GOAL TO GOAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 56

GOAL TO GOAL.

Union plays its annual fixture with Oamaru en June 6. The British forward Swannell is still playing football in Sydney. Bailey, a Southland player of repute, is reported to have joined Glebe (Sydney) this seacon. Porteous, who had signified his intention of retiring, will play for Kaikorai throughout tfae season. P. Midlane, famous as a cricketer on this side, is playing Rugby football in Sydney thi3 season. The ball used in a match in Auckland the ether day was '.hat used in the New ZealandWales matin. Knowles, the Alhambra half back, has lost form, and is not showing the cleverness of a. season or two ago. Tho first representative match of the season will take placa on July 23, when Ot«go n>eeta c Tfl.r«iraki team. It is understood that Bennet, the Alhambra centre, was irdispc&ed 011 Saturday, which accounts for his poor display Matches next Saturday — Zingari v. Union; Pirate-s v. Southern; Kaikorai v. Dunedin; Alhambra v. University: Port a bye. A team from the Pirates Football Club journeys 10 Christchnrch on Jims 2 to play its aniiual fixture with Christchurch. Reported that one member of the New Zealand teatn arrived home with less than Is in his pocket, and that another could only raise 3s 6d. The Union rear division is hot a brillisujf

one, but it is pretty safe. The defence shown on Saturday quite nullified the attack of the Alhambra, -backs.

The New South Wales Rugby Union has appointed Messrs J. R. Henderson, P. M. Lane, and James M'Mahon Selection Committee for the season.

Going to the country press for nevrs : "Jimmy" Duncan, the veteran, has by no means yet doffed the jersey, and will play for Kaikorai Second for a start.

Hobson was line umpire for Alhambra, on Saturday. The ex-Alhambra captain must have thought things when be saw the game the Red-and-blacka were playing.

In the first spell of the Union-Alhambra match on Saturday M'Kewen, of the latter team, threw away a certain score by a wild pass when ha was plmost over the line.

The standard of football shown up to the present by the various clubs in the senior competition has been very poor, and unless there is a vast improvement there will be disaster to chronicle with Otago representative teams.

At a football match at Mirainar, Wellington, c-n a leccut Saturday a player named Edward Martin received an injury which necessitated hi? removal to the hospital. On examination it was found- that one leg was broken just above the ankle. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union; Mr Garrard said that nearly every union in New Zealand had been represented at the last annual meeting of the New Zealand Union, and that union had been given to understand that it -was not to have a monopoly of the local management of football.

■A writer in a Melbourne contemporary !a"*TOents the fact of Victorians being shut out from internationalfootball. and suggests that ■an effort be made by the Rugby Union authorities ""and the adherents of the Association, Australian, and American jrules throughout the world to agree to play one universal game with a. uniform set of laws.

Ii will be remembered that last season it

was reported in the ..newspapers that the presentation of an acre of land and a stag's head had been made to the scorers in a match played at Martinborough last year. Tho Wairarapa Union, at the request "of the New Zealand Union, made inquiries, the result of which is a complete denial of the press r-e-ports. The half b?ck seized the ball and made a superb rush down the .field. The crowd went wild, but, when the cheers of ?.r*plnuse had subsided, it was apparent That the ball had not been "in play." " Oh. dear, what does he have to bring ihe ball back for?" asked en© )ady of another "I'm stire I don't knew." was the reply, "unless he's got en

encore "

A Welsh appreciation of a player we have seen- "We may all have odd notions about

the iiltle man's ' streakiness,' but {here is no

getting away from the fact that Bush at ha'f la ]U3t a bit better at opening out the gams than any other half v.'c have in Wales, and his inclusion in the team against Ireland might have made a much greater difference than most "' people think." A small boy selling football mourning cards in Cardiff after the great New Zealand versus Wales match, seeing a man standing on the fteps of the hotel; and not knowing that it was Gallahar, the captain of the "All Blacks," ■sked him if he would buy a card in memory of the death of poor New Zealand. "No thanks." replied the skipper, with a grim smile, " I w«t3 at the funeral myself." Apropos of spectators encroaching on the North Ground, that historic- ulnying field has not become a? bad as Sydenham (Christchurch), where it was reported recently a ma.n •with his wif=- arrt family picnicked under the goal posts curing the progress of a match. When remonstrated with and told that one of his children would ba killed the head of the family remarked " That's my trouble." A football match in Auckland between a team of non-criclptcrs and a team of cricketers in aid of the Cricket Coach Fund was played in Auckland tho other day. The match resulted in a wir for the non-cricketers by 11 points to nil On ths side of the vanquished v/cre f.ucli <-xpor.ents of Rugby as D. Gallaher. Geor-rc Smith, R. M'Giegor. Morry Wood, and ' Scobie " Mackenzie. The latter player is said to have been the best on the ground. The famous " All Black " footballers have

Teaeived the inevitable recognition of their valour in musical form, a song entitled "Welcome, • All Blacks,' " having been published by the Brett Printing and Publishing Company (Ltd.). The song is written by Mr W.

W. Boyes, an author of several natriotio New Zealand verses, and composed by Mr H. E. Light, F.G.O-, London. As a tribute to their success the song is all that the New Zealand footballers could desire. Iv wag pretty clearly demonstrated on Saturday that the Alhambra- team of 1906 is, figuratively, only the shadow of its former self. In physique the members are quite up io tho average, ii not beyond it, but in execution they fall much below the standard of former teams from, the same club. There is. however, time for improvement, and it would not be surprising to find them repeating last year's- experience, and again coming with a xush later in the season. Mr E. M. D. Whatman, the -newly-elected president of th« New Zealand Rugby Union, deserves the honour — none more so (says the Wellington correspondent of Panterbury Times). In him Rugby has one of its best and most influential supporters. A fine player in his day, Mr "Whatman's Rugby career came to a close on that eventful afternoon at the Basin Reserve in 1888, when ths Wairarapa representative, playing for Harry Roberts's team against Stoddart's combination, got his legs tangled up with those of the English full back, the result being a broken limb, which necessitated his removal tc the hospital.

£>r Urquhart, a New Zealander. who played in the other aide for some years, and who is now in South Africa, writing to the Referee, cays : " Rugby is making great strides here, but the grounds have no gross, and it is like playing on nietal loads. Great interest is being aroused hero by the tour of the South African team tc England this 3eason. _ But 1 think they will not win any of the interrationals. From -what I have seen of the English teams and of South African football I am convinced that they have a great deal to learn. In tho team going Home it is arranged that no player will be selected for the tour unless he is a South African colonist. That seems rather strange, does it not? Thep are many Australians and New Zealanders in Bulawayo."-