jammed themselves into it. Th«v door .withstood tho first charge, but the buil retrented, and then rushed again. This time the door was smashed in, and tho bull, with its nostrils distended, ftn<l bellowing loudly, forced its head through the narrow doorway, and vainly triad to charge its helpless victims. The woiiien screamed, and several swooned. Mr Todd. the umpire of the match, was standing with three others on a smnll table- in the nxruV— the floor spare was fully occupied—;ind when tho bull was fighting against the uprignt? of the door to squeeze its massive shoulders through the narrow opening, Mr Todd and others kept up a fusillade with boits, coats, p:eces of wood— everything, in fact, that could be found to scare, away the'animal. Jts tail was lashing the outside walls or. either sicio of -in; door, and whei: in tho room had been frightened, almost to distraction and was expecting momentarily to be gored, a now terror was added. The table capsized, and Mr Tocld and those who had occupied elevated positions with him, fell on top of the other prisoners. This added pandemonium to the scene: Meanwhile the fou.l struggled on with its head w> close to those nearest .the door that its hot breath could be felt. - :i

"It's said Mr, Tbdd, afterwards, "was deafening, and not ono of us thought that we would escape. But just as.we were, beginning to despair a man from the dairy, which is alongside the dressing-roam, came up, and he, evidently, knew hotv to handle the wild animal. Ho somehow diverted its attention, and it immediately withdrew its head from, the door. It tjhen charged him, but he had a good hold of the chain, and he somehow dodged . and got the chain round the horns of the bull. Each time he charged the man gave the chain a violent tug, and this after a while appeared to take all the rush out of the besot, which was eventually, removed-to a securely fenced portion of the dairy. It was the most trying and exciting experience those who were prisoners' in tha <!res.sing-iooni ever had, and we olid not continue the game until we knew the bull could not get loose agjin; It had evidently hnen chained up in an adjoining paddock, but the red jerseys of the Clayton plsijcrs must have maddened it, causing it to break away." »