Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC SPORTS IN ENGLAND As the period to which we are now referring is almosta modern one, and as our business in this work is withathletic sports as a pastime for amateur and not with the business of professional pedestrians,we can hardly give here a history of the pedestrianism of the nineteenth century, for which such ample materials exist in the pages of the 'Sporting Magazine' and ' Bell'sLife,' Some few memorable perform­ ances, however,claim attention as showingthe steady progress of athletic ability. In 1825 James Metcalf (champion) gave J. Halton (ex-champion) 20 yards in a mile, for a stake of 1,000 guineas, on the Knavesmire,and the champion won in the time of 4 min. 30 sec. ; but it is not for another fifteen or twenty years that we hear of this time being approached, and not until 1849 that we know of its being beaten by W. Matthews of Birmingham, who did hismile in 4 min. 27 sec. Between 1825 and 1838 or 1839 or thereabouts, although pedestrian matches at all distances were common enough, pedestrianism was hardly the popular sport that it became later on. We find that in the columns of ' Bell's Life' itwas the custom for many years to mention the future pedestrian fixtures at the end of that part of the paper which came under the heading of 'The Ring.' About the latter date (1838) ' Bell's Life' began to give pedestrianism a heading to itself, and every week there is a list of some twenty or thirty events. Between 1840 and 1850 pedestrianism had another ' boom,' and as usual when the sport was popular, the amateurs began to turn out again and make matches with each other or with the pedestrians. A curious instance of the difference of fashion may be seen from the varying practice of amateurs as to giving their real names in these contests. In 1838 ' Bell's Life' gives an account of a cross-country steeplechase match got up by sixmedical students of Birmingham, who ' for several reasons ' concealed their real names, and the account describes them under the pseudonyms of ' Sprightly,' ' Rustic,' ' Chit-chat,' ' Neversweat,' 'Vulcan,' 'The Spouter.' The umpires selected a mile course, and, after an eventful race, ' The Spouter' won