SPORTING GOSSIP.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 145, 12 August 1926, Page 8

SPORTING GOSSIP.

Referees’ Association. The same old battle between a management committee of football and a referees’ association has cropped up again, this time in connection with the Association game in Auckland. As was the case in the Rugby code in Wellington some few seasons ago, the management committee of the game called for ox-players to control games, and carried on. The struggle is timeworn and futile, for it should be patent to all that the final say Both in regard to discipline and finance, hence in appointments, if necessary, must rest with the management committee. There cannot be two bosses for this job, else organised sport would soon be in rocky waters indeed. Spotting the Culprit. An incident in the CambridgePutaruru match gave rise to a friendly discussion on the difficulty of spotting players who hang on to the ball in the ruck. Close to the line, and under his own “goal, a defender used tins illegal move to save his side. The referee had not the ghost of a chance from his position of spotting the offender, who could be plainly seen from the touch line. How then can he spot the culprit ? Here is a little trick which has been proved and found to be successful in the great majority of cases. Let the referee give an extra-sharp blast on his whistle and wait results. The extra power used, in whistling compels the rnck to automatically break quicker than is usual, more especially . when all are on their feet in' a swaying mass, and the “ hanger-on ” stands revealed. It is then simply a case of the bluffers bluffed. Try it—the writer has never known: it to fail.

Signs of the Times. *•- Mdlle. Lenglen has forsaken her amateur status and joined the ranks of the professionals. This topic has been seized upon by many conservative writers to let loose a flood of nauseating stuff on “ sport for sport’s sake.” Followed to their logical conclusion, their arguments simply mean that Davis Cup matches should either be abandoned or confined to players rich enough to. afford the time. At the moment ‘ ‘shamateurism ” is rife in practically .all sports and is the result of pure snobbery. Nobody thinks' any the worse of the Australian cricketers as sportsmen because they get their- expenses- paid and a cheque for £6OO or £7OO each in addition. Why not have it so in air sports if neeessary ? Lf the public demand that a young player shall give a year or two of "his life to represent his country on the athletic field he should not he compelled to resort to underhand means to keep himself during the period. However, a change seems to be coming. Did not Hobbs, the professional, lately lead an English side containing amateurs on the cricket field ? It is within the writer’s memory when those earning their living on the stage were commonly referred to in derogatory terms as playactors. Nowadays we “ knight ” them. Some day we may have our Sir Herbert Sutcliffes.

Perversion Again. In their eagerness .to substantiate their puerile arguments the critics referred to again dish up the lie in regard to Lord Hawke. He is again quoted in the cables as having said that “ it would he a poor day for England when it was led by a professional.” No one who is cognisant with Lord Hawke’s work in uplifting the professional in England would repeat such a statement. The remark was picked from its context, and what Lord Hawke referred to was that it would be a poor day for English cricket when it could not produce amateur players good enough to captain England. This is of course a totallv-different matter. -