ANECDOTES 1913-1914

BATH CHRONCLE 20/9/1913

Extract:- Early Season Ruminations

“Like Tennyson’s brook, some players in Rugby seem to go on forever. I have friends who each September say: ‘This will be my last season,’ but when the twelve-month has run its course come up smiling again. I believe the oldest player I ever saw operating on the field was Edmunds, of Portsmouth, who, like A E Newton, the Somerset stumper, has passed the half century milestone; and that the Portsmouth veteran could play I had occular evidence. Still, I do not advise a half-centurion to continue active Rugby, and I think half-way through the thirties should be the absolute limit, although, of course, there are some men as happy and young at that game as young fellows half their age, but leaving temperament on one side it is impossible to cheat ‘Anno Domini,’ and nature will be revenged if liberties are taken.

Still Holding On

But it is the fascination of Rugby, its exhilarating wholesome excitement, which prevents many players from giving up even when the time has dawned for the closure to be applied. Although the veteran finds his ‘wind’ less sound, his limbs more fragile, and the after-fatigue greater, yet his experience carries him through, and like the tenor-robusto, who has passed his prime two decades ago, he is enabled by his ripe art to skate over the difficult places and present a good front to Father Time.

I was talking to a veteran Rugby player last season, who I could see was twitching in one or two places from injuries received on the field. I told him it was time he thought about giving up, but he retorted that he would sooner twitch from such an injury than from rheumatism or gout, like other people he knew, and as I did not like the trend of the conversation, I steered it into less controversial directions.”

BATH CHRONICLE 4/10/1913 Tedium of Railway Travel

“Football teams who have frequent lengthy spells of railway travelling, often complain of the dullness of the same, and in default of card-playing, which often leads to petty gambling, they are hard put to how to pass the time pleasantly. When saloons are provided it is often possible to have ‘sing-songs,’ and I suppose some day cinomatographic displays as promised on the Siberian railway, will eventuate, although in my humble opinion that that will be an increased source of danger in the unhappy event of an accident. But personally I am of the opinion that these long railway journeys should be utilised for the purpose of free and easy debates on football tactics. In a saloon it is possible to turn the company into a debating society, and with a genial chairman many an interesting and improving discussion on points of play may be held while the train is puffing its way through picturesque countryside and smoky towns. A great deal of amusements can be obtained when it is made incumbent on everyone to take part in the discussion, for then some most unique oratorical efforts are sure to take place.”

BATH CHRONICLE 11/10/1913

Extract from:- FUNCTIONS OF A TRAINER

[BY “AN OLD PLAYER.”]

“To begin with I may say that I once knew a dry old self-opinionated trainer of a provincial town club asked by a player if he would mind cleaning his boots for him. There was silence for a moment, and then the old fellow indignantly refused. He said as far as I can recollect that: ‘What will you be asking for next! I bathes you, I rubs you, I mends your jersey, and I lotions you, but if you think I am going to clean your boots, ye be mistook. If you wants ‘valeting’ go and get a man and pay him for it.’ He was quite justified in what he said, and the stand he took was admitted as the right one by most who heard him. I may add that although in the days when I played, trainers were not known, yet I have in modern times had a good deal to do with them, and have learned to appreciate their worth thoroughly. I am bound to say that they have done me various little kindnesses and the only return expected was for me ‘to pay my footing’ occasionally as the saying goes.”

CHRONICLE 6/12/1913

Adapted from article [BY “AN OLD PLAYER.”]

Entitled – Rugby and Association Jealousy.

Writer had singled out “Orion’s” disquisition in the Express: “There are still some peculiar people who hug to themselves the delusion that all are gentlemen who play Rugby football, and all are the other sort who take part in the Association game.”

Our local writer continues: “Speaking for myself, I can safely say that I have never indulged in attacks upon Association, and that I heartily approve of ‘Orion’s” protest against such attacks. There is surely room for both codes. Occasionally, my friends tell me, I ‘go for’ the Northern-Unionists and smite them and their methods right merrily, but I never fling stones at the Association world, and, indeed, only last week paid a tribute to the punctuality with which the professional sides start their matches. There are black sheep in every camp, and I have seen too much Rugby not to realise that ‘playing the man’ instead of the ball still has numerous votaries. With regard to the charge of snobbishness in Rugby I believe there is at times a tendency to put it in the Metropolis, but it is unknown in the provinces, and I am glad of it.”

Working Men and the Game

“I am bound to say, however, that as one who has done his share in his small way in his day towards popularising Rugby among the working classes, that I must object to any distinction whereby it is sought to divide Rugbyites into aristocrats and association players into workers. However it may be ‘in town’ down in the West, Rugby is essentially a democratic game in which the mechanic, the clerk, the student, and the man of leisure all join on terms of equality. This, as I have often pointed out, is the ideal sort of side, but working class players are still in a majority down West, and spectators are also largely drawn from the ranks of the toilers. Altogether, it can be safely said that even if both codes have their working class contingents, neither can claim to monopolize them, hence neither has the right to call itself the working man’s game.”

The Allegation of Jealousy *

“It is somewhat curious that the matter of jealousy between the codes has recently been exemplified in Bath. The City XI have a ground which is not the most convenient, and they tried to get the Rugby people to let them the Recreation Ground for their English Cup-tie last week-end, but the latter body refused on the ground that there was a reserve match fixed for that date. No doubt, if they had wanted to, they could have arranged this and let the City have the pitch, but nothing was done. Now I am told that even if matters had gone further the City would not have afforded ‘on spec’ to have offered sufficiently high terms, and as a matter of fact they did not come to terms to get Lambridge Meadows. As it turned out, the Citizens were well advised to play on their own ‘patch,’ as they saved money, lived to fight another day, and were beholdened to nobody. At the same time, would it not be well for the Bath Club and Bath City to maintain the same friendly relations as do the Somerset County Rugby and Somerset Count Association Clubs? Speaking as an outsider, I should like to see such a change. Believe me, the two codes have got to exist alongside one another, and why not live in amity? I may say, it was a member of the Bath Rugby Club who drew my attention to the matter, and added, ‘Many of the members think Bath ought to have met the City in a friendlier way.’ So it will be seen that there is a movement towards closer relations. I hope it will grow.”