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Archiver > INDIA > 2000-08 > 0967101773


From: Subhasis Ganguly <>
Subject: Kharagpur : HISTORY
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 00:22:53 -0700 (PDT)


Dear Listers
Here is the news of KHARAGPUR in August 1930.

The final of the inter-coy football challenge cup was
played at Kharagpur on Saturday, the 28th June,
between “F” Coy, Kharagpur. It was one of the most
exciting games witnessed here for a long time. There
was scarcely a dull period in the whole game and
excitement was kept at fever pitch throughout. After
their capital display against “C” Coy, whom they beat
in the semi-finals, the second string of “B” Coy, were
hot favourites for the CUP. Our confidence in them
was not belied, and they eventually ran out winners,
although they had to reply for it, the first game
ending in a goalless draw.

In this game the Kharagpur team enjoyed a far greater
share of attacking and might have won but for the
exceedingly good game played by Foran, the opposing
centre-half. A little bad luck also attended their
shorts, some of which missed the goal by inches, while
others hit the crossbar. Foran was indeed a shorn in
the side of the Kharagpur forwards and it was entirely
due his spoiling tactics that Chakradharpur lived to
fight another day. The forwards of “F” Coy were a
nippy lot but our backs were wise enough to play the
man instead of the ball and many a dangerous raid was
stopped by these methods. On our side the forwards
were good but, being on the light side, the opposing
backs were able to bustle them off the ball when they
became dangerous. Anthony was the best of the five
and had the worrying qualities of a best of the five
and had the worrying qualities of a terrier, which
were by no means appreciated by the opposing goalie,
and it was due largely to him that “B” Coy scored at
all.

Our half-back, however, were the rock on which many a
Chakradharpur raid was broken, Jansen, Meade and
Nilsen being a trio of hard working, dogged halves who
let very little pass them, and the Kharagpur team owe
their victory to these three tireless workers.
Everyone was glad that the match had to be replayed,
as it is seldom that we witness such interesting
football, and the game on Wednesday, the 9th instant,
was eagerly looked forward to.

Jupiter Pluvius was for once in a kind mood and we
were favoured with a glorious evening, which augured
well for the game that was to be played. Kharagpur’s
supporters were in full force, a certain section being
armed with megaphones, gramophone horns and other
sundries for encouraging their team to victory. When
the teams took the field, the conditions were the best
possible – an ideal evening, a good ground and a
throng of spectators who were all looking forward to a
well-contested game. As usual, the game started
slowly; but when all the players had warmed up to
their work, it speeded up and was choke-full of
thrills.

And Chakradharpur’s first goal when the game was
barely 10 minutes old! One could almost feel the hush
that fell over the Khargpur supporters when the
referee awarded the visitors the fatal “spot” kick.
The ball was in the net in a flash and Khargpur were
one goal down.

This was just the incentive that our boys needed and,
if the game was exciting before, it was ten times so
now, with Chakardharpur doing their utmost to maintain
their lead and Khargpur striving to draw level. The
visitors defended stoutly and in spite of all our
bombardment managed to keep their goal intact for the
first half. But in the second period we were not to
be denied and it was not llong before Shea drew level
from a melee in front of goal. What a gust of
cheering this drew forth!

The game now waxed faster and more furious. Hard
knocks were given and taken, but Khargpur were now
playing at the top of their game and were not to be
denied and, shortly before time, Paul put us ahead
from another scrimmage in front of goal. Then
pandemonium broke loose for the next few minutes. The
Cup remained in Khargpur and incidentally “B” Coy (B)
had made history as they are the first junior eleven
to have won this trophy. The Inter-Battalion Match,
on Sunday the 29th June, was a tame affair in
comparison and, as expected, was won rather easily by
the 1st Bn by two goals to nil.

We witness the first Rugby Match of the season on
Thursday, the 17th instant, when our 1st XV played the
Loyal Regiment and beat them by 12 points to 5.
Considering that this was the first game of the
season, it was far from uninteresting and was very
well contested. Our forwards were rather slow in
getting down to the scrums, but they were getting the
ball back oftener and, lhad the three-quarters not
fumbled their passes or been bustled into touch, we
should have won by a much larger margin.

