Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC GOVERNMENT 239 As regardsthe lowecstlass roufnners, be they prof ssionals or amateurs,who run to the orders of their bookmakers, and win or lose races just as the monetary arrangements make it advisable, nothing bcean doneto drive these off the patbhut a vigilantexercise powf er doifsqualification, and a rigidsup­ pression of all open betting upon the ground. Every sport which comteos the stoaftemerely being a resource for betting will arriveeventually at a condition of rottenness which will make it the despair of a reformer ; and if amateur athletics eventually get into the hands of the bookmakers, the sooner the sport goes' under ' the better. If, therefore, amateur athletics are to be purged of their abuses, coanne safelpyoint tohe directiown hich the reform must take. The suppressiofn betting uptohne grounmd ust be rigidlyenforced at every meeting great or small, fiofr the runners are to become simply animals with so much { money on them,' canitnot maatterstrawwhether the stakfeor which they ruisn money aorcup an;d, indeed, the running is much more liketloy be honestwith ma oney prize than wiathcup which is not readily converted into money. Unless the runners are all genuine amateurs, running for honour and not for money, is iitmpossible when betting rifies tokeep the sport pure, anthde AmateuAr thletic Association had better dissolve and ceasites laboursthan ttroy stem tiade whicwhill be too strong ifto. r Granting, however, that betting can be suppressed or kept within reasonablilme its, the movemento purifyathletics from the sham amateurs must be in two dir ctionTs.he real amateurs must try entcoourage professionalism open anudndisguised, for the establishmenotf recognised professional sports throughout the country would draw off from the quasi-amateurranks those who takiet up frominterested motives. The othrermedy is easier, arnedsts withe genuine amateurs themselves without requiring any assistance from the publipcatronage. The bona fide gentleman-amateur must give up theidea oefarning valu­ able prizeasn, d mustat ke tohe systemof running mfeodrals