SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



tures. Perhaps the chief point of interest 

 in this season (1893-4) was the memorable 

 Forsyth and Boak case, in which the Cum- 

 berland and Yorkshire Unions found them- 

 selves involved in a lengthy and costly inquiry 

 as to whether these two players had been im- 

 properly induced to desert the Border county 

 for the purpose of assisting in the operations 

 of the Huddersfield Club. In consequence of 

 the decision being in favour of the complain- 

 ants, the suspension of the Huddersfield Club 

 afforded one of the earliest instances of punish- 

 ment inflicted by the Rugby Union in the 

 interests of amateur sport. The advent of 

 the season 18945 gave promise of a more 

 pleasing departure, in which the Border 

 county more than sustained the advance 

 already accomplished. A series of brilliant 

 performances against Durham, Lancashire, 

 Westmorland, Midland Counties and Devon 

 found Cumberland contesting once more 

 with Yorkshire the honour of being declared 

 champion county of England. A splendid 

 struggle at Manningham, when a kick at 

 goal was the narrow margin by which 

 Cumberland had to yield in favour of York- 

 shire, was the result. As an indication of the 

 relative merits of the two rivals, it ought 

 to be remembered that at this time Yorkshire 

 was untouched by those secessions to northern 

 unionism which afterwards so seriously deci- 

 mated her ranks, a circumstance which had a 

 most material bearing on the severity of the 

 test to which Cumberland was subjected. 

 Following upon an uneventful interval the 

 operations of 1896-7 witnessed a surprising 

 revival of the county's previous good form. 

 Victories were gained over Durham, Cheshire, 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire and Westmorland, with 

 a draw against the Northumbrians. The net 

 result was the attainment for the third time 

 of the position of champion of the north, 

 with the honours attaching to another final 

 contest for premier county. One of the 

 most remarkable incidents of this tournament 

 was that, as on a previous occasion, Cumber- 

 land had not permitted one of the counties 

 named to cross her goal-line. The final test 

 for chief honours against the southern cham- 

 pion (Kent) was played at Carlisle in April 

 1897, when the Kentish men secured a well 

 deserved victory. 



Up to this time Cumberland had maintained 

 its normal strength of about sixteen senior 

 clubs. The following season however was 

 destined to see a change, as no less than four 

 of these clubs cast off their allegiance to the 

 Rugby Union and espoused professionalism. 

 Notwithstanding the disadvantages attaching 

 to such a loss, Cumberland continued to 



hold a strong position amongst the other 

 counties, and in 18989 succeeded in defeat- 

 ing Yorkshire, Durham, and Cheshire, drawing 

 with Lancashire, and succumbing to North- 

 umberland only. The following season, that 

 of 1899-1900, had to be met under very dis- 

 couraging auspices. Reduced to a member- 

 ship of only three clubs Aspatria, Carlisle, 

 Penrith Cumberland had to face a situation 

 of no ordinary difficulty. The position how- 

 ever only served to rouse the executive to 

 the occasion, and to its credit be it said that 

 notwithstanding this serious reduction of nu- 

 merical strength, the county Fifteen secured 

 victories over Cheshire, Lancashire and York- 

 shire, a draw with Durham, and only sustained 

 reverse in the closing contest against North- 

 umberland. A tie for the northern champion- 

 ship being thus recorded between Cumberland 

 and Durham, a second encounter had to be 

 undertaken, in which, by a goal to nil, Dur- 

 ham secured the advantage. As the latter 

 subsequently defeated the southern champion 

 (Devon) by a substantial score, the practical 

 result of the season was to place Cumberland 

 in order of merit at least next to the 

 champion county, notwithstanding the severity 

 of the ordeal which it had been called upon 

 to undergo. 



During those successful competitions with 

 other counties it was only to be expected that 

 the Bordermen should find their way into 

 the English team. These selections were 

 confined almost exclusively to the for- 

 ward division, a department in which 

 the county had uniformly excelled. Fore- 

 most amongst those securing international 

 caps was James Davidson, captain of the 

 Aspatria and county teams, who with his 

 brother Joseph, and J. H. Blacklock of the 

 same club, shared with Knowles of Millom 

 the honour of representing Cumberland's best 

 forwards at that period. The challenge cup 

 has furnished a stimulus to local effort with 

 varying results. The Aspatria club has sup- 

 plied the best record in connection there- 

 with, having carried off the trophy in 1883, 

 1885, 1891, 1892, 1896 and 1899. Millom 

 won in 1887, 1888, 1889; Maryport in 

 1893, 1894; Seaton in 1895, 1897, 1898; 

 the remaining contests being awarded to 

 Whitehaven in 1884, Carlisle in 1886, and 

 Egremont in 1890. The challenge shield 

 has been won no less than four times by Mil- 

 lom, namely in 1889, 1891, 1892 and 1895 ; by 

 Workington in 1897 and 1898 ; by Egremont 

 in 1890; Whitehaven Recreation in 1893; 

 Maryport in 1894; Watft" Brow in 1896; 

 and Highmoor Rovers in 1899. The tem- 

 porary discontinuance of these two competi- 



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