Denis Compton, Sportsman Of The Year Dinner, Mayor Of Melbourne's Speech (1949)

Savoy Hotel, London. MS. The Mayor of Melbourne, Mr. J. Disney, addressing the gathering. 'Mr. Minister, ladies and gentlemen, I came along here tonight privileged and pleasured to attend this audience to meet Mr. Denis Compton who has been chosen as already outlined to you for the sacred occasion of the chief sportsman of Britain, and I have too, as Mr. Denis Compton said to you no prepared notes.. The wonderful performances put up by the chief guest of honour here tonight... (He continues) ...Play the game on our cricket field we will not be lacking in food, will not be lacking in training but I can tell you this and this is not off the record, we will be lacking in the help of Don Bradman, Keith Miller and one or two others and I don't know what's going to happen to this great Australian cricket team when you Englishmen again visit our shores. But whatever we do, whichever team wins it will be based on that British love of true sport and its not a question of winning its a question of meeting and someb