The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-11-11 00:00:00

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, LINES ON FOOTBALL..

"No Football" has written to the County Express,
And the 'Tixer, his letters the direst distress,
From Fair Play, and a Father, who could not do leis
Than give their opinions about a sad mess,
Who all.seem to agree, that is, the whole three,
Which occurred at a football match, played before tea,
Between the Stourbridge Club and the Q. C. C., • -
Vieing with each other for supremacy,
On the Cricket ground, Stourbridge. op .Saturday week,
Where all of the player's, are said, (so to speak)
re have act‘ad like brutes, by giving hard knocks; '
And charging a man who came down like an ox,
Of breaking men's arms, dislocating their joints,
Fracturingltheir heads, .and some other nice points
Immaterial to mention, because I and you
Saw all that occurred, and we know its not true;
Indeed, I must say its a very great shame,
ro speak in such terms of this national game,
In which If. Luisa gets a kick and is lame .
All players. at football are held up to blame.
it may be that" No Football","a Father.' sad "Fair Pi
Played curious games at the time they had their day,
It's quite (dear, however, they are now out of sorts,
And no way in favour of athletic sports.
And I'm sorry that time won't permit me to view -
The different points on the game all through, -
(I mean that on Saturdafiveek, played here)
Because at this critical part of the year
Business is pressing, and have.some queer
Unaccountable people to deal with, 1 fear
To too much entangle myself in a story,
In which all engaged achieve! honour and glory.
Suffice it to say, that on the named day,
The Queen's College lads came over to play,
A. fine lot of fellows, all merry and gay, .
Where they met fifteen more on the ground, by the
3vay
If you saw them at starting you'd verily say
The whole thirty players looked quite au fait.
Away went the ball, and they rushed one and all,
Except four of the backs and the men at the goal,
And the leather flew this way, and then it flew that,
And was one time kicked out on a lady's felt hat.
Which the fair wearer seemed very mach to enjoy
As one of the players, a real broth of a boy
Rushed after the leather he picked up her feather,
And regretting they could not be longer together
Returned to the play, but some bystanders say
His little adventure had put him astiay. .
Be this so 'or no, •he's again in the throng, • •
And the ball is le ng kicked and manceuvrcd along,
While the players•gainst' each other straicr-every joint
In their bodies to secure and count the first point.
Tho assemblage cheer as the ball is brought near '
To one goal or the other, and could you but hear
The praise that's bestowed by those standing around,
On a player, when he charges and brings to the ground
An opponent, who's luckily collared the ball,
And is pushing away for the. opposite goal,
And tho' he may likely' tint relish-01°1A,
Its seltiothe,.oaexthro.w..liuxts hiisi !tt , .•
I think its a Father, who, says. in his letter
'Xiie sooner that football is thine for the better,
,Because in 3 matekscomeeise,s sure to beelanied,l'
Or

'lay' -I