BULL AT A FOOTBALL MATCH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2189, 30 June 1914, Page 11

BULL AT A FOOTBALL MATCH

—0- —- . DRAMATIC SUSPENSION 0? THE GAME WHAT RED JERSEYS DID The fast quarto? of tho football itta-tch at Clayton (Melbotttiio) on » recent Saturday will go ciov--.it into history as cue of the most exciting witnessed on tlio Victorian football field. A bull, maddened by the rod jerseys of one of the ten&s, rushed the ground, and players a;.lrt spectators alike- had to ileo lor tueir lives, Th«?y took refuge in a ttas«g r roam, but the tell charged tho door and broke it hi, Thou the infuriated animal ivedged its shoulctarß m the doonvav i.ui.d stood, wil'dcpd and. bellowing, ■straining every nuiselo in its rivdeavour to uso its ho-tos &«• the hundred terrorised men Bltd women, wlio were, so tightly packed hi tlio little room that they wero ttii-;a-hle to mote, (the exjxj-riejiico was so terrifying Hint thoso wlro perforce had to endure ij. sitv they' will never forget it, Clayton, with its sparse- population. dons not possess a properly ondosed _ football arena, though the district is ilia celstro of ardent enthusiasts of the game. Nearly every Satvrday afternoon itiaiches are played there under the auspices'of the Victorian Jur.ior Football Association, iii a>i spen paddock a mile or so from tho railway station. fho dontestiag teams wstV Clayton and Clyde. Enter His BUilsliip, When the third quarter ended tlio home team had scored 4 ggals 0 toil in ds to 2 goafs 4 . belt tads. Clayton and ail tho sc])port'>r» -of the red' jerseys veto jubilant! But. u : p till then tho bull had not attired, Tl.ioss tfk<» wete on_ the field say that the infuriated animal seeae-d to suddenly appear on tb;e_ horizon fro® 3io-wl}-e.rfi, as no oner noticed its approach tsfitil the tented mr.piro of tiro .match was about to bounce the ball for iho start of tlio Sis®l quarter. Hie spectators were then in a circle around the field, but the bull iras I'hargii!!; across the field with its -bead down and _ its tail in the air. It was tnak-iii-g straight fcr the red jerseys of the.'vfeiytoii players, wSm .wc-ro nearly ail grouped, round the inspire, when one at' tte .spectators gave a- warning shout. The bail Was then only 200 yards a,w>y. A wild scatter for shelter foil" Tlje worecn spectators jjißkei up their ■skirts in_ their hands, and several of fbem hali-jymsmd, while others half-feli ■orcf an adjebing Foitce into a market-garde-flex's property. They raced oror A plot- :of csudiiknsei s and cabbages, heedless of the damago is the vuf»ot- ■ ablos, which the owner intended cutting . Jo.t the market during tlw" week...' J.n this way. ftelly 20 pOTpio rcapkod s.Mcty. but as it happened the buil. made no . attempt to follow them.. Socno in Dressing-room. When it reached the centra of the playing ground most of iho remaining 1; I'ayers iijid spectators were fightiiig and pushing amongst themselves to .get under the. cover of tho dressing-room. The bull .first charged tie ball, which tho umpire- had hurriedly dropped, but, ti.'..riii:ig in tlio direction of the dressing-: ■ foQni-, tho bull saw tlio red jerseys on the Clayton piayofa mingling witii th». sombre iefofting of the others. LowerWg : its. bcadv attd .bellowing io.ttd.ly, Itniada another riisli towards tho door of the drossihg-roohi. It was then noticed-' that alt iron eallar was ro'tmd the ani- ! iiiil'l's neck, c.ii.d to the collar was suspended ait iron chain fully lliSft, Jong. ; As tho bull.rushed tho drooshijiroom to- tho door, one man, who had not been able to squeeze.hto tlio room, ; biiit had remained outside ready to dodgo ■ iOtiftd t'lior