Clipping:A benefit match, and crowd deportment
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
 |
| Add a Clipping |
| Date | Sunday, September 27, 1863 |
|---|---|
| Text | The Atlantic and Mutual match was played [9/24/63] on the neutral ground of the St. George Cricket Club, an admission-fee of ten cents being charged on the occasion, the proceeds being for the benefit of Harry Wright, who is a general favorite of the ball-players. We were in hopes that, on this account, much of the outside annoyances would have been avoided, owing to the absence from the crowd of spectators of those annoying juveniles who congregate on these occasions, and who materially help to create disturbances by their noisy actions, and loud comments on the play. But though the Bay rowdies were absent, there were a sufficient number of well-dress blackguards present to attend to the dirty work they are generally engaged in at all championship matches; and the result was, insulting remarks on the decisions of the umpire, and blackguard allusions to some of the players–one or two loafers making themselves very conspicuous in this respect. All that these fellows visit matches for is, to make money by betting, and if the club they bet on fails to succeed, they go in for making a muss to break up the game and thus save their bets. If any proof were needed in support of the fact we have so often asserted, that every disgraceful disturbance at a ball match has emanated solely from “club followers”, not from members of the contesting clubs, the conduct of a portion of the crowd in this match was sufficient to prove the fact. On this occasion, the good sense of the contesting nines led them to disregard the remarks of the betting roughs present, and to play the game in a gentlemanly manner throughout; and as the result of the play in the first inning almost decided the game in favor of the Atlantics–especially in view of the fact that the Mutuals were not in their usual good condition to play, the betting fraternity were cut off from any excuse to interfere, and so they revenged themselves by insulting the umpire and the victors in the match as much as they well could. The Mutuals exerted themselves to put a stop to this objectionable conduct, but all to no purpose, and being on a neutral ground, they could not well act as they otherwise would have done. Had it been on their own ground, the blackguards would have been hustled off the ground in short order. New York Sunday Mercury September 27, 1863 [Atlantic vs. Mutual 9/24/1863] The third and test game of the home and home series between the Atlantic and Mutual clubs came off on the enclosed grounds of the St. George Cricket Club, and admission fee of ten cents being charged on the occasion, the proceeds going to Harry Wright for his benefit. New York Clipper October 3, 1863 |
| Source | New York Sunday Mercury |
| Tags | |
| Warning | |
| Comment | Edit with form to add a comment |
| Query | Edit with form to add a query |
| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
Comments
<comments voting="Plus" />