THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1950.
END OF THE
CLUB LOYALTY IS SOMETHING THAT MONEY CAN'T BUY Says Harold Mayes
There was such a hullabaloo in the foyer of a London hotel the other morning that you would have had to listen carefully to hear an atom bomb drop. That is, if you don't think one had been dropped the evening before when Sunderland took Soccer transfer fees from the realms of the genuinely crazy to the utterly fantastic.
Centre of attraction was, of course, black-haired Welshman Trevor Ford, on whose late arrival from Birmingham with Roker Park manager Bill Murray, Press- men, photographers, football personalities and players from at least five teams lunching at the hotel were waiting.
Foootball's costliest player looked a bit puzzled by it all, because the fellow who is such a tearaway dreadnought on the field is somewhat shy and retiring off it.
There were warm handshakes, success or more correctly, in, and played his heart out, and for Murray. from Sunderland Sunderland's case, to buy their | is still doing it. directors and admirers,, who re- way out of trouble, but while County bought Jack Lee, and garded the signing as a great the hotel performance was | England capped him for Bel- stroke of business, and Bill going on I was rather interested | fast. The Saturday after he'd seemed to be thoroughly enjoy-] in thé reactions of another name been selected for his country ing it, oven though he looked in goal-scoring forwards.
the two Jacks played side by tired enough not to have been
side, but it was Stamps, and to bed for the best part of some
not Lee, who rammed home time.
four goals.
I asked him about the job that Wis giving Ford the security outside Soccer which bad persuaded him to sign for Sunderland in preference to other clubs,
Remember big Jack Stamps ballet-dancing his way through the extra half-hour or the 1948 FA Cup Final and scoring couple of goals to help take the Cup to Derby for the first time?
Well, he was one of the ""There's no job yet,” Murray | spectators of this moment of said "There are plenty of glamour-if he troubled to look offers, but all I assured Fora at all Big Jack was leaning was that he would get the same against the wall enjoying a joke considerate treatment we give with a couple of his team-mates, to all our players at Sunder- and it carried my thoughts to land. We do what we can to what I choose to call the bread-
men of football | make them all happy." That's and-butter the psychology ΟΙ football
management,
the real clubmen.
One day clubs will realiso that if they throw in the Crown Jewels with the Bank of Eng- land they can't buy club loyalty
of that-sort:
Now everyone will be wonder- ing whether Ford will prove himself worth the dough. Sure he will, because he's a grand footballer. But he still won't be the best buy of all ume for my money. That distinction goes to another in the Stamps mould," who,
this by a coincidence, week-end hangs up his boots for good.
Ronnie Rooke's the name. By comparative, standards Arsenal got hhim for threc bags of peanuts when everyone thought
TRAILI
Bruce Woodcock, the former British Heavyweight Champion, seen in training at Herne Bay for the fight which lost him the title to Jack Gardner. It was all over in 11 rounds and sports writers believe that Woodcock, never fully recovered from old boxing injuries, would be fairer to himself in giving up the game. Central Press
They miss the greatness which One of Sunderland's 'regular comes from off-the-field pub- sapporters said: "He can have eity; but who is to say that a pub tomorrow if he wants it, they're not greater for it? but I suppose Bill Murray!! Time-and-again. Derby have world cut my throat if I sug-been in the market for men to he had finished. He saved TASTES DIFFER gested it."
replace Stamps, and he
has them from relegation, ทร WHAT IS GREATNESS? known it. Has he squealed and | Sunderland hope: Ford will do, No, in the same season In the *That's the story 00-4far of said he "wanted away?"
goal that Soccer's latest attempt to buy he's just gone out on the next he got the odd
meant two points on so many occasions that he almost won the championship single-handed for the Highbury team.
park
He Gets The Best Out Of The Intractable Players
By ARCHIE QUICK
1
There is a solid bulk of opinion in Soccer that the best of the modern managers is Mr. Harry Storer, of Coventry City. Let us examine the astute Harry's re cord. He took Coventry, from the Third Division South to the Second; steered Birmingham City from the Second Division to the First; returned to Coventry when they were bottom of the table and succeeded in getting them 14 points from their last eight games to finish in a res pectable midway position last season.
When I saw City play West Ham United a Upton Park Mr Storer had got them perched on top of the Second Division, and, although they lost 8-2, there was ample evidence that he has got a more than good side to- gether. Most remarkable thing is that he is getting splendid service from at least two players who have proved intractable with their previous clubs. To see one of them chasing the ball and going all out for 90 minutes was an eye-opener to me when I remembered how surly and moody he could be.
