Athletics and Football (extract)

196 ATHLETICS The rules are, wethink, psolain and straightforward that they requirbeut little comment as to their practical working. One or two remarks, however, naturally suggest themselves. As regards officiat lsi,sa truismto observe that the belsatws in theworld anreo good unless thceayn findcapable adminis­ trators ; and the first and most important thing to make an athletic gathering successful is to get officials who are up to their workI.n Londonand large athletic centres this is now by no means difficauslt, everyyear theries anincreasing num­ ber oofld athletes who retain sufficient love for the sportto give theairid. At country meetings, however, the difficulty is much greater, onnolty fromthere probableying mnoen with great experienicne the neighbourhoodb,ut sometimes also be­ cause there are local interests to be conciliated, and some of the subscribers to the meeting have btoe asked to officiate oridner that no offencemay be given. The presence of these willing but incapable officials sometimes leads to most remarkable results. We have seen a country J.P. (and a staunch old sportsman too) officiating as starter with a blunderbuss. His method of starting was as follows. He told the competitors that when he turn d bhaicsk upon them they wer to get ready, and were to start when they heard the gun. He no doubt thought, with great artfulness, that he must turn his back lest the competitors should see his finger tighten on the trigger. But as soon as this sapient starter's back was turned, off went all the competitoras,nd usually when they hagdone abotuwtenty yards the gun blazed. Another starter whom we saw (the local rectorro)lled up his handkerchief in his hand, apnrde­ pared to starthis men with the followinsguccessive formulas ; ' Get ready. Are youready O? ne, two, three—off,' dropping his handkerchieaft the ' off.' Early tihne day his menfound that hnever calltehdem back fosrtarting before the words,o they first started about the word 4 One,' then at ' Are you ready an?d' finally at ' Get ready.' The starter did not likteo confess himself beaten, and, like a conductor who when he finds his orchestra will not follow him decides to follow his