C R U S A D E R
---------------- P A L I IRWIN
(former ‘'Sunday Express” Sports Editor)
T a l k i n g S p o r t
Crusader Cutie
N o. 2 5
lanky, flame-headed Don Budge^
the best player seen on the Wim
bledon centre court since the
breath-taking days of big Bill Til-
den, is now a trainer at an Amer
ican flying school. He is a busy
man, but can still find time to
tell the world that he hopes to be
in top flight professional lawn
tennis at the war’s end.
Don Budge is 27 and, even if
the war were over tomorrow',
heading towards the twilight
of his career. Best of the old
stars, however, he should keep
his position till the bright young
newcomers have sorted themsel
ves out in the first couple of Vic
tory seasons.
BIG CHANGES
I read Budge's mind correct
ly, he envisages sweeping chan
ges in top ranking tennis. He
probably thinks there will be
open tournaments — open, that
is, in the true sense of the word.
The “Wimbledon Open” is, of
course, no such thing. No profes-
Here s the answer to the prayer
of Pte. Philipson {see " Blue Letter
Box) — and heaven knows how
many other " Crusader" _ corres
pondents.
sional can compete, a ruling
which automatically bars the
world's outstanding performers—
Budge, Ellsworth Vines, Fred
Perry, Hans Nusslein and, among
the women, the incomparable
Alice Marbl.e
Well, there was a move be
fore World W ar II to end all
this. Another big step forward
was taken not so long ago when
Danny Maskell, the money-play-
er who coached our Davis Cup
team, played an exhibition against
an amateur at Queen's Club —
the first ever to do so in public.
Many of the lawn tennis chiefs
are in favour of genuine open
tournaments. And this, not only
because they would be gate-pull-'
ing magnets, but because they
would end the silly — and dis
honest — amateur racket.
MEANS TEST
If a means test were taken of
the Great Unpaid in the game
how many could show themselves
capable of playing all the year
round at their own expense ?
Very few. No, they live on ten
nis like gigolos living on some
raddled old woman. Play-boys
and play-girls accepting “hospit
ality” in swagger hotels, putting
in expense accounts, cashing their
prizes for crisp folding money.
In short, they are “shamateurs.”
The men, often enough sign up
to use a certain make of racket—
at a fee ; the women, bless them,
link their names with some swag
ger dress shop and are manne
quins in masquerade.
You get the idea ? Some shape
ly Centre Court star wears the
natty new pleated skirt, or the
too, too divine coatee made by a
W est End fashion shop. And
there, bright and early next morn
ing, are all the women queuing
up to ge* just the same kind pf
outfit.
Now such people are regarded
as amateurs although they make
fat living from the game. Against
that, the honest, right-in-the-open
pi of essional is — well, untouch
able according to Wimbledon
standards.
WORLD’S BEST
Responsible people are tired of
i; all. So are many of the so-call
ed amateurs, not quite good
enough to join the small band of
brilliant professionals to-day, but
good enough to earn bed and
beard — honestly — if profes
sionalism were general.
As sure as night follows day,
the barrier between the amateur
and the money-player will be
broken down. W e shall see real
open tourneys, with the world's
best in action.
And now say I didn't tell you.
This patience isn’t so hot ; no wonder they say it’s .
THE GRIFF
ADOLF S OWN
There is a special air raid shel
ter under Hitler’s Chancellery in
Berlin which is especially popu
lar with the ladies.
The reason is this. After a
number of women had given
birth to children in the shelter
duiing air raid alarms the Fiihrer
gave orders for a midwife to be
in attendance. T o every women
who nad ? child in the shelter he
gave a piesent of 500 marks
(about £25) and went personal
ly to congratulate her. The child
ren were registered as “Born in
the Chancellery.”
Consequently the popularity of
the shelter knew no bounds
among expectant mothers and the
overcrowding threatened to be
come so bad that special regulat
ions had to be drawn up.
THE GHOSTS FLY W EST
From time to time the boys of
the R.A.F. get quite a kick out of
hearing enemy radio ' announce
ments describing how our aircraft
are being shot down in flocks by
the heroes of the German and
Italian air forces.
The latest example we have
seen is a claim by a SINGLE
Italian Fighter Squadron in Octo
ber to have destroyed 36 of our
’planes, plus a further 17 prob
ables, in four days. In reality the
TO TA L loss of the R.A.F. over
this period was 18 'planes I
These imaginary victories re
mind us of the exploits of the late
lamented Luftwaffe “ace" Cap
tain Marseille (killed sometime
ago over the Alamein front) who
was claimed to have shot down
single-handed in one day twice
the total loss of the R.A.F. on the
whole battle-front for that period!
Jerry must wonder as he crou
ches in his slit trench where all
those ’planes of ours keep com
ing from !
THINK AGAIN
“The British and Americans
are unable to safeguard their
main sea routes and are therefore
unable to send supplies to their
soldiers abroad.” (Italian Radio).
Them tanks jes’ gsrowed in the
desert !
MOBILE’S THE WORD 1
“Berlin military circles com
menting on the situation in Rus
sia state that the transition to the
present mobile strategy of the
German High Command has
created insuperable difficulties
tor the Soviets.” (Berlin Radio).
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