Referee Escorted from Field by Players: Game Ends Abruptly: Crowd Displeased at Decisions IRULY Chinese spectators staged a riot at the Yenping Road Stadium on March 6 and brought the Loyals v. Tung'
Hwa Association football 1st Division fixture to an abrupt halt. halfway through the second half when the Army side were leading four goals to one.
Indignant at the repeated off-ide decisions against the Chinese forwards, the mob first of all refused to return the ball when it was kicked over into the stands, and when that failed to stop the game, for another ball was immediately produced, they commenced tearing down the fencing and charged on the field intent to lay their hands on G. E. Knight, the referee.
Players immediately surrounded the oficial and escorted him off the ela with the threatening mob trail ing behind, "Fortunately there wore food many men of the Loyal Reglment present to watch the match, ud these with some foreign spectators appeared on the field and calmly mingled with the noisy crowd, which had a most quieting effect.
Soon the din subsided and tempers cooled, and gradually groups began leave the Stadium were some isolated scuffles and a fey black-eyes apparent but nothing ofa very serous nature refused to return it. Another ball was procured and as play commenced the mob began to. voice its dis approval and started demolishing part of the fencing in front of the feld. The Army side took no heed of the disturbance and continued to play the ball. In the general contusion the Loyals managed to break through and notch another point just as the mob began to charge onto the feld.
The teams lined-up as follows:
The destruction of the fence began at one spot at first and In a very half-hearted manner, and if the Chinneso police had appeared at once and strongly dissuaded the wreckers it might have stopped there and then, But the latter. receiving -couragoment on all sides and sensing non-interference from the oticers of the law continued with greater gusto and son wore joined by others.
All the time there was an ominous mimble in the nir and the situation seemed very menacing. When the threatening mob broke onto the field some of the Army players went for~ ward to meet them, and confronted with several burly figures the leaders halted with indecision, but were soon swept on by pressure from the rear.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.