The morning call., 1894-03-25

The annual International football game be-
tween England and Ireland, under association
rules, was played al Belfast on March 3, aud
much TO The surprise OF every body Ireland tied
the scorr, the contest ending with Two goals TO
the credit Of each contestant. The lrishmen
were elaIed at the great showing their team
MADE against the Englishmen, who had got to-
gether an exceptionally strong eleven. no less
than three Of the players being selected from
the crack Aston Villa team.
The Fort Masons have arranged friendly
match with the Oakland Young Mems Christian
Association.
The game will be PLAYED at the Piedmont
grounds on March 81; and as the Young Mems
Christian Association eleven contains some
good English and Scotch players, hot contest
is looked for.
The popularity of Association football in the
Eastern States has become pronounced that
professional league has been formed, backed
by all the baseball magnates.
The league will be comprised OF six teams
Boston, Baltimore, Washington, New York,
Brooklyn aud Pbiladelp pha.
With the strong backing that the baseball
magnates will extend TO the new league, tn
dribbling game Will undoubtedly repeat the
great success which It has aitained in Great
Britain, where il has relegated that relic of
English barbarlsm-Rugby-to back seat.
Tn following interesting article on football
from the pen OF prominent association player
cannot fail 10 interest lovers and patrons of the
game:
sporting Editor Cdll-DEAR SIR: From all
quarters OF the civilized globe we gather thai
evolution is the burning question OF The hour
ALI classes, social and religious, are waxing hot
tiOD-the origin OF The species. We have lately
seen iis development in this city. Have ge not
Witnessed Its great exponents. Le Conte and
Starr Jordan, explaining Its theories 10 the
clergy at the Church Club banquet? Aud last
Friday had we not thr astounding sight of one
of The evolutionary champions holding forth III
Jewish synagogue? What more need be
said. for are not these events themselves in-
stances of evolution? OLD beliefs and superstl-
tions, clung 10 with a death-liKe tenaciIy, are
one by one being ruthlessly uprooted and scat
tered to the winds by these Darwinian giants,
and IL is evidently only a question Of lime ere
the words OF w. 5. Gilbert are universally be-
lieVed that
man, however well behaved.
At best is only a monkey shaved.
And IL evolution, is true of animate objects
why not of football. cricket, baseball, cycling
and he like? On one OF these only desire to
write, namely, football. This exciting. and
when properly PLAYED harmless, game is under
going proc IS of evolution In this country, as
it has had to do ia all countries where the game
is played. Ii may be safely asserted that Great
Britain has passed through this process and
has evolved game that has completely de-
throned cricket Il ON the proud position 1t once
| held aS the national game" and relegated the
| old English Rugby game to second place.
| There football is now reigning supreme during
eight months of the year. drawing hundreds of
thousands of delighted spectators each week,
| while the players in the matches figure up into
| tens OF thousands. l read from an English
| newspaper jnst at hand that at one game at
sunderland. England, 10 witness cup tie fully
| $4,000 people paid admission, aud that, 90,
| ON very clustering and windy dav.
These figures are not by any means
the highest on record. and have been
| association games, while in 1898 the final tie
| Tor the English cup was witnessed by over
| 10000 peopl~. and as MANY were attracted TO
| The tlnal ties liz SEQ land, And what Is this game
that holds such sway In the Bri isb Isles? Is
IL the gladiatUrIal OF bulliipg exhibitions, such
as Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley and other
colleges present TO us? Mo- a bit OF II. Is it
the Rugby game, as expounded by our two
charitable te ms last StIurday, and at which
two coilarbones were broken. one cheekbone
smashed ana. many other minor accidents !?
once again no. These games are the crude
and raw material from which has been evolved
the modern association" game. And right
here dispute any but ihe last named the rgh
To the title football" Under any other rules
IN tile Is a mlsnomer. Gail the games
where rushing, pounding, hacking and
fighting ATE allowed any name you wish, but do
not call them football, for such they certainly
are not. The spectators have had their NIL. so
far as thes brutal exposiions are concerned,
and are now ready 10 cry quits. This leaves
The course clear for the perfect football game,
only TO be obtained under the rules known here
and elsewhere rs association football Though
the clubs acknowledging these rules on this
coast are few they are nevertheless destined TO
increase until QDr colleges having adopted tie
gafne) lnteI collegiate and Rugby will be remem-
beied as relies OF The dark ages" for, as In
an processes of evolution, time Is only needed
before We witness The survival of tile fttest."
Ihe arguments in defense of the association
game are many. but one Or Two VIII sut1ce:
ffrst-ScieDce in the game. Under tile rules
10 prayer Dut tne goal-kreper IS allowed 10
touch The ball with his hands; thus the scoiiug
OF goals depends entirely the skill OF the in-
divlduai players in passing the ball 10 one
another and in getting round an opponent.
Second-The absence of accidents. / have
seen all the best clubs OF Engl nd and Scot
land, not once but over and over again. and in
all Kinds oil weather, rain, hail. snov, sunshine
aud II ost, and have Only once seen serious
accident protest against persons arTaying q
} formidable list of fatal aud other injuries as an
+ argument against football. The fault lies In
not discriminating between the three codes
J | OF the game. IL would be interesting and