FOOTBALL.
In the Old Country the professional footballer is recognising the importance of being a trades unionist. The membership of the Players' Union now numbers 1050. This includes the representatives of the Scottish clubs. The Union publishes a magazine of its own.
There are no less than 16 teams competing in British Association football around about Adelaide. That is not counting outside clubs either, but solely those affiliated with the Association first grade lot. Of course, with this number of teams competing, clubs can only play each other twice in a reason. The brand of football this association plays is "Soccer," claimed to be the only genuine type of football in vogue, for in it players are not allowed to handle the ball.
The arrival of so many immigrants has got the English styles of football going great guns in cities where the Australian game was practically the only one played. Still followers of the locally made rules are, not disturbed at the mild boom amongst the other fellows, pointing out that there is room for all. Still it must be a bit disquieting to them, to learn that the admirers of soccer were endeavoring to get their game introduced into the public schools, on the ground that there is less risk of accident in it than in any other style of football. If this attempt meets with the approval of the Education Department, I am prepared to see the South Australian League raise a noise loud enough to be heard all over the Wheat State, and we may expect to see the South Australian Parliament prevailed upon to protect the home industry. It is at the schools that the footballers learn the rudiments of the Australian game. Therefore be prepared to hear the cry of "Australia for the Australians" shouted aloud from the housetops if an attempt is made to make soccer the national brand of football.
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