THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 57

THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

The following table shows the positions of the various clubs in the First Grade contest : —

A small band of enthusiasts travelled to Green Island on Saturday, ostensibly for tho purpose of shouting "Northern !" Whatever their emotions as the game unfolded, there was, however, nothing in tl c way of sound to indicate. Doubtless the town visitors recognised their impotenre against the healthy-lunged locals on the opposite line.

The Green Island men place a value upon stamina, and possess a fair amount of confidence in regard to theii own staying powers. Had they won the toss the? would have chosen to commence uphill with the sun in their eyes, depending upon their lasting qualities and the advantage of the slope in the second half to demolish all opposition. Presumaby; Northern favours a similar policy. The Greens, too, allowed no delajs in theii kick-ing-off, the ball being in motion frequently before their opponents were ready for it. The ground is unquestionably heavy at the top end, and until ir is improved by continual playing, teams who strive with the Green Islanders in local territory can reckon upon finishing up with nothing to spare Chadwick is playing in good form this season as inside left. Against Southern on thp previous Saturday he gave a rare display of energy and skill. Timlin also is pleasing the onlookers. Jones, on the left wing, is a rather leisurely player, with a tendency — common to players from the O'd County — to "fiddle" with the ball. Ratley is decidedly the most clever of the three newcomers in the ranks of the Northern. Shepherd has developed into a goalkeeper of the right stamp — steady at all times, and resourceful. Northern might do worse than give him a permanency.

Green Island has made a creditable entry into senior football. There is good material to draw from, in point both of weight and dash. There is a danger that the usefulness of the latter may be overreached if there i=» not a iudicioua tempering with skill. No team has this year inflicted a serious defeat upon Green Island, and if the policy of altering the composition of tho eleven each week and shifting the players hither and thither during the progress of the game ;s; s earnestly avoided, Green Island should make a very respeotable show. A little better understanding amongst the forwards on Saturday migiit have improved th& local team's score.

The Referees' Club is this year in a prosperous state. There are 28 members, of whom 17 or 18 are available every Saturday, the others being emergency men. The club intends to become self-supporting, each member paying an annual subscription of 2s 6d. A valuable feature of the club is the meeting for discussion and for the instruction of the younger members. On Monday evening the Referees' Club asked the O.F.A. for more- effective support in putting down .rough play. One referee said that but for the liberal treatment meted out by the O.F.A. to offenders he would have ordered off the field a player fiom each team in the match he controlled on Saturday last. As it was he considered it useless to do so. From the temper of the Executive Committee at Monday's meeting, there will in the future be no lack of support of the kind desired by tre referees. It was generally admitted that, offences had been rather lightly punished in the past, and opinion seemed) unaimous that an example would have to be made if the traditions of the game as a dean sport were to be maintained. Players who prefer not to figure as "examples" hold in their own hands a preventive measure. Some guidance upon the question of replacing injured players is afforded in a i-esolution adopted by the O.F.A. Committee on Monday, pending receipt of an offifii&l P.roj&uncenjenj from, ths English

Football Association. Injured players may now be replaced providing the captains of the two .competing teams are agreed. The Wakari's form on Saturday must have been gratifying to their supporters, the change in their forward line proving beneficial. Armit in particular played splendidly as outside right. He is of double the value to his club in this position than on the left wing. Morrison, who took Armit*6 place as outside left, played just as well as he did in his former position. When the Wakari forwards acquire more

combination they will prove a very formidable line. The backs are equally as strong, if not stronger, than last year. With two •exceptions, the team " is - the same as last year. Saturday's play brought out Farquharson's abilities as a. full back. His

