1952-03-19 — Page 7

The Cup Semi-Finalists

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1952.

A Good Luck Wish For Blackburn Rovers

By TOM FINNEY

So the Cup semi-finalists are Newcastle, Blackburn, Arsenal and Chelsen the lucky people. Who will win? I don't pronosy to make any frm forecast, al- though you will hardly blame a Preston man if his thoughts stray to Shefeld on March 29 with a good luck wish for Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn, as you probably know, is only ten miles from my home town. Furthermore, I once wanted to join the Rovers in my very young days in preference to Preston. And, of course, one always has a popular feeling for a smaller club.

When you flip over the pages football next season for Black-inal, 3-1. All this was going of the records books and see burnya relegation The Club that Blackburn have won the have neve: yet suffered. But Cup six times, been in the final now they stand a fair chance of seven times and in the semi-prection and could become the Buols thirteen times, seems rst Sceond Division Cus wis. ox to refer to them as a small ners' sines West Bromwich club.

Alan in 1931.

romances

But their climb Into the lime- SHIFTS OF FORTUNE Hght this season has been one of the soccer

You of the

may remember that

did year.

something I believe it was on Leicester City

it the 1948-49 November 10 that they played very similar their sixteenth match of the sea-season. They beat Bermingham in the third round, son at home, to Cardin City, and City 2-

then they beat my were beaten by the only goal.

own team 2-0 81 Leicester and followed That was 10 matches with only up with victorles over Luton we were saying (5-3), Brentford six points and

(2-0) and sadly in Preston at the time that Portsmouth (3-1). They finally

Northern it would be

went down to the Wolves in the

Section

HKFA COUNCIL MEETING

Proposal For Professional Football In Hongkong

A proposal that the Hongkong Football Association give consideration to the introduction of a professional football league next season was put forward at the monthly Council meeting of the Association held yester- day with Mr J. Skinner in the Chair.

The proposal was put forward after reference had been made to the state of semi-professionalism which

existed in local soccer.

SCHOOLBOY PLAYERS

This situation had brought about by reports that the Hongkong Schools Sports Asso- ciation was, as from next season, in.roducing a ruling whereby Schools would have first call on the services of schoolboy soccer players.

counter payments.

The proposal fur.her consideration.

TOUR OF HANOI Mr Channing said that by in-

An application by the South troducing a professional league. China Athletic Association for

at least know players would

the

on while they were fighting to Drevent relegation from Second Division.

I have special cause to re- ni member our Cup match Leicester that season. I suffer- ed a jaw injury and west off, but didn't thinic It was anything much and came back. Later Ï found I had fractured the jaw.

I have no In Blackburn play this season and awke no attempt to assess their chanees against Newcastle. Most of my went ip Preston teammates Ewood Park to see them play Nottingham Forest in their third round replay. I remember that they were not particularly im- pressed Blackburn had mast of the play but didn't have a Rood match, although they won, Their record since shows-them 10 be a consistent sido and, really good Cup fighters.

On the experiences of Preston and my knowledge. of the

Division three First cemi-finalists is confined. to matches I have played agains! them -

the Cup winners will .bo

and 3-0 at

h Newcastle. They beat us Newcastic. They seem to rise nce the big occasion and once that forward line

theirs click with my friend Jackie Milburn at the head-something way of quite briliant in the football usually follows..

It Joe Harvey were to lead United 1 a second consecutive victory At Wembley, it would be. a plece of history last made by Blackburn in the latter part of the last century.

LOGIE'S SCHEMING

Own.

What of Chelsea? them Saturday.

Pasus there

IRELAND V.

WALES AT DUBLIN

Williams gets the ball away for Wales during a serum in the match with Ireland

at Dublin.

John Macadam's Column

CONTROL THE BAD

BOYS OF SOCCER

There was a feeling that we had been over-emphatic

on the subject of Dirty Play in Soccer, but the reaction of the watchers of the game, in letter and by telephone, is that we have understated the case against the dirty player,

We do not habitually agree with watchers of the game-en the contrary, we take a very individual view which is opposed to the general one-but it is a fact that conclusions reached by the majority of renders are correct.

American Table Tennis Stars Coming Hore

Invitations extended by the Hongkong Table Tennis Association to Marly Reis- man and Douglas Courtland at the Unlled Slates to visit Hongkong for a series of ex- hibition games during the part of Aprl next carly have. It is understoo:l, been accepted.

The American Table Ten-. nis stars, who took part in the recent World Cham- plonships at Bombay, are at present in Bangkok and will come to Hongkong after visiting Salgon,

They feel flat_the_referer jit stands, except that there are should be more strict and more one or two bad boys in it, and FANLING-GOLF-

In Inaking his so long as those bud boys are persistent decisions.

kept in control everything will be all right.

the

But

Easter

too

NAME THEM“

suggestions.

