Plus ca change.....

[BobG]

Good Lord above! Take a look at this link. An article about DRFC in the Straits Times on 19th April 1936. And the subject could hardly be more topical.

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19360419.2.134

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

I had to read that one in the accent of Mr Cholmondley-Warner.

I assume that the writer's use of the word "plucky" translates directly to "TLO" in modernese?

And the comments about Wilfred Shaw being a capable full back who was likely to make his way from Doncaster to some higher footballing plane. I assume that the Straits Times letters page was full of Donny fans explaining why his positional sense was w**k and that he wouldn't make a top level full back while he had a hole in his arse.

[BobG]

It is very chortle making isn't it?!

I take it your comments on the plucky Wilfred Shaw are from personal observation?

Bob

[AlonzoDrake]

Wonderful discovery Bob -- a fascinating piece of Rovers history. It is interesting that the writer notes how we were out of the second tier for thirty years, 1905-35! You and I watched most of our Rovers football in the fifty year period -- 1958-2008 -- we were out of the second tier! It's amazing for our generation that out of the past seven seasons we have had five in the second tier, and experienced two promotions from the third tier -- and since 2002/03, we've enjoyed four promotions!

[Dagenham Rover]

Fascinating article

[Wild Rover]

Why in 1936 was "Doncaster" referred to as being "South Yorkshire", surely it was "West Riding", or am I missing something.

Interesting though.

[RobTheRover]

Aye, a portent of 1974 no doubt!

[i_ateallthepies]

I always - wrongly perhaps - thought that 'soccer' was the name given to the game by the US to distinguish it from American Football but it is used in this article.

[BillyStubbsTears]

"Soccer" came from the Oxbridge mob who similarly called the other form of what they consider to be football, "rugger".

It's natural that America plumped for "soccer" as their term. Like Oxbridge, they perversely had already used the name "football" for  a game where the ball spends 95% of the time in the hands.

The entire world outside America and Oxbridge rightly scorns the use of the word "soccer".

[silent majority]

I always thought soccer was an abbreviation of association, as in association football.

[BillyStubbsTears]

SM

It is. Just like "rugger" is a corruption of "rugby". Same source.

[The Red Baron]

"Soccer" came from the Oxbridge mob who similarly called the other form of what they consider to be football, "rugger".

It's natural that America plumped for "soccer" as their term. Like Oxbridge, they perversely had already used the name "football" for  a game where the ball spends 95% of the time in the hands.

The entire world outside America and Oxbridge rightly scorns the use of the word "soccer".

My grandad was certainly neither an Oxbridge type or an American but to his dying day he referred to rugby league as "football", rugby union as "union" and association football as "soccer." He was a dyed in the wool rugby league man from Leeds.

A lot of the top public schools in the 19th century preferred association to rugby and there remains a tradition of "soccer" playing in some- e.g. Malvern, Shrewsbury, Charterhouse, even Eton to an extent. It was only really after WW1 that rugby became the "posh" game- and even then that was a movement more common in grammar schools than in the top public schools.

[IDM]

Nah, b*llocks to that.  Football is football, end of