kicking was brilliant, and 1 noticed re went in for heading more ' than formerly. His partner still plays his usual hard came, his heading being a treat to watch. He is, however, inclined to play too far up to hie halves at times. The evergreen M'Mil- | lan brothers are still invaluable to the club, their play being of a high order. Clarke, the Roslyn .right winger, was an absentee on Saturday, and for some reason I or . other M'Leod was playing among the ; forward instead of his usual place at goal. In the latter position at the present time he has uo equal in Dunedin, and is of more value to Rcslyn than among- the forwards. In Booldass the Roslyn have a good forward, who played consistently well on Saturday. Among the backs, Harlow at centre half "works hard. TKia player, ho-vr-ev-er, has a tendecy of getting out of his place sometimes, leaving the opposing centre forward a clear field. A centre Lalf should combine defence with attack, and never momentarily weaken one position to 1 strengthen the other. A correspondent writes, under date Sydney, May 7':-~r'3>ear . Sir* — Mr.'De I«'lsle> in the course " of' an article up_on- football in the Witness of -March 25, "makes the following (statement! : — 'There are really

very few amateur Soccer clubs outside the

publio schools and universities of England.' As one recently from tfoa Old Country, I can assure the author of the above statement that he is f .doing Englishman's national winter game a great injustice. There are a vast number of purely amateur Association clubs in England, far outnumbering the amateur clubsin the Rugby code, as the following figures, taken from a recent issi'.e of the London Standard, will show : • No. of amateur clubs in the English Football Association, 7500; No. of clubs in English Rugby Union, 500. It will be seen that Soccer outnumbers Rugby by 15 to 1. In addition

to the 7500 amateur Association clubs, there

are also about 100 professional clubs. The Football Association -deals very strictly •with amateur clubs secretly embracing professionalism, and it may be taken for granted that the large number of amateur clubs (including all grades of players down to schoolboys! are as purely amateur as those 'Under tW Rugby cede, Mr D'Liele also says that professional players receive

up to £500 a year for their services,

' But ha was wrong there, for the F,A. has I a rule (which has been in existence three •■ or four 3'ears) limiting players' wages to £4- a week. I believe one club which prei sented gold watches to its players, who , were receiving the maximum . wage, got into trouble for so doing." "Following up the remarks" (says the London Sportsman) as to the incorrect . statements in the Rugby Union circular, 1 po far from the public school boy not having any opportunity to play Soccer after leaving; school, it is an interesting fact that 20 public schools have old boy Soccer clubs, and excellent football most of them play. It must also be borne in mind that Association is exclusively the game played in the army, and there are' i 578 army clubs. Rugby has been tried in the army, but without success, and it is a tribute to the adaptability of the Soccer game that it should be played by Tommy Atkins in a1!a 1 ! parts of ths globe The navy, too, has plumped for the Associa-

tion game, and there are 180 ships' club?." There was some dissatisfaction expressed in Dunedi and Auckland some weeks ago about the treatment they had received at the hands of the New Zealand Association, and they even considered the question of severing their connection with the governing body (says a writer in the Evening Post). The trouble seems to be "a storm in a _ teacup,' 1 and has every prospect of being amicably settled. Those at the head of affairs in Wellington have done much to forward the interests of the game, but some of them have now come to the conclusion that more might be done by removing the headquarters to Dunedin, their contention being that new ideas and renewed energy might be forthcoming from the southerners, who haye shown considerable ability in fostering the game in Otago. I am entirely in sympathy with the proposal, more especially now that Mr A. E. Gibbs has gone to the Old Country, and that Mr F. J. Courtenay rontemplates resigning from the secretaryship. These two mou, especially Mr Gibbs, pave done more for the Soccsr game than any 20 others in the colony, and I hope their example will be followed-

Green Island played with great dash against Northern on Saturday, and, on the day's play, a little more judgment and precision in front of goal might have altered the result somewhat Their policy was one of unceasing activity, the goal kicks being taken with a minimum of delay and considerabla dependence being placed upon their staying powers. As a result, both teams fagged towards the close, and the policy of activity was seemingly forgotten, judging by the number of times the Green Island backs kicked over the outline. The defence of Irvine and Barnes was sound, and Love played fairly well in goal. Russell, recently from Home, was the best ( of the half-backs. Martin was indefatigable, and Grant proved that he is more usefully placed at half than forward. Morland and Marshall, on opposite wings, did good service in the forward line, Anderson impairing his usefulness somewhat by a tendency to neglect the ball in favour of tho man. Northern played Shepherd in goal, and he proved himself a cool and safe guardian. Harrison and Morrison were seen at their usual, and Kilgour and Sinclair played conscientiously. Sharpe (centre half) has a habit of joining the forwards. In the second spell he went up to centre forward — a position which seemed to suit him better. Ratley is clever, and seems versatile in addition; Irvine was just recovering from influenza, and, as a consequence, attempted very little. Timlin played conspicuously, but the Northern's forward play was, on the whole, distinctly inferior to that of the previous week. Possibly more accurate placing on the part of the backg would haye improved matters. The

