FOOTBALLS POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1929, Page 2

FOOTBALLS POLITICS

s I How rc>;tLly the vogue of football ■s has Ki'own abroad, during tin* present a century, and especially since the war. may be observed by all who have travd oiled on the Continent of Europe in spring or summer during the last quarter oi a century, but the full extent of e its importance is still not generally I realised (says the “Times”). Its [i popularity, of course, is nothing like so - widespread as in England, though there are, for instance, over a hundred clubs i in Prague and over a thousand in Portugal; and very large crowds watch : the international matches which are l frequently played in almost every capital. ,\o appearance of, say, Ereneli- • men in Germany or of Czechs in Austria can he wholly devoid of political , meaning to the onlookers. International politics are very deeply rooted in the mind of the average European. And football itself, in the memory of many, was a suspected occupation. In Prussian and Russian Poland, for in-

stance, it was long prohibited ; at Lodz teams composed of English residents played in defiance of official orders, and became, so to speak, standard bearers of freedom. In Ilamidian Turkey beginnings wore still more dirlioult, and matches are still remembered where gendarmes interfered to separate the players. Those days happily are past, and Association football has indeed come into own on the Continent, and is played in as sportsmanslike a spirit as any man could wish to see. .Moreover, international matches began to he played soon after the ■ war between teams of countries that (ould hardly meet on any other terms, and undoubtedly they did much to foster a friendly outlook on either side. In so far as England has been the creator of modern football it may indeed he proud of its export. But a little more importance is still given to the •underlying international rivalry by .other spectators than by British. And if English or Scottish teams themselves' touring on the Continent are contain ally beaten, there is also perhaps a tendency .to jump to the conclusion that the race which produced them must he decadent. British players are popular attractions; they are, in fact, in great demand at the time when the British football season is ending and the Continental one beginning. The British players, a little stale, perhaps, after a gruelling series of competitivematches. and in holiday mood, are not up to their host form, and have to lower their colours to teams less skilful but. full of fresh vigour and of keenness to show their prowess. English sailors, too, land at every port, and, so it is reported, often get soundly trounced by the local champions. Xo great barm is done. The game’s the tiling. But not long, ago a British Consul in a Latin country did think it worth while, when lie heard a British tour was being planned, to write to the Eoreign Office to say that local talent was of a very high order and it might ho as well for the Football Association to bear this in mind when selecting its tourists. Naturally the Foreign Office passed on the letter. And the Football Association is evidently of the same mind as the British Consul ; for when there was a question the other day of sending a team to Germany it explained that arrangements had already been made to send so many tourng sides elsewhere that it would not he possible this season to choose a team that would do justice either to British reputation or to German standards. The decision was simple common sense ;and a representative team will, it is hoped, visit Germany next year.