Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETICS light blue colours whsichhow thtahte wearehr as represented his University in a contestagainst the rival University. The Oxford eigeahcth year icslad in dark blue flannel coats and caps ; and the Oxford eleven who meeCt ambridge at Lord's, and thneine athletes who are sent up toLondon as the ' first strings ' to compete against Cambridge, have liake honouar,l­ though there is ofcourse sligaht differenwcehich distinguishes the rowing, cricket, anthdletic coats and caps, the oarsman wearing a white badge of crossed oars, the cricketer a white crest, anthde athletae white laurel wreath upon the cap and the breasptocket hoisf coat. This hierarchy of coat-wearers doubtless causes wonderment to the astonished stranger, but those who, from experience in other parts of the kingdom, know hoswoon a genusinpeort cabne corruptedby greedand money-making considerations, cannot see anythinbgut goodin a system whmichakes the chief distinction something which cannot possibly foster anuyndesirable quality excpeeprthaps a little harmlevsasnity. To return to our athletes then, the Oxford or Cambridge •runner loofokrsward, thaes supreme goal of his ambition, to the right to weara blue cooatr cap. Only the winneorsf the nine evenwtshich airnecluded in the programmoef the Inter- University meeting are awarded this honour, and those who run a'ssecond' or ' third str'ings in London only hold the ' half-blue'—thatis, they cawnear blue trimming upon their jerseys and knickerbockers when running, but may not sport the blue coat or cap. With the conclusion of the University sports the athletic season closes at the Universities, and the ground is handed over to crickeut ntil thfoellowing October. It remains spteoak tohfe organisatioannd management of the University athletic clubs. Generations of undergraduates come and go, and the President of one yeaisr notin residence the next year. Neither Oaxtford nor Cambridge then could the clubse placed upon a sound and lasting basis without the assistance of some permanent official. Luckily for both •Cambridge and Oxford, they have been fortunate in this respect