The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-29
ASSOCIATION GAME
MODERN ENGLISH FOOTBALL BE-
COMING POPULAR IN
AMERICA
COLLEGES TAKE UP THE SPORT
University of Pennsylvania Favor
able to Game Now Played at
Girard College, Haverford
and Other Schools.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 2S-It looks as
if association football was to have a
veritable boom in this country. The game
is we'll known in some of the leading
cities, and especially where numbers OF
English or Scotchmen are employed. In
Philadelphia it has been played for years
and at one time bid fair to make rapid
advances, but petty jealousies between
the teams caused a great setback to the
sport. Now that interest is reviving the
teams who are directly interested should
look TO the permanent interest of the
game rather than to any temporary
triumph Of teams, or the same thing may
happen again.
One advantage that the sport will have
in the future is the fact that the Ameri-
can colleges and schools are beginning to
consider the merits of this noble game
and through the many deaths and minor
injuries which are reported through col
lege football every year some other form
of fall and winter sport is being looked
for to take the place of the modified
Rugby game: Girard college has done
away with Rugby altogether and substi-
tuted association football. The German
town academy, Episcopal academy, Hav-
erfordz college and other colleges and
schools have organized association foot
ball teams and are playing the game
with great satisfaction and benefit to
Rt1eir students.
Now the University of Pennsylvania
has fallen into line, and proposes to be
the first of the big universities to take
up the kicking game.
DR.. ]. K. She'll trainer of the track
team, and Louis de Put VAIL of the foot
ball committee, are both very anxious
to see team organized
DIR She'll when coach Of fba
more eleven, always started training with
two weeks of association football and
the candidates derived much benefit
therefrom. In speaking of the matter,
Mr. Vail said:
1T is not positively decided whether
the game will be taken up at Pennsyl-
vania, but 1 think it would be a splen-
did plan. At present we are lucky to
get out sixty or seventy candidates for
our Varsity Rugby team; and we might
be able to get $50 or 200 men to come
out If Association football is introduced
My idea would be to offer trophy for
the class championship of the university
and induce each class to get together
team. Varsity men should be barred,
and by those means | have no doubt but
that a large number of men would turn
out. Even if we did not discover any
particular stars, the game would be of
vast DeneHt TO the participants, lnaSmuch
as it would make them quick on their
feet, teach them to be cool-headed, and
at the same time put them into good
physical condition.
IT is impossible to play Rugby at this
time of the year, and our men need some
outdoor sport which will keep ahem in
shape. If the game becomes popular at
Pennsylvania and other colleges take it
up there is no reason why we should not
form a. regular Varsity association foot
ball team and play other colleges. We
could also arrange games with the Bel
mont, Merton, Philadelphia and German
town clubs and local schools
The New York Times, in lengthy arti-
Gle on Association football, has the fol-
lowing interesting criticism of the Eng
lishman's favorite pastime:
THE matches played under Association
rules in England never fail to draw enor-
nous crowds, and although the record
made in London last year was of course,
unusual crowds of $4,000 and 60O00 had
attended games before that, and 1t may
be said that crowd exceeding $4,000
spectators is more often the rule than
the exception at the cup tie matches.
1.-The great strength necessary to be a
participant in football as at present car
ried on under the rules of the Intercol-
legiate association is unnecessary in As
ISOLATION. Weight is of little effect when
opposed by skill and science, and 1t often