A Game Sustained

15 Cricket, war and the ethical dilemma up, and not what were derided as ‘spectaculars’. Partly, this reflected the view that it was reasonable, indeed patriotic, to keep active and healthy to better serve the war effort, but that competing for prizes and medals demonstrated a poor sense of priority. As a result, some cricket clubs dropped out of league competitions (while often maintaining their membership) and played friendlies instead. Thus, in 1915, a number of Yorkshire Cricket Council clubs arranged home and away fixtures, as did Leeds League clubs, outside the framework of any formal competition. This perspective also acknowledged a significant proportion of people who were not in a position to fight. In 1915, Charles Clegg, President and Chairman of the Football Association, Chairman of Sheffield United for 37 years and one of the greatest supporters of Victorian and Edwardian sport 16 defended the playing of football, quoting government figures that between 25 and 40 per cent of people from suitable ages were not qualified to go to war or do munitions service. He thought it desirable that ‘reasonable recreation’ was available which would ‘assist in producing better work, and...be followed by renewed energy’. Others agreed that those at home needed entertainment. A commentator in Sheffield noticed in the spring of 1915 that many people had nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon, and asked why first- class cricketers above military age could not entertain them. A third response to the war was that competitive sport was acceptable but that prizes or medals should not be awarded because, again, this suggested the game was being taken too seriously at a time of national crisis. The noted Yorkshire sports journalist, A.W.Pullin – known as ‘Old Ebor’ and described by Lord Hawke as the ‘non-playing member’ of the Yorkshire county side for many years – reported comments from Yorkshire Cricket Council officials who questioned who would want to be able to show off a cricket medal dated 1917. In Elland in 1916, many club members objected to the arrangements for paying professionals, while some were upset by the often very generous collections gathered after match-winning performances in many games. In 1917, ‘Old