POLITICS IN SPORT Pluto Press, £1.95 THE NEW Big suspicion that Ine routinely repeating anything new.
of the problem. plenty apolitical sedentary politicos.
Tha sporties
Paavo Big Red Diary 1980, Politics in Sport Diary is disappointment. It is as well produced as its deservedly successful predecessors, probably better. But it provokes Pluto now idea profitable than giving also Perhaps the subject matter is part There is certainly interesting information, especially on women in sport, but it seems as though the book has been compiled by a team divided between sporting types and chosen have smuggled in Nurmi the runner, Fausto Coppi the cyclist; and Babe Ruth the baseball player — all three admirable, | but none very political.
The politicos reply with a picture of Lenin playing chess and, convincingly, an account of the war between Honduras and El Salvador started by a disputed goal at football. They quote Orwell pooh-poohing the of international goodwill sport. Fair enough, but they should record the football matches between British and German soldiers in the trenches in 1914. Sport united the working class rather better than the Second International.
The number of irritating omissions reinforces the feeling that this is a moneymaking venture rather than an attempt to say much about its subject. Kerry Packer cautiously praised for cricketers' wages (wrongly in view), so why no mention of the 1973 professionals' boycott of Wimbledon?
And why more Muhammed Ali on Black Power or Vietnam? Why nothing on the black English footballers? Why no martial arts? bullfighting?
Edward Heath winning the Admiral's in Cup? Why no account Cromwell stamping Ireland (or didn't they know about it)!
Perhaps these are just my own idiosyncrasies, but for one omission there is no affair. Basil D'Oliveira, one of South *misfortune' to be black. of struggling to home, he came to this country and raising eventually began a Test career for my england at an age when most paver.
would be thinking about retirement. But when the time came to tour no quotations from establishment refuse him cancelled and even of Oliver OU cricket in previous inhabitants excuse: the D'Oliveira had the After years make his mark 1960, and appointed right. South Africa the English cricketing dropped D'Oliveira from the team. After protests he was reinstated, only for South Africa to entry. tour was England has neve played South Africa again.
Finally, and again in contrast to years, there an unfortunate number of errors. It is correct to point out that women can't be sportsmen, but neither are all the of Czechs. Billie-Jean King now has 20 Wimbledon titles and Hungary scored seven goals at Wembley, not six. The Mexico Olympics were in 1968 not Frank Worrell was West Indian captain in Surely a diary should get its dates Socialist Challenge 20 December 1979 Page 11
Socialist Challenge Christmas Jail Armagh THIRTY SEVEN of the women political prisoners in Armagh jail will bespending twenty one hours locked up in their ceils for demanding political status for republican prisoners in Armagh and in H Block. These women are denied access to reading educational and writing materials, and are not allowed lo freely associate. The daily regime of harassment and beatings by both maie and female screws has become a way of lite for these women whose 'crime