SPORT AND WAR IN ENGLAND: Then And Now

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 58, 2 August 1940, Page 18

SPORT AND WAR IN ENGLAND: Then And Now

5 Some Discoveries By ‘"Mass-Observation ’

BOOK is the A last place in which the sportsman, or at least the traditional idea

of a sportsman, would expect to find interesting material. Sometimes there is an interesting book about sport, apart from _ potboilers by Frank Smythe, or the annual publications of the Everest Committee; but these are scarce, and the sportsman usually looks for his specialised reading material on newsprint. But there arrived in The Listener office last week a tardy copy of a sociological study, and inside its red covers sportsmen will find, if they care to look, a startlingly apt illustration of a subject discussed on this page in the issue of July 12. The book is "Britain," and it’s by "Mass-Observation," that half-hobby, half-career of two young men who have enlisted a whole host of observers to assist them in organised sociological spying.

Going to the People They wanted to know what people were doing and what they were thinking and saying. They could not find out from the newspapers, so they went around the towns and country listening to people, watching people, and asking people questions. The result is interesting, although not generally conclusive. However, it is decidedly .conclusive in its section about sports in England then, and it bears out exactly the theory advanced here two weeks ago: that the modern tendency to make sport an affair of big houses and big money turns it in actual fact from sport into business, with 90 per cent. of the population of a modern State looking on, and only a few participating.

In New Zealand we saw the process developing mainly around Rugby and racing. We have seen New Zealand crowds massed bank on bank to see their favourites fight out the game or the race. And we have wondered, those of us who have stopped to think, whether the modern tendency to organise everything on the big scale of specialisation was not creating communities of people whose main task in life was perverted into that of sitting and watching-out-side the busy minority. All-In Wrestling In this book there is an elaborately careful survey of the process as it was going on in England before war came to startle them, as it has startled us, out of our enervating complacency. Disregarding for the moment Association football, whippet racing, the football pools, and the Irish Sweep, the Observers concentrated on All-In Wrestling for their survey.

One took down a description of the first bout: P secured a full Nelson on B and pushed him well over the ropes. B managed to get free, returned to hold on P but was crashed to the canvas heavily by P with flying mare; there was very little excitement in this round except when B had a leg scissor on P’s head, crossing his legs and pressing him between them. P was shouting in agony, gong saved him, Second round P opened this round in a most unexpected manner, without waiting for the gong, he rushed to B’s corner, grabbed him by the hair and kneed him fiercely three times in quick succession in the lower part of the groin, B screamed in agony, doubles up holding his pelvis. P grabs him and lifts

B over head. Jack the referee springs on P’s back, pulling his head backwards tearing. at his hair, but has no success, and over the ropes and into the ringside seats goes B; there is another big scuffle by the ringside spectators for Jack the referee is thrown over too — P runs round the ring beating chest-meanwhile the din is terrific-crowds shouting — dirty rat, swine, lousy pig, then missiles hurtle through the air, lighted cigarettes, a key, a piece of billiards chalk and Observer had to dodge a small iron bolt thrown at B from the other side of the ring; P won’t let either B or referee back into the ring, spectators shaking their fists at him. The hall is in an uproat. B manages to get back, but P seizes him by the head-and forces him on to the ropes, gouges his eyes, then knees him again, B drops on the canvas close to Observer; he is a pitiable object, shouting he has hurt me. Bell goes but (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) P rushes at B’s stomach. P’s second runs to him and just manages to get him into a corner, referee picks up stool and challenges P-a comical sight-Jack 7 stone and P 17 stone. Referee in Trouble Again Third round P again beats gong, rushes at B, puts B’s head over the rope and then lifts middle rope over part of his neck. B cannot get loose and seems to be choking and the crowd are on their feet yelling and waving their hands — the referee helped by both seconds manages to extricate B, but P grabs him in a quick aeroplane spin, gets him with his left hand round the shoulder, right hand through his left, swings him three times round in the air and pins him with his shoulders on the floor for the count of three. Boos and Boos and one or two cheering in the 6d stands M.C. announces first fall to P in 2 minutes 50 secs. of the third round. B can scarcely rise, the referee is in a fit of temper, attacks P with stool, P chases him round ring-gong goes for the 4th round-P still has stool so B picks up the water bowl and with a terrific bang lands it on P’s head, P drops almost unconscious, B jumps at him, Jack the referee drops on stomach to count but is fast between wrestlers and can’t be seen and he manages to free himself, and counts. 1 2 3 very quickly. Second fall to B. Someone Burned Him The positions are now reversed. B is e@ggressor; P is complaining to second about someone who has burned him with a cigarette. Observer who is close to him can see an unmistakable burn on his thigh. Fifth round starts P can scarcely stand, his left leg is weak from Indian Deathlock in last round. B slams P to canvas on his stomach-then secures Deathlock. P pulls most agonising expressions and offers his hands to someone to pull him out of the ring. B drags him back. B kneels over P and forces DeathlockP shouts-sweat is rolling off both of them — P suddenly goes silent then knocks with his hand three times on the floor, he has submitted, so B is the winner. The crowd cheers. The M.C. declares B to be the winner, he goes to shake hands with P. P refuses and tries to hit B. B kicks P three times on his weakened leg, the crowd cheers. P limps across ring and threatens man in crowd who has burned him. All one section raise their fists, few cheer him, but are hushed. At last both men are coaxed to dressing tent. After the Entertainment After the evening’s entertainment, observers investigated the reactions of the public. They found that many people professed themselves disgusted at the "sport," but that many went all the same. Newspapers did not cover it, nor was it advertised extensively, and yet in all sorts of halls over the country, large and small, it was attracting big crowds. Reason for its popularity they found was the element of thrill, and the possibilities of sharing this thrill with a host of other people. " As human beings are herd animals,’ the summary says, "what wonder that this common bond is taken up wherever it is found in tune with contemporary needs and industrial presentation?" Without the old social

ties of church and politics, working people are using up their gregarious instincts at such spectacles as the one described here. Vicarious Thrills Significant among the conclusions of " Mass-Observation " was one that much of the entertainment in All-In for the crowd was the fact that all these people were watching two men using greater strength than any of them could summon themselves, and standing up to more pain and strain.

Here you have the whole secret of the distinction between those who watch and those who participate. The layman judges a painting, or a piece of music, as much as his own ability to equal the job as by the pleasure it gives him. For the untrained musical mind, for example, there is the same thrill in hearing a brilliant violin staccato as the untrained football fan receives in seeing a line of three-quarters swinging down the field. His enjoyment is a mixture of admiration and envy.

The social fallacy is obvious, For all but the crippled and insane, participation is possible. But the opportunity for participation was lacking. In sport it still is lacking, or if it is there, or was there, it never was or is made use of. In war, participation is not only possible; it becomes in the modern state first advisable, then compulsory. It takes the sharp prick of fear to lift Man off the seat of his pants. The difficulty seems to be that he is more afraid of bullets than of social and physical deterioration,