THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1950.
BRITAIN'S OUT-OF-DATE
OUT-OF-DATE SOCCER
IS LOSING GROUND
Says IVAN
IVAN SHARPE
““What a state you get in!” said the waiter at Glasgow, attending the Austrian footballers during the breakfast-hour rush. “They can't speak the language.
You think one is starting, and he's finishing. You think one is finishing, and he's starting. What a state you get in!”
It's a bit like that in football. Pozzo, the Italian team-maker, said recently that British tactics (club and country) are always so much alike that foreign teams know what to expect, whereas British teams don't know what to expect from the varied and newer methods of overseas sides. What a state they get in.
-
And what a state were Scot-short-long, or long-short-paying proposition under the land in when the twenty-sixth short. Our passing is always existing off-side law. This, after international team of foreign controlled.
every British centre half had footballers to come to Britain
gone "stopper," so that since Continental play really
isn't an attacking pivot in all there became something, took away
the land. our unbeaten record by winning at Hampden Park. Memorable milestone.
As the Austrians first set the standard on the Continent, and first revealed this standard in Britain, it is fitting that they should be the country to get the halo. They certainly looked the part.
"The lesson I shall take back this time is something I learned in the Arsenal versus Blackpool match. I shall tell our school- boys: You cannot be a good footballer without being in very good physical condition. Get fit Live a life that keeps you fit."
Why is that? Because our competitions are too tense, and results are too important-points are too precious. Because we have become the Country of Safety First.
This first defeat of Scotland in Scotland, following so closely We won't take a chance in on England's first failure to win the interests of better football. in England has important les-Our football has lost the spirit
of adventure.
sons.
I said the other day that the All these foreign teams now footballer of the future will be have a better style than ours. a lissom, streamlined fellow bor- More studious. Less speculative. dering on 6ft. something like It is higher-class play, say what Milburn of Newcastle and Ben-you will. nett of the Spurs. When the There is no doubt whatever Austrians lined up with the that we have fallen behind in Scottish team at Hampden, half- scientific football. And when a-dozen of them were seen to you run through the 1950 results be built that way, whereas the you will see that our methods home line was a mixture of tall are not only less thoughtful but (Young) and tiny (Collins).
are not now match-winning methods.
The Viennese outside right, Melchior £30,000 class—is (ft. and 12st. of streamlined. speed and muscle. In full flight he looks like a European Jesse Owens.
CHECK THE ROT In order to check the rot, we have to overhaul our methods and come up to date. I need a book, almost, to explore these matters, but there are two im- portant phases.
We are losing ground. We are Nothing venture, nothing win. being beaten by the foreigner. I am very sorry to have announce that we are definitely out-of-date.
TIP FOR FA
to
I was in Glasgow I attended a Then there is publicity. While meeting of the Scottish Football Association because, there, the meetings of the Council
open to the Press.
are
FULHAM V. MANCHESTER U.
Allen (Manchester United goalkeeper) saves from Jazzard (Fulham outside-left), watched by McNulty (Manchester United right-back).
Public examination of football The
problems is very often a good thing. The public pays, the money and generally speaking, is entitled to know what Is going on,
So I suggest that England follows this Scottish system.
"WHAT POISE!* These foreign. footballers, however, are not cumbersome. Our League programme, plus Alan Morton, wonder wing-men an average of three or four Cup- of Scotland and the Rangers, ties, provides too much wear a closer and better understand- The newspapermen are given said to me afterwards: "What and tear and tension. There is ing of the Council's workings; of poise! What beautiful trapping no time for the finer points. A the real reasons behind this or and passing! We are not produc- smaller League programme, that decision; of the attitude of Ing enough class players. I wish then, is the first need.
east and west or north I could have seen them on a
and Austria's clubs play 24 League south. Press and públic normal pitch."
are The ground, matches a
year and
no Cup-given the strength of things you see, was frozen.
ties. They play fifty matches a and, incidentally, get a truer The Austrians were superior season, but half of them are picture of the minds and merits to the Jugoslavs, who drew with friendlies, giving scope, for the of the legislators England in London. They were development of the finer points, better together, more powerful and matches abroad to raise and artistic. Their only failings funds. were blatant handling to inter- cept passes, and the usual Con- tinental habit of impeding op- ponents,
And, by the way, although they are not professionals, they are openly-paid amateurs. There is no pretence about it. They do not adopt professionalism be- cause they cannot afford the ad- ditional state taxes it involves.
As it is, their entertainment
As to the first, they say: "This was a surprise. Our players do not handle the ball like this as a rule. It must have been the special occasion, the excite-tax is as high as 50 per cent. ment,"
No; we are not the only hard- hit country in the world.
As to the second, the Aus- trians offended less than the Jugoslavs. I'm afraid it's Continental custom.
man
а
"
EXHUMATION
And the other lesson of this world-football milestone is that the attacking centre-half is not dead,
and could open their doors, like The FA have nothing to hide,
prefer accuracy Scotland. Quite naturally, they This is one way to get it.
in comment.
All
Set For
A Soccer Festival
Flans are going ahead by sportsmen for next year's Festival of Britain games at
Second Test
A County Side Would Have Been
More Confident
Melbourne, Dec. 27.
England became two down in the series of five cricket Test matches when Australia won the second game by 28 runs today.
