14 APRIL 1967, Page 3

Sporting folklore

CHRISTOPHER HOLLIS

0, 'tis little I repair to the novels of the

Sporting Folk,

Though the title pages bear the names I know. 0, 'tis little I repair to the novels of the

Sporting Folk, Though the title pages swear they wrote it so. An admitted hack reports how the horse first passed the post, A ghostly typist takes the dictation of a ghost, And reputed authors condescend to sign their book at most, While the con-merchants ticker to and fro, To and fro, Oh, my Cardus and my Glasgow long ago.