ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1525, 22 August 1912, Page 2

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

LEAGUE RULES. "ALL BLUES" ARRIVE. THEIR PAY & PLAY. WHAT THE MANAGER HAS TO SAY. TUo New South Wales "All Blue" team of I.enguo footballers, which is to spread the gospel of tho new gaino in New Zea. land, arrived from Sydney by tho Man. nganui yesterday morning. A liberal dra'ping iu palo blue cloth of the front elevation of the Trocadcro, on Lambton Quay, announced the habitat of'the Kangaroo.-, and there Mr. 11. R. Miller (one of two joint managers of the team) was seen by a Dominion reporter, and asked to tell something of interest about tho growing game. Mr. .Miller was nothing loth. There is no secrecy about League methods. It has, he states, become such a vogue in Syilney with the public that there was no desire that the whole world should not know how their affairs were conducted.

Propaganda Work. "Wo aro over hero," said Mr. Miller, "to <!o propaganda work. It is recognised that if we con do any good tor the League game in New Zealand, it will in turn reflect itself in Sydney, when tho New Zealand teams come across. Tho last New Zealand team was 50 per cent, letter than the iirst, and, if we can improve the play here another 50 per cent., it will be all the bettor l'or intercolonial matches." "We Are Prepared to Lose £1000." But how, do yon arrange to finance such a venture? "We are prepared to lose on tho present tour, it by doing so wo can help tho League game in this quarter. That will show how much the game is appreciated by the public in Sydney. Why, : i\ olio game against New Zealand two rears ago we took .£2551 10s. at the gates. Why was it that Hugby could not do ;hat when they had tho held to themselves for so many years? "Now," continued Mr. Miller, "in spito af tho Rugby Union opposition; largely increased ground fees, the introduction of Ihc Australian game (from Melbourne), 'soccer' opposition, tho fact that we insure every player so that ho gets £2 a week until ho is able to go back to work, pay trainers, and buy jerseys for our players, wo have a credit balance of .£SOOO, whilst tho New South Wales Bugby Union is practically penniless. ' They used to get tho big gates—2s,ooo and 30,000 people. How did they spend tho money? Where is it? They must have handled huge sums when they had none of tho opposition which the' league Las now to contend with. First Hard Battle-Now Won. "When wo started four years ago we had a' very hard battle. We had to pay 40 per cent, of tho gross for tho ground?, and yet wo were able to keep afloat. To show what a hold iho game has on. tho public, wo took .£631 at. sixpence a head in an inter-club game played on tho Sydney Sports Ground the other day, and that was not a 'final.' Still another line to tho public interest in League football is the fact that the Sydney 'Sun' has sent Mr. Claude Corbett, tho 'Aivening News' Mr. 13ceks, and tho 'lMorco' Mr. Arthur Henncssy to write special accounts of the game for their papers, and that right in the middle of the season in Sydney. How the Men are Paid.. "The members of thp team in Wellington aro being paid £'i per week each," explained Mr. Millei, "in addition to their board and incidentals. In Sydney there is no fixed rate. The 'gates' nro divided into thirds—each club for each first-grade gamo gets a third and the other third goes to the. League. Tho clubs pay their men out of their third according to their drawing rapacity. In club football tho men get 10s. per week, and in representative football they get i' 3 per game as a minimum, with an upward sliding scale according to the gate, up to £W per man. To earn that each man has to turn up for training at least two afternoons bofore tho game. Other than first-fliglitere, the players do not get anything, yet our junior football is as popular comparatively as first-grade football. To .show the difference, between atnatcars and professionals, I only have lo tell yon that when the Wallabies (amateurs) wcut Home, the men got 3s. a day, ov 21s. a week, pockot money, anil the Kangaroos (League), who were in England nt the.same time, got .£1 a week each. Hickey, who had signed on to join the League team and was actually photographed with that team, was accepted as a member of thp 'Wallabies.' Another instance of tho mighty difference between tho two games was the ea?o of the Knipara (League) Club in Queen?-

l.md. Oi'io of its best players (\Voodhoad) ha,d a dilTcrciicc with the management, mid. as a result went over to Hio IMgby Union, and the whole club followed,.and were accepted simply because it had members who could draw a gate. The Ground Question. "Tho Rugby Union in Sydney practically confines its games now to the University Oval and the Ihishcutters' Bay ground. Wo were olfored the latter gromul for .£25 for tho season, nnd declined it. The Sydney cricket ground is idle most of the time. We have been offered it for per cont. of the gross takings, whereas the Rugby Union used to pay 15 per cent. We play onr ; big matches on the agricultural ground and Sydney sports ground. AVe pay A'iiOO for the. former and ,£350 per year for tho latter, and those grounds can accommodate 10,000 and 1)0,000 people respectively. Wo have tho control of the principal grounds at North Sydney, Balmain, and tliQ Glebe. We have built a fine ground at Newtown, and have entered into u lease with tho Ashfield Council for Pratton Park. League Popularity. "We have G8 clubs playing junior football in the western suburbs, nbout .10 in tho eastern suburbs, and IS other clubs. Rugby is played by the schools, but if vou chance to visit the open parks on a ■Saturday morning, when the boys. aro not under school control you will find them playing tho League gaum which shows how taste is inclining among tho youngsters. Takina No Risks This Trip. I "Wα are travelling 21 men, and you will w<lwl»r, perhaps, at the League sending so many when only thirteen men aro required in the field, but we think the prestige of the League is at stake>in New Zealand, and, noting tho progress it lms already made, wo decided to t«ko no risks in being short of good men. Willi players, trainer, pressmen, and interested visitors we make a party of ;ii strong. "Every member ot tho team has signed an agreement placing himself strictly under control of the managers, who are given power to send anyone buck jo Sydney who misconducts liimself." Mi , . Miller is one of the original officers of tho League, managed the first tram sent to Queensland, and is one of the'joint managers of the first League team to visit Mew Zealand, lie is delighted with the reception which they have been accorded in AVellington, and produced a bundle of telegrams and letters of welcome- which he had received during tho day from all parl-5 of the Dominion. What Exhibition at Newtown Park? The team practised on Kelburne Park yesterdov morning, and will go out there for a gallop to-morrow morning. Finally, Mr. Miller stated that it was the finest team N.S.W. lfnd ever font to New Zealand, the public, could anticipate n brilliant exposition of- the game at Newtown Park on Saturday afternoon. Welcomed by the Mayor. The members of the visiting team were officially welcomed by the Mayor (Mr. l>. MLnteh) at the Town Ilall yesterday afternoon. There were also present u number of prominent plnyen. from the local clubs. His Worship extended :i hearty welcome lo tho visitors, olid enlarged upon Ihe influtiics of good, (lean sport, upon the community genorallv. For the visitors, Mes-ij. 11. R Miller aiid .1. E. Bluo (joint managers of Iho (cam), and Mr. 1 , . M'Cun (captain of the team) suitably responded, ami the proceedings terminalM with, cheers for the visiting footballers,