To those who have watched the fluctuations of for- tune in the first two Tests, such a position scarcely can be believed.
England so easily might, indeed should, be two games in front but whereas they could complain that luck was against them in the First Test at Brisbane no such excuse could be advanced at Melbourne except that they were without Denis Compton.
A
In recent years England teams Thanks to the bowling and have caused many disappoint- fielding, the England team, ments. But none, not even the which was thought not to have last day at Leeds in 1948, was so
Australia
chance, has already given
great as today, when England
two severe shocks failed by 29 runs to score the in the Tests. 179 runs needed to inflict upon The Third Test is due to be Australia her first defeat in the gin at Sydney on January 5.— last 24 Test matches. They were Reuter. out for 150 runs.
OVERAWED
Batsinen allowed the impor- Ronnie Clayton
But all the obstruction wasn't on one side. How about the Scottish forward who, at corner- In Britain, strictly speaking, kicks, stood on the goal-line he is dead and buried, or so we to hamper the goalkeeper? ̧*
all thought. The Austrians have the height of which there Famous referees of my ac- carried out an exhumation; they will be a programme of quaintance call this unfair, and have achieved a revelation. I soccer games equal in size warn the attacker that he will hope it's a revolution. be penalised immediately the Wonder of wonders, they lined almost to the English
tance of the occasion to overawe taking the
as League programme. corner kicks up with three half-backs,
them. They faced a first-class the ball. They call it sharp against Scotland's three backs.
This goes on for nearly aattack on a practice. So do I..
Wonder of wonders, they retain fortnight with English League which the slow bowlers could hard pitch from It makes for jostling and ed this formation even when sides opposed by many temper, and should be barred by their goal throughout the second teams which are coming to Bri- to trouble the batsmen with one con make the ball turn and all the Scotland hammered away at tinental and other visiting bowlers were occasionally able the law-makers once and for all.
tain for the Festival pro- which kept low. NO ALIBI
They have shown that the at-gramme. There is no ablibi for British tacking centre-half is still a football this time. The frozen pitch? Frost is a leveller. It is a greater handicap to higher-class team, and that wasn't Scotland.
J
half.
.
the Joint Team Managers
For Crystal Palace
Food? Don't mention it.. Sure- ly Austria has suffered from the
wars as much as any country in the world. In Vienna, there are still four zones. The national football stadium, for instance, is
in the Russian zone.
London.
will
Mr David Harris, the chairman of Crystal Palace Football Club, has announced that Messrs Fred Dawes and Charles Slade carry on as joint team managers in succession to Mr Ronnie Walter Nausch, team-manager Rooke, who has resigned. and sole selector, told me: "I am Mr Dawes, who has been with just a pupil of Hugo Meis), the Crystal Palace for 17 years, was man who made Austrian foot- assistant manager to Mr Rooke. ball We hope that next year Mr Slade, former Huddersfield this team may be as good as the Town and Middlesbrough player, team of 1932 that Hugo built. was the Palace's chief scout.
"Meisl, the Herbert Chapman of Continental football, always said to me "The British are the masters. When you go there study; study study,"
"So I studied your football
Reuter.
HOME SOCCER
Yet the conditions were such Football clubs have been ask-that a county side of reasonable ed by the Football Association strength would have been con-
to consider other local acti-fident of its chances of getting vities when arranging kick-off 200 in the fourth innings by
times for these games as they making strokes freely. have all been arransson ends-Hutton, Parkhouse and Bed- Only three England batsmen
after the English
and, therefore, take place when ser did so. The rest played cricket and other summer sports into the hands of Australia by are being played.---Reuter. their timidity.
Hutton showed that the pitch and the bowling could be mas- Lered in a classic display of two hours for 40 runs before he hit a slower ball from Bill Johnston London, Dec. 27. to mid-wicket.
Rugger Results
To Fight Al Phillips
London, Dec. 27. tish Empire Featherweight Ronnie Clayton, the Bri-
Boxing Champion, will fight the Nottingham Ice Rink on Al Phillips, of Aldgate, at January 29, according to his manager, George Dingley.
tion had been made to the Bri- Dingley said that an applica- tish Boxing Board of Control for the fight to be recognised as a contest for Clayton's title.
The following were the re- Alec Bedser, the No. 10 The Nottingham promoter sults of RUGBY UNION games batsman, looked capable of Mr Reg King, said that the fight played today:
obtaining a century if he could would be over 15 rounds at nine Bristol 26, Old Merchant find a partner. He provided stone, and he was confident that Taylors 6.
proof enough that runs could be the Board would sanction it as Cardiff 24, Watsonlans 0. scored without undue trouble. a Championship contest. Gloucester 8, Universities Though play did not reach Athletic UnionTM 6..
Early this year Phillips bent the standard expected in in- Clayton in Leicester 13, Barbarians 13.ternational cricket,
a nine title fight. the Mel-Three years ago Clayton took Northampton 17, Birmingham bourne Test will be remember the Empire and European titles ed in Australia as a great game from Phillips, and won the Swansea 32, London Welsh of cricket and one of the most vacant Biltan file: He has since 3,Router.
exciting, for many years. [lost the European Vile – Houter.
London, Dec. 27, Norwich City draw 1-1 with
3.
in Britain in 1992 and 1933, and Brighton and Hove in a Third now we blend your game with Division, Southern Section, oura Our passing is short-football match today.-Reuter.