These are three amazing documents sent to me by Val Finlayson. They are form letters (neither personalised nor signed) sent by Harry Bingham inviting George Macaulay to:
- Be selected for an England v Scotland game in 1930 (George was in fact Irish and did not play in the game);
- Be available for the Division 1 team to play against the Division 2 team later in the same year. George was in fact selected and helped to create a goal in the first minute of play;
- Play in the Victorian team for the Interstate Carnival in Sydney in 1932. The letter also contains travel instructions.
They are remarkable because they give us some insight into bureaucratic and selection practices of the VSFA in the early 1930s. More to come.
But they do more than this. They also give us a picture of the way transport was organised and the extent to which they players were required to supply material that would be provided for them in today's elite level soccer.
The 'man in Grey' is a curious notion. Apparently (thanks Mav and Adam Muyt) it refers to a booth at Spenser St Station that was set up to answer traveller's queries and seems to have been a regular meeting point.
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