FOOTBALL FIASCO

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 December 1932, Page 2

FOOTBALL FIASCO

PLAYERS COLLAPSE ICY CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN MAR GAMES. iREFE-REE FAINTS. Manchester, Oct. 31. Followers of foothall all over the country are lceenly discussing incidents. probably without preeedent in the Jiistory of the Soccer ga-me, which occurred in two First Division matches in the North of England on Saturday, Grounds were in an appalling condition owing to a deluge of rain, says the News-Chronicle of Ooctober 31. Five Chelsea players in the match against Blackpool staggered off the field in a- state of. ex'haustion, O'Dowd fainted in the dressing room. At Blackburn three Sheffield United players could not continue and were medically attended. The referee fainted and had to receive radiant heat treatment. A linesman carried on his duties. After the match at Blackpool Chelsea lodged an official protest that the match should not have been played. Blackpool are confident that the result will stand. Pitiless Deluge. In addition to a pitiless deluge of rain which converted the ground into a sea of mud six inches deep, an icy northerly wind was blowing. The Blackpool players, aecustomed to the wild weather of the exposed Lancashire coast, finished comparatively fit and won easily by 4-0. But the Chelsea players soon showed signs of distress. Just before the interval Fea-guson (half-hack) was seized with cramp and was carried off the field. He completely collapsed in the dressing-room and was attended hy the Blackpool club doctor. After the interval O-Dowd (centrehalf) limped off the field, fainted on reaehing the dressing-room and was medically attended. He was followed by three other colleagues, and as each went -off he was jeered at hy the crowd. The remaining six players turned themselves into a band of defenders and packed the goalmouth to pravent further scoring hy Blackpool. The referee, Mr. G. W. Jones (Nottingham) had iseveral tumhles in the waterlogged field. Referee's Discretion. Our special corresponclent "Saracen," giving his impressions of the game states that he has never seen a ground in such a terrible state, and records the opinion that the game should not 'have beian played. The Association rules gives the referee eomplete discretion to decide whether or not a ground is fit for play. To a News-Chronicle representative last night Mr. T. A. Barcroft, honorary secretary of the Blackpool Foothall Club, said: "The conditions were eertainly very bad, but I have seen them worse. I saw the Blackpool players in the dressing-room after the match, and they appeared perfectly fit." Referee Drops. 5 P ' II (3 V V> Ev ^ ' S? ' The referee of the match at Blackburn, between Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers, Mr. A. J. Caseley, of Wolverhampton, collapsed from exposure. He had to receive radiant heat and respiration. The Sheffield men were repeatedly helped to the touchline for restoratives.

The match ended with United having only eight men on the field. Player's Agony. The Central League match between Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday, at Turf Moor, was abandoned half an hour after the restart, five players collapsing through the intense cold. R. T. Edw-ards, the Burnley lefthalf, staggered to the touchline and would have fallen had not assistance been forthcoming. Catlin, Sheffield's left full-baclc, collapsed and was helped off by two colleagues. Then McGhee^ the Sheffield inside-right, went to the touchline, bent talmost douhle with cold. H>e was followed by Jeavons, Burnley's outside-right, who could hardly stand. As the referee hlew the whistle to abandon tlie game, Stephenson, Sheffield's inside-left, fell and was carried off by an ambulance mai and a constable. The game was then 3-2 in favour of Burnley. Four players, two of each team. collapsed after the Lancashire Combination match at Lancaster betweer Lancaster and Darwen had heen in pa-ogress only a few minutes. Through the intense cold the jaw oi Vickers, the Darwen goalkeeper, became temporarily locked. He recovered quickly, however. The game was abandoned after only 29 minutes. Other Lancashire Comhination fixtures not completed were those at Accrington, Bacup, Horwick 'and Rochdale. Two minutes from the end of the F.A . Cup-tie between Stalybridge Celtic and Prescot Cables the referee had to abandon the match, as the Prescot players, the visitors, refused to carry on. Four of the Prescot players had left the field long before the end. Another cup tie 'abandoned was that at Morecambe, where Chorley were the visitors.