LADY FOOTBALLERS.

Waikato Times, Volume xxvi, Issue 2458, 8 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

LADY FOOTBALLERS.

Tiik f illowing amusing letter is taken from an English p^per :— " Ladies— l suppose it would be ungallant to style mill-workers young women — play football in Scotland. Lanarkshire recently witnessed an animated game between two rival teams of muscular damsels in knickerbockers and jerseys. Red and white were the colours of one side, blue and yellow the other. Before the game was finished mo.«t of the players wero red with the heat, white wit* passion, blue with dismay, or yellow with jealousy. Ono team played 4 girl short, but to make mttters even the other played a short girl. Several of the girls displayed good form, and nil of them displayed good forms. The play waa spirited throughout. There wore frequent charges — charges ofjunfoir play, of injustice by the umpires, and so on. Whenever Ono of these charge was made, play waa stopped, faces scratched, and occasionally back hair came down. One vain young creature lost a ohanco of distinguishing herself by stopping to scrape the mud off her feet. None of the players were disabled, but an umpiro had to be carried off the ground nftcr disallowing a goal. "Captain" Silly Thomis nohieved a point by sitting on the ball. Lucy Carmont made 1111 excellent run the whole length of the field, and would have scored but for discovering 'on her arrival at the goal that she had forgotten to bring the ball with her. The chief fault in the game wn? the vaulting ambition which doth o'emach itself, most of the shots at goal going over the bar. There were some ugly rmhe«, though all the rushers were pretty. Jt will be a disappointment to some of my readers to hear that the game was not for lovo bat for filthy lucre, sixpence a head being charged for admission. But love was not wholly absent from the game, because when the spectators rushed in and broke up the gHme, it stood at one goal to love. I daro say the majority of the fair players would one love to many goals, loro'a goal boinf the natural aim of womanhood. That this match really took place I am gravely assured, but that it will not be repeated in that district is equally certain. The authorities did not like it. They have made up their mmdi that the ball in which ladies can take part with propriety is not football, though they may in another kind of ball foot it right merrily.