referee issued a general caution to both' teams at half-time, and had occasion - to speak to several players individually as the result of heated moments. Northern 4 goals. Green Island 2 goals..

The Kaitangata team played well together against Southern. Pilling "was very safe in goal. The full backs were a -good pair, and by fine -kicking and heady- play, saved their side time and again. The forwards and halves did a full share of work.The Southern lined out a disorganised team. Stephens and A. M 'Donald were absent, and at the last .minute the team had to be rearranged. Lang- played full back, M'Hutchon going up' forward. The whole team lacked ' vim and dash in their work. Ashton, Spong, and Lambie were the pick of the backs, and Botting* and J. M'Donald did useful service in the; forward line. Kaitangata ... 3 goals. Southern . . 1 goaL

' Crimp played a fine game in goal for Battalion against _Morning r ton, and he had no chance of saving the goals registered against his team. Dobson and Wolstenholme played a fine game. The halves are improving, but the forwards seem to crowd , together instead of keeping their places, 1 though with practice they will no doubt improve. Baird, in goal for Mornington. was never tested, and Middlemass got in some good work The Mornington for. - < wards were fair. Mr Morrison gave every • satisfaction as referee. i Mormiogton ..._♦ goals. Battalion . NiL

j In the match between Wakari and Ros- , Iyn JFarquharson (the Wakari full back) • gave- a brilliant exhibition, and his coli league M'Nisfy was not far behind him. . ' the latter's accurate heading saving his . side repeatedly Knowles, at left half, should use his head more. Gilroy, on the '- rights ■ worked ' hard from' "start to ' fjnish. D." M'Mill'an^ at ; centre,- , half, "is" by 'no. meanq.~to be "classed as" a ''has befehv"-some of his work on Saturday being reminiscent; of his palmy days. All the forwards nlaycd well, though perhaps Armit and Ussher caught the eye most. J. M'Millan. in the centre, was hampered a good deal by. the muddy ground.- Dow, Mollison, and Ward were the pick ''of the Roslyn backs. Of the forwards, Bcoklass is a .very promising player, and Newman also did well in tho second half. M'Leod, on * the right, played a fair same, but'htf would be of more value to Roslyn in goal. * I.Mr Marshall gave,, full , satisfaction aa | referee. * ' ' < Wakari .. 5 goals. Roslyn Nil.

O.F.A. COMMITTEE.

The weekly meeting of the O.F.A. Com-, mittee, held on Monday evening, was afc» tended by Mr .T. Elmslie ~(in the chair), Messrs Clark. Stalker, Peters. Stables., Crawley, Braithwaite, Soundy, Sinclair, and Irvine.

Mr H. Barnes reocrted haying: ordered off the field Henry Watt, playing for Green. Island against Southern (Second Grade), for rough conduct while in a condition unfit to. play. The Secretary intimated that the name' did not appear in the list of registered players. — Resolved that Watt be not accepted as t member of any club affiliated to the O.F.A, during i 906; also that the Green Islam* '

Club be asked for an explanation. The matter of cubs not arranging foi luncheon for the Kaitangata team was mentioned. It was ' recommended-* that clubs drawn -against .Kaitangata appoint a representative to arrange for the luncheon, and meet the (cam upon arrival in^Duriedin.

gS 1 ? 3 *l 3 • Pj . . . . toosKjcoweowco Played. OOMHHBMM Won. lOMHUKIHOO Lost. 00000000 Drawn. tooocn*.ostodo3 Points for. SS^ooocoio*. Points agst o©iotoio*.oso Flag points