FOOTBALL NOTES.
Ax influx of New Zealand footballets to Sydney is taking place, the atttaction being the matches against the Englishmen. — Sydney Referee. Frank Surinan, who came across with the New South Wales representatives a few years since, .md subsequently settled down in Auckland, is playing with the Bundwick Club, Sydney Ibis season. The cornstacks will find Surinan a wonderfully mproved man, as it was on this sidn that he had the finishing touch given to his football education.— KT.Z. Herald. Latest Australian files state that the English team comprises : J. T. Byrne, l'\ M. Stout, Jarman, Dudgeon, Forest, ft F. Fookcs, E. G. Nicholls, H. Hussey, M. Elliott, Gibson, Bulger, Franks, 0. Boyd, Timoins, Francmirt, Cookson, Kipling, Sclnvatz, Mnrston, Necks, Al. Mullincux, Evers, and Dr Rowland. It is worthy of note, in view of the intended Southern tour of the Auckland •' reps, " this season, that a Dunedin writer predicts that tin- representative team of Otngo will he found stronger than ever this year. This being so, there should be a great struggle between the Rugbyites of the Northern province and Otago for supremacy of the football field. There is one point which ought to be settled .in advance (says the London Daily Mail of March 2, in dealing with the visit of the Englishmen). It will be observed from the official list of fixtures arranged that the visiting team will be labelled "England," whereas it is not likely to he at all of a representative character. No doubt it will be fairly strong, but it may be beaten in the bigger cngugemeuts. Australian football is not so good as Australian cricket ; but the players, playing on their own ground, in their own climate, and before sympathisers, will prove good euough to beat anything that is not quite first-rate. Therefore it would be the duty of the English Rugby Union and of Mr Mullineux, too, to let it be known beforehand that the side is travelling solely on its own responsibility, and is not to be regarded as representing the best of English football. If this is not done, there will be as much ill-feeling engendered as was the ease in connection with the recent tour of Mr Stoddart's cricketers. On March 18th Ireland beat Wales at Rugby football and Scotland beat Wales at Association. On the 21st Englaud also beat Wales in an Association match. There is a great outcry to make the game faster. Does it not strike those who advocate such a proposal that the game is already quite fast enough for footballers? (asks a writer in the Post). Doctors say it is fast enough for youths who are not professional athletes, and from what I have seen and experienced of the game it is frequently 100 fast for a number of referees. One would gather that football is going to be amended so that anybody who cannot break 100 yards in 10 seconds is not required. This continual cry for a faster game is an incentive to professionalism. In England "socker" draws immense gates ; and why ? Because the teams are mainly composed of professionals, who can be relied upon to give a more scientific game than amateur Rugbyites at their own game. If professionalism is to be kept out of Rugby football, let the game alone, so that it can be well played by bom fide amateurs.
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Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8512, 9 May 1899, Page 4
Word Count
561FOOTBALL NOTES. Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8512, 9 May 1899, Page 4
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