NORWEGIAN GIRLS PLAY MUD-FOOTBALL IN THE PARK
First published in The Picture Post. Vol. 22. No.3. January 15, 1944.
Although this new game seems to be played largely on all fours, its official name is “handball”. It’s a cross between netball and football, and is popular with Norwegian girls in this country. There are already enough players in London to make up five regular teams and they practice and play matches in Hyde Park.
The ball is the size of a football, and the aim is to throw it into your opponent’s goal. You can knock the ball out of the enemy’s hands, but kicking is forbidden except for the goalkeepers. As you mayn’t hold the ball for more than three seconds, the game has pace; and as Norwegian girls are traditionally athletic, these matches are played with speed, skill and courage. English girls from Norwegian offices who join the teams have to be exceptionally fit – or go under.
According to the rules, handball should not be much tougher than netball – you mayn’t run more than three paces with the ball, or grasp it with both your hands from a member of the other side. But as you can see, it’s apt to develop into something like a Rigby scrum. When the ball drops to the ground, half a dozen girls pounce on it like hawks on a sparrow, and the girl who gets it has to be very strong and nippy. Even when she’s grasped it, she isn’t safe – it may be knocked out of her hands before she’s time to pass it on. When there’s a scrimmage like this, the referee has to keep a sharp lookout that nobody kicks the ball or wrestles with her opponent. Penalty – a free throw to the other side. What with the mud, the cold, and the keenness of these Norwegians, it would be a brave set of English girls who dare to makeup a team of eleven, and then challenge them.
Many of these Norwegians went through exciting and dangerous adventures before they reached England. Anne Margrethe, captain of one handball team, walked through many miles of forest in Norway and Sweden to escape from the Germans. Butte, another of the girls, now secretary to a high Norwegian military official, crossed the North Sea in a small boat. Wenche, the youngest of them, escaped through Sweden, too. Over here, some of them are working as civilians in Norwegian offices, and some are in uniform, in the Norwegian A.T.S. and W.A.A.F.
The piece is accompanied with many pictures of Norwegian girls playing mud-football in the park. Sadly my lack of a scanner leaves these to your imagination. In broad terms we have a group of moderately attractive women all dressed in paisly sweaters and kaki shorts looking thoroughly out of breath. The captions are pretty descriptive:
Norwegian Girls in London Play Handball to Keep Fit
Handball is a new game to England. It’s a cross between netball and football. Norwegian girls have introduced it to London, and play every week in Hyde Park.
Handball Is Not the Gentle Game Is Sounds
You’re not supposed to kick or grab the ball. But there are usually scraps when the game gets fast and exciting. And in a scrimmage, you’re likely to land on all fours.
A Hard Catch – She Misses it
She misses a difficult catch, but scoops it up quickly with an opponent at her heels.
A Shot at Goal
(1) The ball’s in the air. She watches it like a hawk. Her opponent watches, too.
(2) She’s caught it. She twists neatly away from her opponent, leaving her on the wrong foot.
(3)She runs three paces – all that’s allowed – and shoots at goal.
(4) A good shot -- but the goalkeeper’s ready for it. The shot’s a good one – well aimed and fast. But Wenche, the goalkeeper, intercepts it. Wenche escaped last year through Sweden to join her father in this country.
It Reminds You of Rugger
”Tacking” is forbidden. But there’s no rule against scrimmage.
Update! 03/08/2008
All of these years later, find below scans of the actual pages. Click for larger versions!
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