Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-02
FOOT BALL IN OLD ENGLAND
Frank Crawford Gives His 0bserva-
tons Of the Game.
MUCH THE SAME SPORT AS OURS
English Seem 60 Play More for
Pleasure and Exercise Than
to Win I'm Their BlE
Matches.
MUCH THE SAME SPORT AS OURS

Frank Crawford. who, with Mrs. Craw-
ford. is in England. has written the fol-
lowing observations on English foot ball
to the sporting Editor OF The Bee. Mr..
Crawford is at oxford. taking a special
course Of study and is spending the holt
days in London, 10 return to oxford jan
uary Is.
MT. Crawford played foot bail at Yale,
was coach OF the University OF Michigan
foot ball team, coached Baker university
and the University OF Nebraska team for
two seasons. He is thoroughly posted on
the great foot ball game.
The letter follows:
''Britons are very fond Of outdoor sports.
In all parts of the British Isles are to
be found extensive greens and parks,
which are often referred TO as the lungs of
the British people. These parks are for the
most part maintained at the public expense
or are exempted from taxation by legisla-
ton, and no protest seems to be raised on
account of the number OF the parks or
the expense of their maintenance. (
Foot ball has been especially popular
In northern Great Britain, but in later
years its popularity has Increased In the
vicinity Of the metropolis. This is well
evidenced by the fact that no less than
ITO, 900 people have attended games for the
/ championship OF dTtdl bIlNdAi III dAAaNSNA
foot ball NEARLY three times as many as
ever attended a game in Ameriea)' The
association game is probably the more
popular, but 1 think that Rugby as 1t Is
played is gaining ground in this respect.
'Britons like foot ball just as they seem
to like their marmalade. They enjoy 1t as
a matter, of course, but they do not get at
all enthusiastic. No partisan spirit is
displayed to any appreciable degree. There
is no cheering, no concentrated noise, no
banners or colors are displayed and the
occasional mild expression Of admiration
of a particular play extends little farther
than the words, "Well played" or "A jolly
good play and this encouragement Is
Vouehsafed to either side with little dis
elimination.
The first game 1 attended was between
oxford and Marlborough. 1 was not IA
miliar with either team and did not know
their respective colors. The game was at
| oxford and a large crowd was present and
1 was in the midst of the crowd and can
say truthfully that at the end of the game
did not know for certain which was
oxford and which was scarborough, 1 pur-
pously refraining from making any IN
quiries.
1 have seen several games, including the
final contest between Oxford and Cam
bridge, and like the game as it is played
In England, although l must say at the
outset that in skill il is not to be compared
with the American game as played in the
leading colleges. This is partly the result
Of the lack of partisanship.
Fifteen ON a Side.
As the game is played here there are
fifteen men on each side, instead of eleven,
as we play it in America. There are no
substitutes. If a player is injured he leaves
n the game and his side goes on without him.
If he RECEIVERS from his injury at any time
he, may come back into the game again.
This is a feature which has some merits,
although / fear that 1t would be fatal to
the side losing the player in our game.
The ball is kicked Onward on the ground
or In the air, and it is carried forward in
the arms of a player, or thrown backward
to another player to be advanced by him.
IL a player with the ball is tackled and
stopped he must put the ball down or give
It to someone behind him. AS a conse-
auence the ball passes rapidly from one
side to the other often, and 1t not re-
tanned by one side for successive tries as
In the American game. Again the ball Is
put in play in a scrimmage called by them
a scrummage and either side may get the
ball from the scrfmmage. The scrimmage
| Is IOIIlCu Og 6lA VI EGNOh Jag Oh SNNA
side locking themselves together into a
kind of mass and leaning against a like
formation of their opponents. The ball is
rolled between the cOntending formations,
and the various members reach for the ball
with their feet and endeavor' to poke 1t
back to their respective sides SO II may
be picked up, run with, kicked, thrown or
advanced toward the opponents goal. The
scoring Is done In the same way as in the
American game. A drop kick over the
bars, a touchdown and u safety count.
When a touchdown is made the side max
ing it has the right of kicking goal just
as he has in the American game. These
observations l think will make clear TO
anyone understanding foot ball the essen
tial difference between the two styles of
play.
The British are. remarkably clever in
picking up the bal from the ground, In
dribbling 1t ahead with their feet, in hand
ling punts, in kicking the ball out of
bounds so it cannot be returned. They
are also good in tackling and in the scrim-
mage, but they do not seem to excel us
in anything excepting kicking out of
bounds and in picking up the ball.
one does not see here the long, beauti-
full kicks from the field. No one knows
how to kick the spiral, the ends do not
get down the fled anywhere rear as well
as they do in America, and the players
in the line do not run over from side to
side 10 catch the runner from behind.
Again in the English game the hand may
be used In blocking off, but the runner
does not have any Interference, and the
runs are not as long or as interesting as
with US.
Rules Nearly the Same.
1 have examined the rules of the game
and / find that they are In the same
phraseology as our rules damnable
phraseology which could not be under
stood except by previous knowledge). and
l do not find one thing mentioned In their
rules which we cannot do. Our rules are
much more complies because we can do
more, but with definite and specific limi-
, tations which have TO be set out serlatim.
Speaking practically, the English runner
starts off with the ball toward the end,
when ne is about TO be tackled he throws
IL out further TO a player. The same thing
is done until the ball is out to the end
of the fled and ordinarily the ball has
not been advanced at all. The play is
not a good play and II cannot be worked
successfully against a wen trained team,
have seen teams In American practice
for a season that style OF play, but It