Monday, July 9 – 1917
Judgment given against the pursuer
The sensational football libel case in which Enoch James West, a professional football player, claimed damages for libel against the Football Association and Messrs. Hulton & Co., for an alleged libel issued by the Association and published by Messrs. Hulton’s newspapers, to the effect that the game played on Good Friday, Friday, of 1915, by the Manchester United against Liverpool, was “squared,” and that West was guilty of taking part with others in “squaring” the match, was concluded in the King’s Bench Division, London, yesterday.
The only point before the Court was whether West had been wrongly treated by the defendants, the Court having come to the conclusion on Friday that the match had been “squared.”
Further evidence having been called for the defence, Mr. Justice Ridley said he had read the articles complained of, and he did not think there was any case to go to a jury. He thought the articles were no stronger than the match deserved.
Mr. E. Giles, a moulder, of Hucknall, who said he made a betting book on horse racing and football, stated that he took a considerable number of bets on the correct score of his match between Manchester United and Liverpool. To bet on the correct score result was very unusual. He lost £150 on the correct score result, and would have lost £500 if he had taken all the bets.
Mr. Lewis, of the Football League Management Committee, said he was not present at the match, but being one of the commission he made inquiries at Hucknall and elsewhere. He came to the conclusion on his inquiries and the evidence that West was a party to the “squaring” of the match, and that was his honest belief.
After several more witnesses had been examined, his Lordship held that there was no evidence of malice, and he gave judgment for the Football Association and for Messrs. Hulton.
Stay was granted with a view to an appeal.
(Daily Record, 10-07-1917)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 