--(London Express Servicoj

The Lavender Hill Mob

L. H.W.E. Heath and E. Groome, both 1 down, lod for the Bogey Pool played over the Old Course of the Royal Hong- kong

Golf Club at Fanling lust week-end,

Members and subscribers are in- reminded that entries are vited for the England versus Scotland game to be held a Sunday, March 30.

HOLE-IN-ONE

leading from Clapham Junc- At Stamford Bridge

Preston on

score, but

was по

we

RUGGER RESULT

HF Lộ 3, Channing

su là thật hạ Mr Channing said that there was bringing up the subject be- was no shame in professionalism. enuse he was most concerned It existed in other parts of the about those players who, he a-work and he was of the opinion

With this. noticeably. 113 were being exploited. hat it was a greater honour for

agree. We have always pleaded en thes

players out-lived a player to admit openly that he their usefulness

or were in-was a professional rather than We bent Arsenal 2-0 at Deep-for the authoritative referee whe jured, they were thrown on the receive under-the-counter pay-dale and look a point from them would impose his personality o

ments and seek to have people at Highbury. You may remem the game he is in charge of, but scrap heap.

inclined to reject Mr Channing referred to the believe he was an amateur when ber Charite Wayman scored all we would be general

that suggestion fact that the situation had now they knew otherwise.

three of our goals, the last of

into the reached the stage where school-

linesmen be brought 53id Mr Skinner

that be them in the last minute.

game more. boys who had not even completed their schooling were being in-doubled whether the introduction that comparison with our per

Our feeling is that there is to much attention paid duced to leave school in order of a professional league would fornance against Newcastle can-

Intentionally, 'mob' and L. Goldman, playing over the to be able to play football in the serve to eliminate under-the-not be taken as a true guide to

Arsenal's chances in the Cup.

linesmen, and referees should Hongkong League.

be placed in a position from lavender' are rather incon- Oud' Course on Sunday holed As a winger, there is no de-which they should not he ablegruous a mixture. Sensi-out the third hole,, 155 yards in Mr Channing. in reply, said

The occasion was sult- extricate themselves on

bilities ruffled with the one. that with a recognised profession-fence in the country for which to

ably celebrated, linking of the two may sub- heen al league and the assurance that have a higher respect. And account of outside opinion.

Joe Mercer and Alex Forbes

A.V. White qualified in March they would have a legal right to

side however, for it would for the Captain's Cup in a pley- make any claim, players would in top form of wing half are unrivalled anywhere. prefer to join such professional assets

heen plenty of have to be a very select mob off last Saturday against W. H. while Jimmy Logle's scheming There have

the to be Apart from

connected with Paterson, league,

for in the forward line can was noted

stuffy very toughening up of reforces there the

respectability nearly win a Cup Final on itsas been the plea that they, thick enough to be sliced and we sportswriters, name the anywhere along that street We play dirty players.

London, Mar. 18. Oxford University beat Glos- We sportswriters would like nothing better, but it is almost tion, and known as 'Laven-gow Academicals by 18 points to live in a Rugby Union match to name where they stood and would have/Permission to undertake a tour armed the opinion

impossible. that they

players, der Hill.'

today. Reuter, to say that they have

But the 'mob: speaks for itself. 4 measure of security against the of Hanoi towards the end of this

know what Roy been warned, cautioned, or sent Principally it is Alec Guinness day that they were injured or month was granted on the under- were a good all-round side and except

standing that if any of their most of you

spending all out and Stanley Holloway, though too old to play.

players were selected for the Bentley can do in the way of off, without

days in the low courts.

they work out a most original Under the present system, he Memorial Cup fal, they would snap goals.

There is a good idea embedded Bald, players had no legal remedy

Football is a game in which in a number of the letters that plan to swell their numbers le

four. for whom.

remarkable and unpredictable "there should, instead of home against Clubs

versatility of Guinnes Arrangements for the forth- played.

coming Interport against Manila results occur every week; re-team and visiting team opinion,

tim. A pair of spectacles are end the Challenge Shield finals which the form book be a report of ex-referees and is more amazing with every were discussed and

means nothing.

