FOOTBALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 79, 22 December 1906, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

(By "Pakeha.")

An outcry acainst the brutality of American football continues. Up to the beginning of October the casualties m the East numbered four killed and ten injured for. life.

At the annual meeting of the Scottish Rugby Union a -question was asked as to whether a proposal to send a team to New Zealand came before the English Union, and what, the attitude of the Scottish Union was. Mr Smith stated that a proposal came before the International Board, but it did not meet with the ' approval ot the other unions. A. C. Burmister, one of the South African full-backs, at' Taunton, sustained a fracture of one of his riibs, and was not expected to play again during the tour. The "Springboks," however, hate aoi able substitute in' Marzburg. Before the "All Boks" started for England a cake .was presented by the editor of the Kimberley "Star" to the captain of the team on the condition that, it was not to be cut until after they had won the first match of the tour. On the top of the cake there was a small Itugby football made of chocolate,' containing the visiting cards of well-known residents m Kimberley. Only the captain and the manager of the team were : m the secret, and the • cutting of the cake after th£ - victory at Northampton came as a. complete surprise to the rest of the players. Football "gates" m the Midlands were phenomenal when the last mail left, but it was soccer that drew the crowds. The Albion and Cheshire, match at the Hawthorns produced a i record Second League gate,, there. Aston Villa .took over, £$'300 m; ! their last two home engagements' with Birmingham and . Woolwich; Arsenal, The Wolverhampton Wan-! i derers and Albion match produced' I £518, a. record Saturday Leagtie'' Igate for the Wanderers. . . !

The South African footballers now, m England are described as rare sportsmen, playing a perfectly clean game m every respect. The team are mostly Dutchmen, with a few of French extraction, the remainder be-' ing of British descent. With one ex-? oeption all were born m South: Africa. Mamy of them ' foutrht against the British m the great Boer war. m fact, some of them were imprisoned at St. Helena. ,

• ■Mr Keith S. Armstrong, secretary of the Carterton Rover Football Club, has been presen-cd by the members with a token of their esteem on his leaving their midst to take up his residenoe ih Palmerston North.

Much was made by the daily press 'over that alleged .riot ac- 'trie Aihietic i J ark last season when Oritniai unexpectedly bowled over; Melrose, 'ihe WeiiihgX'Oh Kugby"- union,, alter making careful enquiries m the propel quarter very wisely caiue to xi_e conclusi ori that the •••dingoese" howling of the "Times" and *'i<ost >i newspapers was a thing to l>e ridiculed and interven/tvon on its part quite unnecessary. The ever virtuous NewZealand Rugby Union Executive snorted loudly at the action of -the subsidiary Union and called upon . the latter to right 'matters by ferretting out the culprit who jwas classed as the ringleader m . the disturbance. The local Union told the New Zealand Rugby Union committeemen, m effect, to mind their own business, amd if they were not satisfied at the way things went, to undertake the role' of " 'tecs" themselves. The New Zealand Union pepple were quite unprepared for such a snub, and they mildly remonstrated at the set-back administered to. theft. One prominent member , of the executive was instrumental m pushing matters fur-' tner, and after an interval of several weeks the police, at his instigation, principally, issued a summons' against a yoUng man who was alleged to have made himself prominent m the demonstration against the referee. The young man, However, got scared and bolted from tlie town, notwithstanding the declaration of witnesses summoned to give evidence against him that they were unable to identify this particular party on the occasion of the disturbance. Had the case gone to Oourt the silly ass must have escaped scot' free, by reason of the failure of identification, while it is extremely likely that the Magistrate would, m any case have decided, against the New Zealand Union, on the ground that it bad no jurisdiction over the ground during the currency of the local Union's competitions. What virtuous eentlemen ind«ed guide the 'destinies of the N.Z.R.U. The writer will 9how> up -the Dixon-cum-Lawrenson-cmm-Gal'braith push by ashing it a few pertinent questions before next football season happens along. For love of the sport. Ugh.! It is currently reported that three or four of the present Managing Committee of the New Zealand Union intend giving up the Rugby ghost next season. "Truth" has been a bit too hot for these gentlemen. There's a roasting m store for them if they don't budee.

Says Sydney "Sportsman" ':— ''The South , African springboks walloped the crack Welsh footballers on Saturday at Swansea, by 11. points to nil, m the" presenoe of 50,000 excited spectators. The Welsh' leather-kick-ers were the only crowd that downed the boys from the Land of the Moa on their last triumphal tour. The victory will probalbly rouse a feverish desitre m the Maori landers to arrange a bump with the springboks ! .