Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Friday 10 July 1925, page 11


SOCCER NOTES.

By 'Oldtimer'

Birth of Association Football

Association football, or Soccer, as it is now popularly known, does not claim any distinct lineage. Its history is prac-ically the history of the modern re-vival of football in England over 60 years ago.

The formation of the Football Asso-ciation in London on October 26th, 1863, was the first attempt to regulate for many sections of footballers--the first and last effort to provide one code for and to all classes of players. The idea

for the formation of the Football Assoc-iation was to assimilate all the little differences of the various schools of football.

Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Charter-house and Rugby all had rules of their own, but the want of any arrangements for running with the ball was of itself sufficient to the court the determined oppo-sition of the Rugby division, whose re-tirement was practically the recognition of the Football Association as a separ-

ate body.

lt was nearly a quarter of a century after formation of the British Foot-ball Association, to be exact, 1883, the colonising propensities of the British race having in the meantime been in-strumental in diffusing a love of foot-ball to the extreme limits of Great Britain's possessions, that from the primitive commencement of a mere kick-about on a vacant allotment in Mel-bourne-street, South Brisbane, sprang the Rangers Club, the progenitor of all the 300 clubs now playing Soccer in Queensland to-day. Such has been the remarkable strides made by the code that it was hardly possible to trace one characteristic feature of the original code formulated by the Football Asso-ciation in 1883 in the football played on that ground in Melbourne-street.

so great has been the growth of the game in Queensland since the period when players wore longish trousers, long moustaches. and even beards, that Queensland Soccerites now pride them selves on possessing 300 clubs--100 in the metropolitan area and 200 scat-tered in various parts of the State, on the North Coast as far north as Cairns, out to Cloncurry, and in Toowoomba on the Downs. It is estimated that close on 3000 Soccer players take the field in Queensland every Saturday after-

noon.

Within the last three years a verit-able Soccer boom has set in in Queens-land. Two teams from overseas-China and New Zealand--visited us the season before last. No other local sporting body can boast, of such a record-two international visits in one year. Last season the All Canadian team was here,

and at present we have the Englishmen with us. The time is not far distant

when America, Italy, Spain, France,

Belgium, and other foreign countries will be invited to send teams to Aus-tralia. There is no gainsaying the fact that this marked steady progress of the Soccer code is making itself more than ever felt in this district. and the fore-

sightedness of the Q.F.A. to form a

separate association in Rockhampton next year to help the clubs here and in the North will be a great stimulant to the game on the coast.

What the Visit of the Englishmen

Means.

The idea of entering into competition with England originated as far back as 1886, when, at the termination of a Vic-toria v. New South Wales match, a selec-tion committee was appointed to visit Queensland and Victoria and get to-gether Australian players, to visit, Eng-land. The team was, if possible, to include several aboriginal players. The project, however, did not mature. Since that period Soccer enthusiasts, in more re-cent years through the Commonwealth Football Association, have strongly agitated to secure a loan for the pur-pose of instructing Australian players

in the manipulation of the round ball. So the visit of the Englishmen first means the consummation of these hopes and labours of well nigh 40 years.

It is well that prominence should be given to this, representing, as it does,

the growth of Soccer in a land of some-

what different temperament to that in which it had its birth. Considerable financial liability attaches to the tour, which will cost some £18,000. Nearly £6000 was required to cover the expenses of landing the team in Auslralia, and the fact that this amount, was sub-scribed hy Soccer enthusiasts and other sporting men in record time is strik-

ing evidence of the growing popularity

of the game.

The Englishmen are providing glimpses of high scientific standard

of Soccer as it is played on the other

side, and, believing that the Aussies are capable of holding their own in all branches of sport, the aim of each and every player is to attain the same de-gree of perfection.

The Queensland War Cry.

(Compiled after consultation with the Chief Protector of Aborigines Mr. J.

M. Bleakly).

Kaialgumm Jenung Baiai baieir Yana Kaialgumm Jenung Baia baieir Yana Yana Kaialgumm Yana

Translation: Led by thee, O Chief, in

fighting, we kick with the foot. Go thee. O Chief, and present the challenge.

The war cry quoted is a combined welcomc and challenge, and literally means in English "Begin the fight, fight

hard, and may the best tribe win."

The stick handed by the Queensland captain to the English captain really represents the written challenge of war.

Second Test

By a narrow margin the visitors came out again on top before a gathering of

36,000 spectators, who witnessed a thrilling game. There were many fluc-tuations in the game and some brilliant work was seen. Time and again the de-

fence of both sides was severely tested,

but it lt stood the strain, as the scores indicate--2 to 1 in favour of England. This is the hardest game the English-men have had and it will lend addi-

onal interest to the remaining tests. And Australia were without Masters, who is lost to them.