So don't take union-appointed players to re his only too much notice

*prop' here, and with of the facto on

maich-teams, them he is yet port

another per- that Newcastle are favourites, pla

and players,

referees but sonality quite new again from An application by the Nether- Arsenal second favourites and certainly not the present system those in his Inst six films, each

the other two outsiders. To my of the home sole Hospital for a donation to friends in Blackburn especially: players which tends to provide different "types".

team repurt on of which called for entirely wards a maternity bed was re-Happy hunting. ferred to the Committee in charge

'homer referee' "

This time he is one of the of Charity Funds, Mr Skinner

There is a good point made crowd who swarm across Lon- A further series of games in said that it would be a good idea

constantly: That such reports don Bridge to the City every the Colony Charity Seven-A-If support could be given for a The list hours of the 1951-52 should be checked regularly, and morning; bespectacled, bowler-

neatly Side Rugger Tournament for the bed on the same lines as three transfer season in League football that clubs and players should be hotted,

dressed Mi Blarney Stone Shield will be beds were being supported by are almost upon us. And how

accordance with the Holland whom his boss, considera are mest played off on the Club ground the Association in the Tung Wah pleased

people who fined in play professional fcotball.

degree of their offence, even to to be cautious, efficient, honest at Happy Valley this afternoon. Hospital.

the extent of closing the ground. and quits without initiative. The following is the pro- Mr Skinner also put forward o Fortunately, I do not get We 'do not

agree with

DREAM ACQUIRES FORM Tamer Tigers v Wiltshire "A" suggestion that the birretor of caught up in the storms which frequently quoted opinion that

All his working life he has 4 p.m. Referee: Mr J. Redman, the donation of a sum towards a market, but I have

Education be consulted regarding sometimes blow in the transfer there should he a "sin bin," as known in ice hockey, because we do not

supervised deliveries of bullion 23 Field Regiment RA V Tamar Cubs 4.20 p.m. Referee: primary school so that the child-players this

Bank, but now form learn from that game. ren of players might be afforded, have been or season who feel that Soccer has anything to from the gold celine of loa a dream, 710- Major Dodds,

by the fact that they were on And there is no reason for bulcus for twenty years, finally 58 Medium, Regiment RA von payment, an opportunity of transfer list, even though it † suggesting that there should be require

farm when attending that school.

Mr The substitution for on Injured Pendlebury, who manufactures The meeting decided to invite was at their own request.

comings and goings of man- player.

souvenirs for the tourist trade. Mrs Skinner, who will be leaving agers and scouts from other

comes to live at the same 3rd Royal Tank Regiment for Home with Mr Skinner on

Nor is there reason for the boarding house. and clubs

the uncertainty "B" v Dampler Storks 5 p.m. leave next month, to present the about the future can become a suggestion of peremptory..dis- Referee: Major Sommerville,

Memorial Cup on conclusion of temporary nightmare in a foot-without a caution; nor the sug

missal of a player who fouls Talkoo v RAF "B" 8.20 p.m. the final match in this Compet-baller's life. Referee: Mr Redman,

tion on March 30.

gestion that there should be fou

they

Seven-a-Side Rugger Today

gramme:

27 (Strange's) Battery 4.40 p.m. Refereo: Mr Redman.

Club "A" v 43 Field Regl mont "B" 5.10 p.m. Referee: Major Sommerville,

be available for this match.

upon by the meeting.

deelded

FOOTNOTE

of

cach

It was also decided to invija In fact, of course, it would not linesmen and to referees; nor Mr Bicicfond, wife of Colonel be easy to scrap the transfer the suggestion that there should Bickford, to present the trophies system. Very often it puts be a distinguishing

of the Sentor lot of new life into languishing suspended players. Wayfoong v 45 Field Regi- at the conclusion ment “A” 6 p.m. Referee: Major Challenge Shield finals on April clubs, plus

a lot more interest Dodda.

KAIRO 11,

for the spectators,

THE GAMBOLS

HULLO — TRREE POUNDS · AND THE SAME EDC, ➡WELL I DIDN'T KNOW Juances in CROSS CINTA HÁY THAT IN MY POCKET) | DOUBLES, AND TREGLE -WHAT LUCK — FEL HAVE? (YEG, THREE POU A REAL GOOD BET TODAY INVESTED

mark for

Our own feeling is that the game is pretty well, all right as

by Barry Applebe

SAAN FERALTY HOUR, KLPKİB14 (674) WHATS THAT FORK?

EASY COMED ZASY OC

↑ WANT THE CHANGE OUT OF THAT THREEI

·POUNDS 1.6AVE YOU TO PAY THE GAS BILL, PLEASE

The

$

Stanley Holloway is as Im- portent to the life of Pendlebury.

as his spectacles tire to Guin- news us Helland.

A chortling sort of comedy is blended ingeniously with action which keeps at the same and

from enthralling pace

the thought processen of the sheep- clothed Holland to the scramble of police cars which is one of;

the most tickling blis of the film.

This particular scramble In- volves dezens of cars all TC- gying mearages framically back to a local police station which is taking them down and calling for more cars in en urgent min ere, when suddenly you see many non-plussed coppers, 23 the noise In oe station et elznels and orders being relayed melts into a quack Quack there and quack quack hery; hire a quack; There a quick; everywhere wa quack Quack." It is brautful- ly Eppropriate; and 40: funny.

Over to Brazil for the final shot; it pulls one up with raihar Jolt This is another vary: British Alm, very laughable and very well worth seeing.

SUE DAWSON

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