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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1960.
SATURDAY SPORTS SPOT
It's thrilling-the Red Devils are willing!!!
By I. M. MacTAVISH
(Writing from the U.K.)
Even the blackest cloud has a silver lining. If you are a football fan in Hongkong you will be glad to know that one of the darkest of our clouds has just been tipped by a glitter that may swell to dazzle the soccer scene as it has not been dazzled in a long, long time. Let me take you back a few short months to a press announce
ment that mighty Manchester United would be visiting the Colony for a series of games.
was sadness
The Red Devils in Hongkong ...what a wonderful, thought to stimulate and sustain Us throughout the new season! | {
"
Here briefly is the angling story to beat the tale of the one that go away ....so far fetched in fact that the two persons in volved are still pinching themselves to make sure it happened.
they
"auto-
cord clalut. They bellera shops. This slot machine ser-
vice....it is known as that their feat in scoring pools.ls, for the present at 1,000,000 in 23 hours and feast, based only en match re- 40 minutes is the Tastest suits. over, Any arguments? Any Hongkong" challen- gera?
The 50-button selection aya- tem can produce any combination of results and oned a selection has been made, and the neces- spry botting fee paid, the maching delivers a copy of the
tains the original purposes.
for
As far as football pools In upon to the punter and re-
Great Britain are con-
is
'let
record
The machine is already at inacting a lot of attention and enquiries are being made from Tho other parts of the world, sponsors viuim that i enn be adapted to cover horse-racing. cricket and possibly other
corned it' Beoms that the age of "do it yourself' giving way to one of Fishing in a river in England
us do it for you,' two friends got - what' thought were almost simultane
An English arm is pressing played, fought and fumed an 800 automatic pools machines in sports. 0113 hitca They truggled ahead with lia plans to pudition
the other various parts of the first one and thes seemed to be making progress Kingdom. towards landing his catch, It was tough, exelting stuff....
with an unusual climax.
After a long bout of pulling and reeling the two mon BUC- ceeded in landing THE SAME ELSEL!!!
The
the salmon had taken hook on one line and in its frantic tusste 11 sonichow got the second angler's hook ein- beckled in its back,
The story kindled the defeat, when it has come, has, chester United to the Colony imagination of
who Everyone
not prejudiced United's prestige, would rivotve the HKFA In followed the game and there, That is the real test of great-heavy financial commitments... and gloom when near but it required only a few but the harvest would surely be the scheme was shattered by minutes in the Busby presence || worthwhile. The reward for circumstances which had to realize, that the 3-1 home such an enterprising scheme
either the nothing to do with
reverse they suffered against would be far-reaching and as Such a thing could, only hap- Hongkong Football Association Blackburn Rovers in the open-sutistying as anything the Asso- | pen in a sty-rich sport like or Manchester United.
ing game of the season was elation has ever attempted.
ungling! being regarded as something of
In a typical spirit of resigna then the fans seemed to say.... "ah well, it was too good to be true....the United will never come to the Far East. They can embark on more attractive and more lucrative tours elsewhere." Never has such an expression of oplaton been so for off the mark.
'The Boss'
a soccer challenge to staff and A three-week tour? management alike.
great
United have toured extensive.
United
What a world. Bang goes tho old lot-out of blaming the wife They claim that the Inven- when someone forgets to post tion will be a great boon to the the föstunę-winning pools: en-
no try.... little inan There will be eye straining coupori filling: na postage expenses; and no dim- culties about getting the coupon to the pools organisation in
the time for
weekly good reckoning.
No more let-qut
When the new machines are in açilon it
apt definition Finally an
given to me this weak by of England's star soccer referees.
one
"Football 19 A kick-about game
twenty-two
involving will be possible for a man to make a fixed players, two linesmen, and a odds bel right up to the time variable number of referees nee the size of the of the klok-off simply by In-cording to serting a coin in the machine crowd."
molco-
and pressing the appropriate This is the final article I shoil be sending from. the United Kingdom. Next week I shall be
buttons covering his Поля.
While on the subject of sporting oddities I would like to report that an eight-man daris team in It is apparently felt that the writing from Now York when Is I hope to have something of Stonehaven on the East operation of the machines
covered by the terms of the special interest concerning next Coast of Scotland are now British Botting and Gam-year's for
International forward with a world re-ing Bill which legalees betting Tournament.
One staunch United supporter ty in recent times. This year said to me outside the ground: they blazed a soccer wall for "There are no bad players at seven long fring weeks in Old Trafford but the club has North America and I'got the set its sights so high that nowa fooling that Matt Busby and hits days. it is not enough to have a directors are aiming at soine- mixed tcom of average and thing of shorter duration
players....we simply next May. A three weeks tour must have eleven great DEC
embracing three games in Hong- Players of the right class, are kong And maybe three fa Last Sunday I had the
hard to find and they are also Malay would suit them right privilege of a long
expensive....but it they CONVETER-
exist down to the ground...and what Britain the Bossno ono a bonanza it would be for Far ever seems to refer to Mr Busby East football. by any other name will get them if it is humanly possible." Manchester United have made But to get back to Manches-no other plans so far. They have
almost certainly received
tion with Unlled manager Mait Busby in Ha colourful and impressive office high In the Old Trafford grandstand,
The Boss, looking extremely fit, was happy to talk about his beloved United....but the real material testimony to his fan- tastic post-war uchievements was arrayed around him in the
in
ter United and Hongkong.
a
number of invitations....but I are confident that if the Hong-
quickly and opens preliminary
Ready and willingkong Football Association nets
From Mr Busby I heard negotiations now Britain's most bricks, mortar, Steel and timber United's side of the spring pa-successful post-war football of the towering stadiun whichnovnement suggesting they club will give them special and has grown out of the ashes of a would be playing in the Colony. sympathetic consideration. bomb-wrecked arena.... the The whole thing is finished and
lush turf of an Immaculate playing pitch...and In the passing parade of famous foot. balling personalities, who wear the gleaming red of Manchester United..
Today this flourishing club has become a great Industry. . Its enterprise has reaped huge financial rewards.. ILS playing Eccess has gathered many fitting honours.
done with and there is no point in raking it over again....but here is the vital pofal as far as you loyal fans are concerned,
Manchester United are ready and willing to consider atty proposition" from the Hongkong Football Associa- tion covering a short tour at the end of the current season.
Frankly, United like the idea,
Sports Diary
TODAY Birgling Annual meeting of Hongkong Bad- mleton Association. St George's Bldg. Room 31, 430 pm,
TOMORROW
1st Division: Recreio "W" v IKFC.
KCC IRC. ..
If suitable terms can be agreed the Reef KBCC, Must Important of all, how the famous Red Devils will he2nd Division: lic_FC. ever, is the fact that in the pro- delighted to make their Hrst VST THE "B", HKCC V HKPSA,
USRC v cess of post-war building and visit of the Orient....and I'm
PRC. ard Division: KDC v KBGC, CCC rebuilding United havu ધાન sure every true football fan Y USRC, HRCC v PRC, HERC v SC. swept to the proud pinnacle of will be equally
HKFC. V FC.
Footbali internatlanul stardom. Today the
South Koreans v Combined Chi- team is numbered among the Organising lop clasy football | nese, Caruline Hill, 830 pin. top six club sides in the World four is an expensive business
Tennis Ladies Recreation Club chùmpton- and it is
see them there.
delighted to
and any project to bring Man- ships. 4 pm. significant that even
Soccer