A Game Sustained

47 Keeping going: 1914-1915 paper commented that ‘one cannot think that the exploiting of famous international players is a proceeding in harmony with the grave times through which we are passing, whatever may be urged in the direction of providing relaxation for war workers.’ Despite such condemnation, the arrival of Barnes and Hobbs led to rumours that other clubs would follow their lead and the Leeds Mercury commented that the ‘great enterprise of the Saltaire and Idle clubs has awakened new life and interest in the Bradford League’. Applications were then made by several local clubs for the use of those Yorkshire players still engaged by the county, but at a club meeting at the start of June 1915 the committee turned them down. One such approach was made by East Bierley Cricket Club, near Bradford, but the county’s General Committee minuted that it was ‘Unanimously resolved that this be not permitted.’ 41 Lord Hawke was later quoted by the Yorkshire Post as saying that he was opposed to the practice of engaging ‘crack players’ in League cricket at the present time, and he expressed his regrets that Jack Hobbs was engaged with Idle. In some papers, Hawke was quoted as describing the engagement of major stars as ‘scandalous’, a comment to which some Bradford League officials took exception. The Secretary of the League pointed out that his committee had actively encouraged clubs to curtail the number of professionals, and thus the action of the two clubs was in direct violation of this principle. That said, it had been a major financial success with unprecedented gates; for example, £74 had been taken at Bingley against Saltaire on Whit-Tuesday. The Idle secretary also denied that Hobbs playing would discourage men from joining the army, adding that if Yorkshire county men could play with local sides, why should Bradford League teams not employ professionals. The secretary of Saltaire also suggested that few young men attended its matches, and those who did were mostly engaged in government work. The Bradford League Committee met to discuss the controversy. A resolution called for approval of the