police rescue umpire

"MURDER POLIS" It is almost like old times again to see the football specials beginning to make an appearance. When Dalkeith Thistle travel to Markinch, and Bonnyrigg Rose to Cardenden, for the first round ties of the Scottish Cup, they will travel in what will be the first "fitba special" to depart from here for a long, long time. But there is a long way to go yet before we have a return to the days of the brake clubs, with fleets of beribboned char-a-bancs hurtling through the streets, carrying their full complements of leather-lunged supporters, armed with ricketties, be-decked with favours (Support the team and wear the colours), on their way to distant enclosures to encourage their favourites (and terrify the opposition) with word and gesture.

The football fans of this country have a long way to go, just the same, before they can class themselves with the Australian counterparts. I read that in Melbourne recently, a mounted policeman made a spectacular rescue of an umpire at a football match by galloping on to the pitch ahead of an irate crowd, and doing a Young Lochinvar, scooping the official on to his trusty steed and riding off to the safety of the pavilion with him. The crowd, incensed at this unwarranted interference of spectators' rights and privileges, attempted to storm the citadel (doubtless to accord a hearty vote of thanks to the ref. for the way he had handled the game), but were eventually dispersed by the police, who made a couple of baton charges. Yes, the Scottish football fan can wear a halo compared with the men from down under when they fail to see eye to eye with the umpire's decision. I wonder if there are any statistics to show the expectation of life among the Aussie umpires. The graph would probably show a sharp downward curve in the playing season.

Source: Dalkeith Advertiser Thursday 5th September 1946