The Professors and Their Critics.

NZ Truth, Issue 114, 24 August 1907, Page 3

The Professors and Their Critics.

If is an open secret that other prominent footballers out-side the Baskevillian brigade, are growing tired of (having to put up with the risks of the game, and also to contributing both' : in time and' money for the right of such suffering. Repeated complaints are being made by players that they cannot obtain their out-of-pocket expenses from the wealthy New Zealand Rugby Union and affiliated Unions, whose bank credit would whet the appetite of the 'biggest miser going. These bodies, however, absorb all the available cash fro>m the game, and rules it with a firm and parsimonious hand, except when giving its own officials holiday junketings comes into the ouestionThe N.Z.R.U. and boodle-hunters of the type of the Auckland and Otago Rugby Unions affect to view with some unconcern the fact that a number of the best exponents of Rugby football have . announced their inten- | tion to stand forth as players, pure and simple, claiming "the right to participate m a share of the profits their collective skill earns. So far as these players are concerned their scheme does not at present embrace a complete devoting of their time to the ! playing of football for a living. Their principal objects at the present are to ensure the cost of their playing and training expenses, and to ensure them against 'tine accidents that are inseparable from playing the game. And if, at the end of the season, their skill has earned a profit, a participation m thte r.eault. On this proposal there has risen a series of yells that are more noisy than 'logical, and fearful disaster is foretold to the game of Rugby. Broadly speaking, the principles advocated by the professional footballers are recognised m the highest grades of Australian cricket---ers. There is this difference, however. The cricketers hitherto have declined to accept the title of "professionals," but have ever been ready to fight for fuller financial recognition than the governing bodies have felt inclined to concede. Whenever the subject of professionalism has been mooted the 1 favorite arguments of its opponents is that it means the introduction of betting and its baneful effect on the sport. To theso people, who generally have their eye to the main chance— Galbraith and George Dixon, for instance— it might at once be said that the question of betting cannot intervene, us the authorities in* j terestod m the several grounds have

I the matter m their own hands to deal J drastically with the evil and those who countenance it. An accident insururanoe scheme on a sound basis is one that should commend itself to i all players or followers of the pastime, particularly when it is remembered ttiat its most brilliant exponents a-re from the ranks of men who really cannot afford to suffer the loss of time entailed by accident or whose life-long wage-earning capacity may be reduced through injuries sustained, m playing the game. Granted that there is much to be said both forand against professionalism, the fact remains that up to now those who are "dead agin" the "pros." have made out the poorest of cases m support of their objections. It is probably because they arc handicapped by having to defend the maladministration of a- Rugby Union. Anyway, it is a good reason to set down for their weakness. That. 20, 000 spectators should have witnessed the professional "All Blacks" making, their debut against a chosen combination of N.S.W. "pros'' must come as a bit of a shock to the screeching mob which has been cussing the "bean-hunters" /up hill and down dale. Nobody expected that perfect unison would manifest itself m the Maorilandcrs' forces at this early stage of their tour, and m the circumstances they fared very decentThat the "Free Lance" editor is a genius must be conceded by all who have read his leaderette, m last issue, on "Professional ■ Foo-t'b-all." Take the first paragraph, for instance, which is as follows .—"The one*, discreditable and dishonorable episode m the hitherto glorious history of New 'Zealand football was the.departure of the Rugby professional team for England last " Week. If these men had been professionals from the outset, and liad never held amateur status, there would -have been nothing to say. . . But they were all men of a/r,iafceur status, and the shame of the i situation lies m the fact that they •have sacrificed the most honorable traditions of the game to the desire for a cheap trip to the Old Country, and the love of gain." Wherein lies the discredit or dishonor of the "All Black professors," Pakoha cannot see. The 1905 "All Blacks" were professionals from the Northern Rugby Union point of view, which has the only true definition of an amateur m its rules, yet "Free Lance" did a lot of gush over George Dixon's team. To the unbiassed mind, it is plain that the Baskeville team is standing on its. own bottom and not seeking monetary support from the public of New Zealand, which is a most honorable course. But the mark of genius m the above paragraph lies m the suggestion that a man gains "professional" rank without first going through the amateur grade. Proceeding, the genius continues :— "lf the hand of friendship that was so freely and frankly extended to them 12 months ago is now withheld, and thoy are treated with scorn and contumely 'by men who previously were proud to claim their friendship, they have only themselves to blame, 1 ' It is generaily understood that the beam is to meet Northern Union Clubs and not the clubs that George Dixon's team met. Still, if the "Free Lance" assures us that they are to meet the same clubs, then indeed it must be so. ' 'There is one cause for satisfaction m the matter, however. Out of the twenty-seven men who constituted the. 'All Black' team, only three or four have succumbed to the sordid influences of professionalism." The above is pleasant reading, especially m View of the fact that it is known that others of the 1905 team would have been glad of the opportunity to accompany Baskeville, tout their services were- "declined with thanks" when their real intentions became known. In conclusion, the "Free Lance" genius turns another somersault], and it is a case of '"he don't know where he are.'" First the "Free Lance" warns intending professors that their football life 1 m New Zealand will be at an end ; next he rather doubts this : and thirdly he is very much concerned lest the Rugby clu<bs and Rugby Union m-ay fall down on their knees and clamor for the prodigals' return. ■"Pa-keha" thought, until Neil Galbraith's views were given expression to m the "-Evening Post," that he was totally opposed to footbiall being played for "Filthy Lucre," but he respectfully tenders an apology to the only "Gaily" after reading the following :— vMr Gal-braith said : 'In the past New Zealand has taken the gate money for matches played here, and has paid its own teams' travelling expenses abroad. New South Wales has followed a similar practice, but it is considered that this policy gives Australia much the bigger end of the stick. New Zealand's enterprise has helped to pu-t the New South Wales Union m a strong financial position, and it is maintained that the . island colony should' be able rto get a better recompense . . and Mr Galbraith has no doubt that this country will get something considerably better than, it has had m the past.' " Just so. "Gaily" is so selfish m his desire for more free trips and bonuses that he thinks because New Zealanders do not contribute enough towards the honor of paying for his and Ws "pals' " tours, that the New South Wales football public should be taxed. Which is like his hide, Gebr-ge Dixon is a keen opponent of playing football for money, but he does not make any proposal to do away with the- "gate." Oh, dear no. George is too keen alter "advertising spiff," printing orders, etc., for that, and when the Northern. Union sends its professional team here shall we have the pleasing spectacle of the Chairman of the N.Z.R.U. Management Committee bumming; round for advertisements from the dirty professional element ? After the daily press has howled at professional football for month's, N it must have been a nasty pill for the ink-slingers to swallow when Sir Joseph Ward (Premier) and the Hou&e of Representatives, the highest tribunal of the colony, entertained a professional sport m the person of AWebb, the champion sculler of the world.New Zealand citizens are well acquainted with the manner m which the New Zealand press has boycotted the professional footballers, and it is lpfreshing to see how such an old and conservative paper as the Sydney "Morning Herald" gives the pioiessional element, a chance of stating its case, as the following extracts, amongst columns of others, will show \ —"The raising of this professional team which is -going to Engiann Tins jbeen a great blow to many 'Rujcbv enthusiasts m New Zeal-sutt^' but the

