Back to Photographs which belonged to Captain John Grey Porter, 9L covering the period 1904 to 1917
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Item 0027
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Madeira A GREAT " FOOTBALL CONTES Frun a Crasherirary paper Just how the challenge came about does not seem at all clear . Some say one thing some another . At any rate the great battle is now a fait accompli . Either the officers of the 9th Lancers challenged the Sergeants ' Mess to mortal combat on the football field , or it was the Sergeants who called out the officers as a little variety to the usual order of things . As I have already said there is a certain element of doubt in the matter which reminds one of that other great battle which so sorely puzzled old Jaspard , and made him exclaim : But what they fought each other for I cannot well make out . Suffice it to say that twenty - two members of the Gallant Ninth on Thursday last faced one another on the Barrack Ground , determined every man of them to do or die - but prinei pally to " do . " There was a good muster of spectators for the " affair " had somehow got wind , and many , like little Peterkin , were looking on " with wonder waiting eyes . " poor As the game progressed there was much to marvel at . But first let me enumerate the teams . They were as follows : Officers . - Lieut . F. de V. B. Allfrey ; Lieut . Peck and Lieut . Reynolds ; Lieut . Graham , Lieut . Benson and Lieut . Marsh ; Lieut . Diggle Major Campbell , Lord Blackwood , Lieut . Porter , and Lieut . Gallagher . Sergts . - Sergt . Westcombe ; Sergt . Stocker and Sergt . Heard ; Sergt . Roland , Sergt . Croy don and Sergt . Whitbread ; Sergt . Major Atkins , Sergt . Ahl , R.S.M. Praegar , Sergt , Holloway , and Sergt . Richardson . Corpl . Praegar , who efficiently refereed , having blown the teams up to line set them going , and it was not long before one was wit nessing some marvellous football . The referee was not out to watch too closely the tactics but he was rather out to see , not to say to add to the fun and general good - Lumour that pre vailed . Some of the tackling witnessed was perfectly unique when associated with foot ball , and with the football " eye " of the referee more or less on the wink for the occasion a rare amount of esprit de corps was allowed full play . The pet of the officers was undoubtedly Lieut . Porter , who was responsible for the majority of the eight goals scored for his side , and who seemed at times to be running the team on his own . The spectators gazed with enthusiasm at his brilliant tactics and sure play , and I felt that had Oliver Goldsmith been present he would have written a com panion poem to the " Village Schoolmaster , " in which the following couplet might well have found a place : 66 And still they gazed , And still the wonder grew , That two small feet , Could shoot so straight and true . In every effort made by Lord Blackwood there was determination backed up by much hard work , but no goals , and the sturdy representative of the 4th Dragoon Guards would also have accomplished much more but for the all too - attentive exertions of Sergt. Major Stocker . Sergt . - Ma Atkins , the war horse , was well to the fore on every occasion and made some truly marvellous runs down the field , occasionally at such a pace that he over - ran the ball , which of course was an ( adjective ) nuisance . Then Lieut . Gallagher was here , there and everywhere - principally everywhere and was at times " taking the field " on his own . The distance between the two goals was all too short for this flyer and could a furlong or two have been added to the area between the two sets of sticks he would have gone on , like Tennyson's brook , " for ever . " Then for serious football a hearty ' word of praise must be accorded to R.S.M. Praegar , who , like Lieut . Porter , on the side of the officers , worked hard throughout the game . He had the hardest of luck in not being able to mark the sheet for the non - coms . , but he had the satisfaction of knowing that he did his best . E At any rate it was not an altogether serious contest , and many a man forgot the ball in his 8 eagerness to come " shoulder to shoulder " W with a smiling opponent . The eight - nil vic tory of the officers gives a very good idea of the trend of the play , and those who felt some what stiff the next day will be charitable enough not to lay all the blame upon the ball . They did not always kick the ball , when they kicked at it , sometimes the atmosphere re ceived the full force of the impact , and one knows quite well what it feels like to kick at nothing and to succeed in getting home with the blow . Still it was a good tempered and ex tremely interesting game , and one would be glad to hear of a return match being arranged . 81 SIGNAL TROOP EVORRICEN |
