Athletics and Football (extract)

•236 ATHLETICS \ separate commimtteaensaging the different branches of sport. One of these clubs - the Huddersfield C. and A.C.—was, long before tLheondon A.C. took saimilar course, registered as a limited company with leave to omit the wor'dLimited' from its name. These provincial clubs for combinedathletic pur­ poses are amongst the most flourishing and best-managed organisations in the kingdom, and perform excellent w k in the cultivation and development of athleticenergy. The difficulties, then, which beset the path of a genuine .amateur do not arise from want of material, but from the irruption into the amateur circle mofen whosmeoney-making propensities have gotten the better of their hon styT. housands of men come annually from the Universities and public schools as welal s fromelsewhere, who could do nothing gbouotd to themselves by competing in honest contests in running and jumping matches; but all present effhoartvse failetod separate from the genuine amateurs the class of those who take up athletics nominally as am teurs, but really as ameans liovfeli­ hood. There palerenty of sheep apnldenty goaf ts, atnhde questions which naturally arise are whether it is possible to separate them, ainf dso by what means ; also, whether if it be impossible to separate them, there are maenayns proefventing the decadencoef athleticsports. The genuine amateurs are all of one kind; they run because the exercising of their bodies givtehsem delighatn,d because, bEeinglishmen, they find it pleasant to havebeaten an honest adversary in an honest competition. The summit of their ambitiiosn tohave met all comers and won a cham­ pionship, or to have met all opponents from their club or district or fr m theiUr niversity, or from thtewo Universities, • and to have, borne away the palm.The priztehsey win areto be keptas trophies, annodt to be parted with a;nd whether •they care for handsome prizes much or little, their chief , pleasure derived from the sporist the honoutrhey have gained in their chosen pursuit. Let no one imagine we are drawing an idealpicture thoef English athleTteh. ere is a good deal