little wooden building, put his -foot oft._ t-'he iron chain, tliinking tbat io would probably ehed; the speed of tho bull,', But the aniinal was gaMfiip'-ii'-S along at such speed that the im* pete throw tho man violently down, itjid thus abn.ipi.ly ended his good itite.iitior.s. Afraid that tie bull would transfer its attack towards lrim, the I man jumped quickly to his feet, and ) was. in safety with tlio others ! amongst tlio cauliilowers teliind tho mar.kbt -gardener's fence' Bull's Head sn Doorway, Tits bull made straight tor the dsxvr - of Iho dressing-room, and when its lioriis . and head; er«shed againbt thii woodiVerk -of tho d(>:(>]:. tho. whole baiilxling 'tiembieci,' ■ The i'coiri ya o-riiy sqtiftrt-j, bat eoins- ■ how just on a. .hundred, meiv nnd women ■' had jammed ■ tiiemsHves iiitt.: it. l The door witii stood tiis- first charge, but- the ■! bull retieated, and t'he'a r u«iiefi. again. : This tiitto the door K'a'S smashed "in, a-ii-d tfco iviMt its nostrils-.distended-,. Mi.d bellowing loual.v, forced .its head tiTFOiigij tteiiiirrow dotir'-v;! y . and vainly ti'ied to charge its -helpless victims. The : women screamed and several swooned. ■ Mr.- Todd, tho umpire of the match, was : siaiiditig '-viih three others on a- sina).), table .in tfea roorn—the floor space Wfis \ fully occupied -and when the bull was fighting ag.liijst tl>» uprights of the Aim to sijiieezs its mnss.iie shoulders tliroujr'i! the narrow opening, Mr. Te-dd aud others ■kept up- a. fusillade with boots, coats, jHeeos of wood -e.'.-cryi-hiiig in fact thai could be found to sear© away the animal, ■Its tail wds bsbittg tho- outeid®' trails ofl oitW si.de of : ti«. floor, arid w-hoji everyotto lit iho room had beea irigiitoiiod al--biost te dJ-si-ractioii and 'was expeetmg Hi oils t.n i-i ly t& .fe goreel, a new toi-fof •was added. The table capsised, and Mr, Todd, and those who bad oceapfed eie.v-a.t- ---- jiositfeas with him, fell ©h top of the other pfisotiWs. This added pandOTonium io the scene. J.k-anV> iiile the boll, j strtlggjed oil with its ho::d so close to these nearest the door that its hot li-rcath. could foil. Help Arrives, "ft- bel'osviiig," sa : d Mr. To<id afterwards, "w derfemng, sjid not-one of us thought that wo would escape. Ji:it: just as we we.ro iiegii'.nmg to- despair : a fflttU from the dairy, which is aiongside tho ti ress.ing-room, cauie up, and lio evidently know how to handle the wild animal. Ho somchsw diverted its attenii<n;, and it imS'ied'iately witiidrow its head from the doer. It ilicii charged him. but he had a good hold of the eJiata,. sad he soiiieiiow dodged avid got tlia chain TOrnid tlte horns of the bull. Each time he charged tiie man gave the • chain a. violent tug. ajld this "after a while appeared to take aii the rush out of the beast, which was eventually renioved to a settiroly fene«d portion of tho dairy. It_ was the tost trying and. exciting experience those who were prisoners ill the dressing-room ever had, and' we did noi- contimie Iho game until w knew tlie ault couSd rot get loose again, It liad evidently been chained - tip in an adjoining pandoek, imt the red jerseys of tho -Clayton must have maddened it, causing it to bre-ak away. The players hnd litito left i» thoin. to inish wo ganiCj but ai'teir a delay of nearly an hour wo completed' the quarteiy nnd Chivion won by 4 goafc 20 behind?. i«i <1 goals .6' belrinds scored by tho flvde tea in. When ive tt'ere fcavifig the. grewnd tlve bid] saAv its, and, jumping up on its liiiid legs, vn-t-li its front legs oil tho fen-je, it bellowed at Vis . like ■ Htadj but Wo kneir that, rite feive and the rrp'n eliai.it .protected u-s fflen."