In a match which took place in the Midlands last season, the
home team gave a particularly poor display in the second half,
and one of the directors said to me, “They have been behaving
foolishly to our men. The trainer gave them champagne during
the interval, and I do not think that is a good drink for them
to have. The momentary feeling of exhilaration following a
glass of champagne soon wears off.”
If the form manifested by the team which had the champagne that
day may be taken as a criterion as to the merits of champagne
as a stimulant for football purposes, then all I can say is,
that I never want to see a team receive such a stimulant again.
It may not have been the champagne that caused their poor form;
but at any rate their play was poor.
I recall another interesting instance in which champagne played
a part. I am going back a long time now, but the circumstances
were exceptional.
Away in the remote eighties, Moseley (as they often were then)
were in possession of the Midland Counties Rugby Challenge Cup,
and one of their supporters was interested in Aston Villa. I do
not know whether it was Kenneth Wilson or not, for Kenneth
Wilson, I may say, was a Pollokshields man, who was in business
in Birmingham. He was a splendid athlete, and played for Aston
Villa, and also for Moseley under Rugby rules simultaneously. I
expect he had something to do with the incident.
At any rate, the Cup made its appearance at Perry Barr on the
day that Aston Villa were playing an English Cup tie with
Darwen. Now the Aston Villa team of that period, captained by
the great Archie Hunter, was as bonny a set in a social sense
as I have ever known. They were grand footballers, and played
the game for all they were worth when they were on the field.
But it was a loose and lax age as compared with the present
football era, and during the interval some one filled the Cup
with champagne, and the Villa players drank to the prosperity
of the Moseley Club--and very bad football they played after
the interval, too.
I do not suppose for a moment that any one player had much
champagne, but from what I could see of their demeanour, I came
to the conclusion that champagne was a bad thing to play
football on. At any rate, the Villa had the greatest difficulty
in avoiding defeat at the hands of Darwen. If I remember
aright, the great Hugh McIntyre, who died in London last year,
and was better known as a Blackburn Rover, kept goal
brilliantly for Darwen that day.