NO MORE AN IDEAL

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 93, 14 January 1935, Page 9

NO MORE AN IDEAL

British Sportsmanship Attacked VITAL RULE IGNORED Sharp Practice and Mental Cifnhing By Telegraph. —Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received January 13, 6.30 p.m.) London, January 12. An attack on British sportsmanship, largely due to the outcome of the bodyline controversy, occupies three columns on the leader page of the “Daily Mail in an article by its sporting editor. He declares: “International sport in 1934 provided instances of the English people forgetting one vital principle which should . dominate all their actions, namely, that the game is greater than the player. “Whereas for half a century or more the basic rules of British outdoor sports remained unchallenged and almost unchanged, outstanding facts depressingly illustrating the modern attitude are that the Marylebone Cricket Club was compelled to define an unfair attack on batsmen, the Football Association is experimenting with two referees instead of one, and the Rugby Union’s strong denunciation of the increasing infringement of the scrummage laws. Collectively, these constitute overwhelming charges against British sportsmanship. “The truth is that skill and physical prowess are subordinated to sharp practice and mental cunning. The nation that taught the world to play is now fast losing the sense of joyousness, gaiety and supreme honesty of true sport. We must return to the spirit of our fathers, and oppose ill-considered interpretations of laws which stood the test of time when sportsmanship was an ideal.”