Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC GOVERNMENT 223 3. No 'value' prize {i .e. a cheque on a tradesman) must be offered. 4. No prize musbte offeredin a handicaopf greatervalue than 10/. rcxr. 5. Every prize otfhe valueof 5/. orupwards must be engraved with the name daantde othf e meeting. 6. In no case must a prize and money be offered as alterna­ tives. 7. All prizes shablel publiclypresented on the grounds on the day otfhe sports. 8. All openbetting mbuest putdown. 9. All clubs holding and advertising their sports ' under the laws otfhe Amateur Athletic Association' must have printed on their entry forms ' the definitionof anAmateur' as adopted by he Amateur AthlAetsiscociation. It will be seen that it has throughout been the main prin­ ciple of policyof the A.A.A. to insistupon the orderly manage­ ment of meetings and the suppression of unfair practice,but yet not to interfere with the free right of any club, whether affiliated or ' approved,' to appoint its own officersand manage its own meetings, provided they respected the essential lawsof amateurism. Unfortunately, during the whole of the year 1885 the amateur world was thrown into disorganisation by a vehement dispute betweenthe A. A.A. and the NationalCyclists' Union, a bodywhich occupies a similarpositionas the recognised governing body of amateur cyclists. Like manyother party con­ flicts,this arose out of a verysmall matter and grewinto serious proportions, rather through misunderstandingsthan through ill- will, on both sides. The point in dispute wasthe management of cycling races given by athletic clubs, and generally of all meetingswhere there were both foot-races and cycling races, the cyclists claimingto have absolute control over everycycling race, wherever held, and the A.A.A. resisting the claim of the Cyclists' Union to interfere with the management of meetings of the affiliated clubs of the A.A.A. Happily, at the end of the year 1885, terms of arrangement were concluded between the belligerent associations,which wethink were, to use a well-