THE SHAM AMATEURS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 421, 4 January 1933, Page 7

THE SHAM AMATEURS

TOURING EXPENSES LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION MAKING A DRIVE. MUST BE GENUINE Sham amateurism probahly never , will he eliminated from lawn tennis, \ or from any other popular sport, but there should he less of it in import- J ant events, for .some time; to come, 1 than there has been of late years. ! The Lawn Tennis Association of England has started the latest drive against it. "It is-no use burking the fact that there is a great deal of insidious subsidising going on, and we want it brought into the open, because amateur sports have been spoiled by the 'makers' amateur." Thus H. H. Monckton explained the purpose of his motion, at the annual meeting of the Lawn Tennis Association recently, when he moved an amendment to the rules, in order to make a "subsidised player" ineligible for the committee, and ineligible to compete in tournaments, except at which the national champio.iship is deeided. When a delegate asked why the national championship was excepted, Monckton replied: "Many overseas players are connected with the trade, and we .eannot and must not place our players in a worse position than they are in or we shall stand even less chance of winning the championship." The meeting accepted the proposal, and Monckton then proposed that eompetitors in tournaments, except th'e national championship, should make declarations that they are not directly, or indirectly, under any obligation to further the business of any firm, and are not receiving financial assistance in the form of rebates or "hospitality." Monckton added: "Players are undoubtadly receiving money, or getting their hotel bills paid, and if manufacturers are anxious to presant rackets, the association would distribute them." A. Wallis Myers, in opposing the motion, said the declaration cast a suspicion on the majority of amateurs. If the contamination was as wide as suggested, the association ought to have acted drastically. Monckton declared that provineial tournaments were getting into the hands of manufacturers. The meeting agreed to an alternative proposal, that a notice having tlie same effect as the declaration should be inserted in tbe entry forms for tournaments, except the national championships. In commenting on the Lawn Tennis Association's decision, the Sydney "Sun" points out that it raises the question of the expenses paid to amateur sporting teams generally. The "Sun" continues: Members of Australia's Davis Cup team were allowed 15/- per day on ths boat, and £1 a day on land, with an added 15/- a day while in America. On top of this, hotel and travelling expenses were paid. In the Australian lawn tennis championships, nominatel players usually receive travelling expenses and £1 a day. Men playing for New South Wales in inter-State matches get travelling expenses £1 while travelling and £5 out of which they pay expenses. The American tennis players now in Australia are being well paid. Three have their wives with them and get £6/10/- a day, and the fourth, who is single, receives £4/10/- a day. Travelling expenses ,are paid, but they meet hotel expenses out of this amount. The allowance is based on the usual American allowance in dollars, and the r.ate of exehange increases the sum in Australian money. Menibers. of /the last Australian cricket team to England received £600 and 30/- a week expenses, as well as hotel and travelling expenses. State players get an allowance of £1 a day on top of their travelling and hotel expenses. In other forms of sport, however, the rules are much more drastic. Members of the last Olympic team received travelling expenses and aceommodation, but no allowance of any kind. Rugby Deague footballers in Sydney are classed as professionals, but their recompense is very small compared with that which many amatuer sportsnien receive. Last season, for example, the South Sydney players received slightly less than £100 a man. In another club each man played 14 strenuous matches and received only £6. There can be no gainsaying that many amateur sportsmen do very well out of sport. There is a story told of a famous "amateur" who, whenever he. was short of money, bought a motor-car and then sold it under arrangement for three times as much as it cost. It help'ed Tiim to maintain his amateur status. It all boils down to what expenses are legitimate, and the arrangments ara so elastic that there is no common basis. For example, Arne Borg was in Sydney for 16 days, with a subsequent reappearance at a earnival a month later, and it cost the New Soufn Wales Swimming Association £127/10/-. His tour of the country added a further £105 to this amount.