FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 160, 7 July 1909, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

fcTTGBY. -*tc\ Union have *f?ffiAh the Auckland to ■* entatives, on a date to be | ft Dtam, of the N-Z ■* paid Auckland end of last week, * Wellington on Monday even- "# « «i-i Union have ar-' n? b fSoS dates for their + Jr Aue- 7, Wanganui; Aug. prifto? gW- * g 14 Wellington. A made that the match played on August 21st, | Sftftwia not be carx ie d out. , 1 of all matches on : ow-S to the & ■ rfcher curtail the senior chani- ; vffl t . it really does not make much !£■££ which draw is played off, for f'Tactically no interest in anyJfc the Ponsonby-City match, probably the committee will ad " * the figures set down for last -J which will Still enable the gf championship to be decided on v . fground'L game under Northern Union jTirtweeu the -Maori team which is Australia and the representaL kit a lot of interest. The match, °W4 is ftsed for Saturday, at Victoria. KuU hare been located at Te 2?| { O r some time, where they have ~ Sβ Biter the tuition of Barclay, a Sja of the last native team that Si Australia, aud are reported to rinsdilY adapted themselves to the *?rdU" white the Auckland team, rfkh'it is stated wUI contain a numfer of surprises, are hard at work unto the guidance of AY. SaekreU. In addition to the football, a number of Mα etc., will be given, particulars of which will be found in our advertis- . jj» COIuDBSComp!aints still come to hand in reference to the rough play indulged in ly certain of the senior teams, on occasions when there are absolutely no extenuating circumstances. It i≤ such unfair, and°iliny pay wfeieh is having a decidedly detrimental effect, on a number of youag players, who, sooner than stand the knocking about they get by such means, turn the game up. Ko one objects to genuine hard play, which ai iimes cannot be dissociated with a fast game, but when it comes to "putting in the boot" when a player is on the ground, then it is time to 'call a halt. In connection with rough p&y, is the Rugby Union committee doing its duty? A snort time ago two well-known senior players were before it, and found guilty, not exactly of rough play, but of striking each 'other, with the result that they were suspended for a month. A first junior player meets with the same punishment for rough play. This is a very milk-and-water manner in dealing with such cases, and until the governing body takes a firm stand, and deals out 6evere punishment, so long will rough | and fouJ play be with us. The angotmfiegient that the Otago Rugby Unioi ted decided to adopt • the flistikt scheme came as an interesting piece of isws to Aucklanders, and the 'success or otherwise cf the movement will Iβ closely watched in the Tfiea .Auckland decided to adopt the iJajrictjehenie, it was for the reason, that itae mc practically only two clubs ■rafi any pretensions to first-class senior iam, Jrat in Ihmedia it is the other way stent, for there it is thought that there are too many senior teams in the field, aid thai the district scheme will tend to improve the standard of play. There fe no doubt that the innovation, when introduced in Auckland, revived interest in football, but we seem to have drifted lack to the old order of things, and for the past ionr or five seasons there Java practjcaHy only been two teams ■with any chance for championship hoaonrs. As to whether the standard of play has improved or not is another quesVβ, wMcl opens up a .big field of argument, and, although personally I am of tie opinion that there are a greater number of fiist-ckss players under the present system. I must join issue (even at ihe risk of being dubbed fossilised) with those rvrho argue that the present-day payer b below the old-timer. Another J-ear or go jnnsi see a marked change in she fortunes of the various districts, and for the sake of the game I sincerely •hope that such will be the case, but one must confess that at present the outwok is anything but a bright one; and, « tefore mentioned, it will be decidedly interesting to watch the effect of the echeme in Otago. The junior competitions are now well errand .the following tables show the foaticHjs gf ihe teams in ihe different

I fcmsonby ,.. g fiewton ... a ■gulst Bro3. '.'"'. 8 PanieU § Grafton . | xotft store.::::: 8 City s toersity .„";; s S 6 6 5 2 2 0 2, o 2 3 6 6 6 8 117 60 S3 1<"»6 50 ,'-;;; l^i 3H Iβ iia T9 1.15

SSPOND GBADE.

3 if I 4 I I I I k=! n ill iiiniill *°rtt snore A ..Struck oct of Competition.

THIRD GEADE.