Another Grounds Protest
Last Sunday, the New York Giants and the New York Nationals battled to a two goal draw in extra time in a second round national cup tie game on the Polo Grounds, the home playing pitch of the Nationals. The scene for the replay naturally shifts to Starlight Park, the home grounds of the Giants. Formal protest is entered by the Nationals against the grounds, the basis of which is the fact that the field at Starlight Park is not of regulation size, as required by the conditions governing the cup contest. The field measures 67 by 100 feet, whereas the rule calls for 70 by 110 feet. The protest is well merited, but comes at the wrong time. These conditions should have been foreseen prior to the draw game last Sunday for certainly every club associated in the American Soccer League is aware of the small playing pitch on which the Giants do their home stuff. Our opinion is that the Giants should not be deprived of the privilege of playing the replay at Starlight Park. And furthermore that the Giants are going to be a hard team to stop on the home loam. They are perfectly at home on the small playing field and undoubtedly have an advantage over rival clubs. They have a style of play made to order for such a field.

Playing Fields a Disgrace
It has long since been recognized in the American Soccer League that many of the playing fields are a disgrace to big time soccer. Small and with the spectators crowded to the very side lines. In spite of numerous complaints and discussion no effort has seemingly been made to remedy these conditions which undoubtedly would be to the interest of the sport. Starlight Park is an improvement over the Oval, the latter formerly the home playing grounds of the Giants and Nationals before the National became the property of Charles Stoneham and now has the spacious Polo Grounds on which to strut their stuff. And yet Starlight Par fails to meet with approval. In considering the Nationals protest the cup committee should remember that both New Bedford and Bethlehem Steel met the Giants on these grounds in games in which the championship of the first half of the league was involved. And incidentally, the Giants, running true to form on the home grounds, defeated both New Bedford and Bethlehem on successive days.