A feature of the game was the excellent display put up
by Whitbread, or full-back. He is very speedy, kicks
strongly and the drop-goal that he scored stamps him
as an opportunist. The game also revealed the fact
that in D. Hill we have a place kicker of some merit;
the penalty goal that he scored was by no means an
easy one, the angle being acute and the distance
considerable. Simpson was the outstanding
three-quarter on the field and his speed was a great
asset to his side, though he got very little support
from the men on either side of him.

We had a new pair of halves in Gill and Brendish. The
new men shaped well but they did not seem to be the
equal of the older players who have had much more
experience of the game and have played in senior
football for many seasons. Of the forwards Medcalfe,
Phillips, Duncan and Shea caught the eye most and were
always hardworking.
The game was only a few minutes old when the Loyals
scored, their right wing three-quarter getting over
for a try near the corner flag, after having sold
Simpson a beautiful “dummy”. The resultant place kick
was successful and the Regiment were 5 points up.
This lead, however, was not maintained for long as
shortly after, D. Hill scored a splendid goal from a
penalty kick. This brought the Loyals’ lead down to 2
points which was further reduced when Duncan got over
for a try between the posts after a determined forward
rush. This try was converted by Hill and half-time
came with the B.N.R. leading by 3 points.

The second half was more evenly contested and both
sides attacked in turn, but we did not see many
movements in which the “ threes” really got going-
movements that are so well carried out by the Calcutta
or Griffins three-quarters. Simpson very often tried
to cut through on his own, for want of assistance, but
such a move is seldom successful in Rugby. Whitbread
would make an excellent partner for Simpson and as we
have another very capable back in Everett, the team
would apparently not be weakened in any way by this
change.

Khargpur was visited a short time back by a young
German couple, the Heckers, who are trekking round the
world on foot and bicycle. They had already done
20,000 miles when they passed through this station on
their way to Calcutta. They started out on their tour
from Munich, Germany, in August, 1925, two months
after they were married, and have so far visited
Austria, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Greece,
Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Mesopotamia. They had
been all over India when they arrived in Khargpur and
were on their way to Burma via Assam. From there they
propose to make their way to the Straits Settlements,
China, Japan, America and go back to Germany. They
expect to be back in Munich in 1935, when they intend
to write a book about their world tour honeymoon.
Truly a novel way of spending a honeymoon!

The Union Tennis Club held their monthly tennis Tea on
Saturday, the 19th instant, and were fortunate to be
favoured with a clear evening, so that numerous sets
of tennis could be indulged in, with tea and cakes in
between. A goodly crowd turned up and when it got too
dark for tennis we were initiated into a game called
“Tenni-Quoits.” The game is played on a Badminton
court with a rubber rind about 5 inchs in diameter and
1 inch thick. The ring is thrown from the side of the
net to the other, the subject being to make your
opponents fail to catch it, so that all the spins and
twists and leg-breaks imaginable must be employed in
throwing the ring. The ladies, while liking the game,
have a “grouse” against it, as it damages their well
manicured nails!

The nomthly Bridge and Whist Drives took place on the
9th and 18th instant respectively. The following were
the prize winners:-
Bridge Drive –

Ladies –Mrs. Pruce…1
Mrs Lakin…2

Men-A. Meldrum…1
A.A. Paul…2

Whist Drive –

Ladies-Mrs Goldsworthy1
Miss Anthony…2

Men-A.S.M. Hill…1
T.F. Soares2

We would like to make to understood to all members of
the Dance and Amusements Club that at these Drives it
is incumbent on the members themselves to hand in
their score sheets and that the management cannot be
blamed if a person loses a prize through failing to
hand in his or her score sheet. It is impossible to
go round to each one individually to collect the
papers.

On Wednesday, the 16th instant, Mr. Kupka, of the
Lentz Valve Co., delivered a lecture on the Lentz
Valve which was greatly appreciated by all the Drivers
and ;Loco men who were present. The lecture was
illustrated by lantern slides thrown on the screen and
illustrated by lantern slides thrown on the screen and
the functions of the valve were so clearly explained
that even a non-technical man could understand them.


Regards
Subhasis

PS Thanks Peter for your excellent Photographs



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