:
'This stason he decided to forego his manager's wages.so that he could play again for Crystal Palace. He's seen them through an anxious time, and has once again. decided to quit.
Soccer will always have its glamour-boys, even if they don't all cost £30,000. Fortunately, it will always have men of the Here's to Rooke-Stamps type.
them
Need More Ball Practice
Photo.
Athletic Meets In Europe Can Draw A 50,000 Crowd
BY CORNELIES RYAN *er
America and the rest of the world often-are în com. plete aesthetic agreement on the greatness of an athlete, but when it comes to paying money to see that athlete, the USA and the rest of the world differ greatly.
This difference is most clearly shown in track and
English Players field, where the Americans dominate. -American sports fans agree that Jim Fuchs, is a great shot putter, that Mal Whitfield is a great 800-metre runner, that Dick At- tloney is a magnificent hurdler and that Bob Mathias is an unmatched decathlon man, but if all these together:: were entered in a track meet, the crowd would total only a few thousand. In Europe it would draw 20,000 or 50- 000.
now
England, who taught the Con- tinentals how to play. soccer, are them. They realise that youngs- ters will never be fit for the tough, fast encounters of League football and internationals un- less they can do with a soccer
learning something from
ball all Joe Davis can do with a snooker set.
But Joe DiMaggio, the base- A few
foreign athletes com- can pack American pete in America in return. Two ball star, stadiums and yet have no at- or three star Europeaps have traction for other nations. The been seen each winter in indoor same is true of such USA foot-meets in recent years, and oc,... ball stars as Glenn Davis and casionally a world-famed man Johnny Lujack.
35 Sweden's Lennart Strand will run in an outdoor
And rarely is suchwan sell-out.—United Press..
such
meet
The only answer is ball prac- His display against Coventry "How do you do it? I asiced
not tice—and yet more ball practice. Storer. "Kid them," he said, was perfect and if it had
SOCCER VIEWPOINT meet. of been for this local, giant City There is no lack of firms pre- "No good driving corne
pared to supply, food-lighting them. Every player, is of a would have landed the points.
Soccer is another major point different temperament and 50 Another man in great form equipment, and so start a bold
of difference. It is а minor long as they work 90 minutes is Gazzard who is only the third campaign to revive soccer, for me every Saturday after | Cornishman I know
Men like Ronnie Williams, sport în America, and even the to make
European teams, on was greatest noon I-am-satised I do not the top grade. Jack Cock and Liverpool chairman, who
America, can converted to flood-lighting dur- tour in
draw no about their Ray Bowden were the others. worry tɔ much private habits.”~
I am also certain that winging tours of America have.al-more than 15,000 or 20,000 to half Parker will gain interna-ready advocated playing some matches that would be seen in tional honours one day. Inside League games by floodlight, but Europe by 100,000 or more.
that's still a long way off as you But the American; trackmen, success in a football team was right for West Ham was young will realise when you think although they get only mild a happy spirit and blend of Jim Barrett, son of the centre about our winter climate. eleven triers in preferènce to half who served the Hammers there were one or two stars." "I insist that for 20 years, and
SECRET OF SUCCESS
Mr Storer Bald Operet af
3
they get the ball two out of touches of good football in his three times trackles' he said. display. "If you do that you lose
Ted: Fenton? :
a sorind de to
Hama
#rado Greg
inferior theạc, daya
West Ham have at long last obtained a Board of Trade certificate to repair their bomb damage and work is going ahead on the stands.The Directorate aim to make their covered accommodation the finest in London. They have a long way to goi
Rugger Results
Doug Wright Will
Be The
Douglas
རྒྱུུ ཀཀ;';
Fit Form on First Test ......
Sydney, NOV.KISSTHI Wright, - the). Kent
public acclaim at home, make up for it in the attention they leg-break and googly bowlery: get from other nations.7. regarded as certain to belittidta'A
Test between - England USA stars are eagerly sought the first each summer for tours of other at Australia. S'arting at Brik-V. continents, and, this year seven bane on December 1. ning eri al London. Nov, 18. different squads made tours to Wright has been complaining
trouble:!! The Rugby Union results in Central America, Europe and of back matches played, today were: South Africa.
5.
who examined -- him County Championship match- In addition, America sent a superficial fibròsiti East Midlands 3, Warwickshire team to the Maccabiah Games shoulder, which
"in" Israeli - and -USA officials |'dzaickly.with rai ...The other "match was Oxford worked at the Central Ameri- is: remaining in University B. R. Stanley's can" and the Maccabiah, staci the main team 3.-Réut
Games.
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