Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-08
RUGBY FOOTBALL
VS.. ASSOCIATION
LATTER GAME URGED BY SIR
CHARLES S. FITZPATRICK.
A TITLED GOAL KEEPER
Three Dangers in the American Game
Pointed out-Briton Believes in
Sport for Sports. sake-Som Train
ing Errors-The English View
point.

Football from the English view.
point is presented in the Illustrated
Outdoor News by Charles s. Xii.
patrick, member OF congress ana
goal keeper and director of the Pill.
grims' association football team. His
views must be of much interest in
university circles and wherever the
game is played Mr., Fitzpatrick thus
writes:
Within the last month ! have had
my first opportunity, as member of
the Pilgrims association football
team TO get personal view of the
association game as played In the
United States and the various other
forms Of amateur sport which Ameri-
ca patronizes. The impression 1t has
left with me has been its multiplicity
Of character, there being some sport
In which nearly every one Is specially
Interested and the keenness which
Americans display when at work and
When at play.
The Pilgrims have toured not only
the United states and Canada, but
France, Austria and Germany, Every
where we went we found the game
flourishing, and hope that our visit
here may have emphasized the good
qualities of the game. 1t would af-
ford us greatest pleasure to see as
ISOLATION football win It's way into
! American universities and secure a
/ fair share Of the patronage now given
to your Rugby football To ny mind
! the two games, as far as science,
benefit to the players, and pleasure
to the spectators are concerned have
no comparison. The American game,
to my mind, is too much a contest of
mere brute force opposed to an equal
amount of strength. Your game
puts the premium chiefly on weight;
ours more on speed endurance, quick
action and thought | understand
/ that within the last year association
football has been making Its way into
your college life and that an inter
collegiate association is a possibility
/ in the near future. ! sincerely hope
that the association game receives n
tainly prove IT'S right to thrive and |
think, maybe supplant your Rugby
game, unless the latter Is very much
modified
We felt that one of the reasons for
| the lack Ct interest in the association
game is that Americans are unac-
quainted with it, 1t lacks all of the
Objectionable features of college foot
ball, but contains It's good points.
What little open play there Is in col
| lege Rugby is multiplied many times
In the association game, The spectacle
| lar element Is never absent from 1t
and the play is open from start to
| finish, And what Is more to the point,
the association game Is played with
out unnecessary roughneSs. There is
never the slightest attempt made to
put an opponent out of the game.
Such course would not be tolerated
for minute. either by the payers or
the officials, Ii is rare indeed that
an accident occurs in this game And
when 1t does occur 1t is purely an
accident No effort is made to iniure
a player. II the game were fostered
Iby American college authorities par
ents could rest assured that 1t would
afford game in which their children
could participate without danger
of injuries and from which they would
derive the greatest amount Of physi,
cal benefit and enjoyment. The patron
age Of the would follow quickly
enough after II had chance to see
the game played by experts,
Our purpose in making this asso-
citation football tour of the United
States was distinctly missionary
one In England the impression pre-
vailed that the American game was
being played under slightly different
rules than across the Atlantic We
desired To learn how much truth there
was in this and also 70 learn the
exact condition of the game here.
enc we We're anxious TO have the
| playing rules throughout the world
uniform. all In the hope That it would
thus promote International contests.
What few differences In rules tho
Americans observe We found 10 be 81
il minor character and not to affect
The game Itself We have been both