SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL NOTES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 98, 1 June 1914, Page 3

SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL NOTES.

The Canterbury Football Association las every-reason to be gratified with the success gf its schools competitions.- Last season found eight school teams joining issue for the. supremacy in school Soccer aind the of the Gough Cup.' The dinners' of that trophy, the clever St.- Bede' s - team, have', jumped from school] football into third , grade, and bid fair to be in the running for the third grade championship.' Sumner, the runners up," are holding more than their own in the recently formed- fourth grade. "Which proves that the school is the nursery- of ..clever and scientific football •

; This' season has seen an addition of eight school' teams to-the competition, making a "total -rof •14 teams and necessitating the formation of two. divisions^ — schools/ senior and junior grades. Technical College (two teams), Swifts, St. Miehael's, East Christclmrch, and Somer£eld form the senior grade; ' Richmond(two teams), St. Mary's, Spreydon, StAlbans, _ East Christchurch, •=■ Swifts,, and Addingtoii make up the junior grade. The junior grade is limited to boys under 13 - years of age, and to teams frcm schpols whose total attendance is leas than 400.

• iLast "Saturday saw the second routed ■of the school games. Some really good matches were played. In the senior grade the* match between Technical A and Swifts was fast and full of incident and excitement. Swifts drew first blood after a very fine piece of play in which their outside, right and centre forward were •conspicuous. Technical equalised and got one- ahead before the final whistle. There are'some very promising players in both teams. Barr, Burgess, and Smith work well together for Swifts. Stevens and the outside left for Technical were most in (evidence for the winners. ' St. Michael's accounted for Technical B by two goals to nil. St. Michael's have now a two-point lead in'the senior schools. East.Christchurch were too good for. Somerfield by ..two goals. With a little more experience the Somerfield boys will do better. They play a plucky game, and are doing well for such a young team.

The junior grade games provided plenty of fun and a fair amount of very passable football; The Richmond A-St. Albans game at St. Albans Park was after' the straggling type of game, ten forwards and six half-backs chasing, heedless of position or .combination, the unruly and elusive ball. Judging by the amount of talking, shouting, and ordering, there seemed to be as many captains as there were players. The boys are enthusiastic, and willing, however, and will, I feel sure,, soon learn to keeip thenplaces and combine better. Richmond A won by a goal to nil. ■ St. Mary's proved too good for Swifts at South Park by two goals to nil. Swifts played three men short. Shaw, captain for St. Mary's, scored both goals. He is the makings of a clever footballer, keeps his men well together, and sets them an example of good passing and dribbling. ■ - _ ' Spreydon had a three-goal win over East Christchurch. . The former team plays a really creditable game of football. If they keep together and put in plenty of practice they should be among the first teams at the end of the season

Addington and Richmond B have had byes so far. Both teams will line out next Saturday. The former, I hear, has some good schoolboy talent in its rauks. Richmond A leads in the junior grade with St. Mary J s and Spreydon in close attendance.

Messrs Ives and Barr and Father Quinn controlled the school games on Saturday. VITAI LAMPADA.