Union there, by carrying out the same mean, niggardly policy that the Unions here have followed, must be held responsible for this new movement, , . This team of All Blacks which is going to England may be the beginning, but I am certain it will not be the end!, of professionalism m New. Zealand. Again, if there arc unions m New Zealand and Australia where the professional element is admitted, what would it matter if those unions were not recognised by the amateur organisations m Great Britain ? The professional Union m England is far stronger and has far better players than its rival unions. With the recognition here of this principle, it would be possible to have an interchange of visits between professional teams from New v Zealand and England just as we have now of amateur combinarions. . . Another thing, it would be all very well if we had pure amateurism ; but have wo got it here at present ? How often do we hear of men playing with a team simply because it is made worth their while m the shape of a situation or some other consideration ? Again., when some of our teams are touring, how much m the way of compensation or additional pocket money is charged to 'managerial expenses' ? Amateur sport is one of the foest things m the world, and I [thoroughly believe m it. But if we are to have it, let it be without any subterfuge." The above extract gives the case very fairly from the players' standpoint. This is how the "Evening Post" refers to a New Zealand player, now a professional at homo —"A. Ramsden, the young half-back who played for Petone last year, and is now m England, has signed on for next season witlv the Huiislet Football Club, as centre three-quarter. Rams-den went to one of the frig mills m the North of England -to learn his trade, ami is under the eye of his uncle, who is an expert m the woollen manufacturing line. . Force of circumstances seems to have compelled the young New Zealander to ■become a professional, as only professional football is played where he is. The club's offer is said to have been a very enticing one, and the return will assist him considerably for the four or five years that -he is at Home." The "Post" displays a lamentable ignorance of English football when it says that "only professional football is played at Hunslet (Leeds) . Still that sentence, "force of circumstances" is very good, but the "Post" was not so generous to Baskeville's team. For the benefit of the "Post," scribe "Pakaeha" has pleasure m stating that even m the Hunslet Club, for which Ramsden Iras, apparently, signed as a professional, there are a number of amateur players, and there is also m Hunslot a club affiliated to the English Rugby Union, under which professionalism cannot exist — so 'tis said— but "Pakeha" has his doubts. The Northern Rugby Union amateur is bona fide as amateur. 'At a meeting of the Northern Rug-' by Union m Huddwrsneld last month the dates of the representative matches which the Northern Union have arranged with the New Zealanders were fixed up as follows •.—December 18, v. Yorkshire, January 1, v. Wales ; January 8, v. Cumberland ; January 11, v. England ; . January 18, v. Lancashire; January. 2G, v,. Northern Union. When the grounds for those games have been selected the dates for the remaining fixtures will be decided upon. The cable messages from Sydney having reference to the clean display of the "All Golds" and -the fairness of their tactics, together with the credit given to them for being a strong combination, is a knock-out , i blow for Wylis and Company as well as for Gallaber, Harris, Kelly and Evans, who overlooked the claims of such, good players as Cross, Byrne, Wriigley, Watkins, and others when ! the "All Black" combination was chosen. The' Sydney people will now ! perhaps realise that the cream of ourRugby talent was not altogether confined to the team skippered by Hunter. , The New Zealand Rugby Union Executive should carefully read and digest an excellent article toy "Quidnunc" m last week's football columns oi" the "Canterbury Times," relative to the professional movement. When we see writers of the type of "Quid- ' nunc" openly advocating the fostering of the professional Rughyite, it i is a sure sign that the discontent, which has long been simmering amongst players as to their treat>ment by the wealthy unions, is about to burst into open rebellion, which threatens to overwhelm ' and Wot out for ever those excrescences of Rugby society, of whom Ye have been cursed &o much witfe- during the past few years. ,- r