is idle to disguise the fact {that most unpleasant currents are Jat work in disturbing the serenity lof the administration of Shanghai steer. This Journal would stra ly pr het Football Association whose task Pro-lis an exceptionally difficult one. [It would deprecate, too, disregard of {ite Association's well-known and at certain recent happenings, to do less than justice to the Executive. There is, for example, the difficult problem of grounds. The growth of the game here has inevitably brought increasing large crowds who cannot be satisfactorily accommodated on the Recreation tio Ground, the Trustees of which have placed Shanghai sport under such heavy obli The Association cannot ignore either complaints from spectators on the score that games cannot be viewed in comfort or referees' reports of their inability to control the game owing to the encroachment of spectstors on the playing area. The unprecedented number of League and Cup matches. has" naturally' forced the Association to" provide! nice grounds. Chinese following lof the game has increased, now that no tess, than thirteen Chinese teams are included in" the' five Leagues. The old Stadium ground was secured dnd, jointly with the Chinese National Amateur Athletic Association, the Shanghai Foot ball Association has spent a large sum of money in providing fencing!
"stand accommodation. " The if still short of the en improved out mn. it is absurd to. talk of the sport being sacrificed to the "dollar," as one correspondent, aq otherwise reasonable exposition, dvez ioday. Once it, is recognised, that the Association has 0 control so miny matches watched by" 20! many spectators, it must be realise ed. that financial "considerations transcend "the—go-as-you-please larrungements of the older, happier! perchance, but irrevocable "small town" days, And even in those! days the expenses "of Interport Hcams had to be taken into account now. There is no earthly rea: son why Shanghai soccer should not be healthily developed if. the players and spectators would show some realisation of the delicate! factualities with which the Associa: tion has to deal. Crowds, for example, ought to be taught that referees, who, incidentally, are not aid officials' any more than memfers of the Executive, are not inible and do not, pretend to be. Their decisions ought to be taken on the field, by players and erowde alike, as part of the luck of the kame. The Assceiation's decisions: Ought to be treated in accordance with the proc: dure provided "for Appeals and the matter left there. Spectacular demonstrations of withdrawal in protest are utterly indefensible and do. discredit to the teams by or on whose. behalf they are made. Te is well to. put these plain facts for consideration. Unless a better sports. manship is ready to get to work—and speedily at thet—Shangha sport is likely to be disgraced and that feeeing of intern lines on which Shanghai prides itself will be sadly damaged. The Shanghai "Football "Association should Eave the firm support of all lovers of the game. in" whatever steps it may sce ft to take for Preserving the smooth running of the Leagues under its control. Its selection of the Interport team may or may not commend itself to critics. Even there it is essential to be sparing of criticism opinion is an opinion and nothing more. The selectors do their best, They have no ulterior motive and they possess considerable knowledge which may, pos: ibly, be equal to that of even the fiercest of their critics. There is urgent need for these " prossie facie to impress themselves on the minds of al; com The present tension may ther be swiftly disposed of so that; the old pleasant sporting attitude }of crowds and players alike mey come once mare into its own. Let the Association b= given unreseryed support and confidence and all
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.