Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

ATHLETICS IN THE COUNTIES A Counties Sub-Committee maintains close touch and reports to the Southern Committee, which in turn decides what steps, ifany,shall be taken to deal with the circumstances. Thus if advice or assistance be needed the special circumstances are reviewed and action taken. It is an interesting fact that where at one time it seemed an awe– inspiring event to approach the "Holy of Holies" of John Street, nowadays no such terror exists ; a new feeling appears to have been created by the democratic spirit of brotherhood engendered by the County movement. It may be asked why there appears to be so great a disparity in the support accorded to the County movement-by the North and the Mid– lands compared with the South? Candidly, the problem appears to be a difficult one to solve, particularly as our Northern friends especially are credited with a greater share of so-called democratic spirit and principles than their colleagues in the South. There is no suggestion that they are less loyal or less keen, nor even that their sportsmanship suffers by com– parison in the least degree. It may be that it is simply in consequence of the traditional "hard-headedness," for which the North is famous, and having decided upon a " good thing" mean to stick to it, letting others prove the worth of any new policy. Whatever the cause, the fact is established that the measure of support given by the North to the County movement is small, to say the least of it, so there the matter must rest for the time being. And now we come to the wider aspect of the Counties movement, as exemplified by the formation of the Counties Athletic Union some four or five years since. Here, again, the name of Mr. Charles Otway and his personality take a prominent place, for it was mainly owing to his efforts that the Union came into being and was established on a sound basis. The Union is now part and parcel of the A.A.A. organisation in its fullest sense, and like the County Associations, it has clearly defined powers and standing, pointing to great possibilities of usefulness in the future. Amongst its objects are the encouragement and development of the County spirit in amateur athletics; the promotion of Inter-County and Relay Championships and Inter-County Cross-Country Team Champion– ships; the encouraging of team competitions between Counties, and assistance in the formation of a County Association in any County where one does not already exist. Already the Union has accomplished good work in its Inter-County Championships; County Champions, and those who only just missed such honours, have been brought together from all parts in Inter-County rivalry, and keen competition and splendid per– formances have been witnessed. It matters not one single jot whether this or that County has so far carried off the chief honours in these Inter-County contests. What really does concern us is the evidence of unity of purpose in all concerned in the development in the proper spirit- territorially and nationally– of all that is best in the athletic movement. That this is being accom- p 2