FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

,r— —» ■ OPENING OF THE WELLINGTON '■' SEASON ; The 1008 football season opnncd on-Satur-day, and, although- tho- weather was rather warm for tho. strenuous winter pastime, con- •> siderabkv-enthusiasm was displayed,, and nearly every, Club had sufficient enthusiast! to enable full complements, .to' to raised fol the practices: Mirariiay- presented'- a lively sight, i\ith the liimdrcds- ot players-,flauntjng the'colours of tlicir respective Clubs:: Every.. available piece of'ground-was ..taken up by the teams; nearly all'the members of which gave evidence of'being out" of'form, but all wore exuberant at the return of the favourite)' pastime. . . • ' Oriental .had the largest mustier, about 80 wearers, of- the bkck-and-whifc : jergeysjtuni- ;. ing out. 'Southern aud.lPpneke were wel' represented, both Clubs having sufficient merto make' four, teams. The Wellington' Clul. . had a practice match with-abput 20 player!. ' on- each side. r. .ThoV Melrose 'and Athietir ,' Clubs were , not 'So strong';: humeri *; - eally, but hi 'each team •< several. seuiof ;. ' players weji«;'pjajii>jg''aß';well?as ever, : while:. many ' juniors', gave exhibitions Which" shoulf ';; make for their inclusion in senior raiiki,.,., The junior' \ clubs, also, had good practices.,. 11 " ..... • In the grounds set apartfor Association" football,'-tho ; Wanderers,. Swifts,' -Y.M.C. A., . Hovers, Ramblers, 1 and' Diamonds Clubs.had all good musters.' . ' OLD BOYS CLUB. Mr. W. Devenish. President of the kelson College Old Boys l'ootball Club, has.offereda shield for amiuai'conuietitioti amorig'teams,'. from the Old' Boys football .Clubs..qr.tKoif Colleges and secondary schools of" the Do-' minion. There are at present four Old Boys ■Fpotbair Clubs,in .existence..,ill; ifew Zealasd —the Wellington .Cpljegej. Wanganui Collegiate. School, Christchurch Hoys' High. Scho'ol'," and: Nelson Cpllegc Old' ball -Clubs.. 'Teams from''all ..*th'ese''Clnbs'-'ar l 9;; , expected to, take/part; in' thei'initial 'bom-' .; petition, - which it is proposed "to hold ; 'iiir- ■ Wellington'- at-Easter..- : 'lt"'is\to be -hopedv 'that the movement. will lead ,to"ihisMeyiriaii tion of other Old: Boys clubs. . One is likely - to.-b'e formed in \'conneqtipn wjt-h .the .-Wai-. takia 'Higlr School, and another, is expected., 111 v'connection with tliQ Otago. Boys' High School. ~'. '' n .;.V; '-'V /'. 1 j WAJRARAPA FOOTBALL. !*'. (BT TELEGKAPir— PRESS ;-;-.' Masterton, Ma- h 29. - Tho annual meeting of tho Rfed Star Foot*- ! ball Club-was' hold on Saturday night, and 'was'the largest and most enthusiastic^ meet-.'■ ing :m the history , of theClub.-•:Mp.!•'J. Adams; an ex-Melrose,' player,, was, elected captain, aiiid Mr. J. Dugan, .ex-member of ' the Athletic .Club, Ayelljngton.ryicercaptain; ■ Mr. J. O'Meara was elected;patrony'Mr; 12.. ■ •Welch,' president"j'"and;Messrs::J.JG.- Ewing-y ton, W. S. : Ler.t, and B. Ivesoti, vice-presi-- ~ dents. It-was decided to invite a Melrose team to play a, match against .the Stars oil ■ Easter: Saturday at' Mabtertop. Amongst the now plavors in the Star, ranks will :bo, ,W. Do Blois (Melrose 1 Senior), M'Chll (Petone), - • i.and Hebley (Petone). : : ■

• OTAGO RUGBY UNIOX... ' -(BT . TELMUAM.—rRESS ASSOCIATION.) ' .. ■ .. Dunedin, March 29. . The annual meeting of- 'the Otago Rugby Football Union was held last , night. The , president, Mr. G. W. C. Macdonald, referred to:tho fact that,last, season; a 'professional < toanv. left' the -Doipuuon foj- England* and •» statpd' that no. man was more , strongly ,'op-;- , posed jto prof6ssipnalismrithan. : .he ; avas, ': but he; certainly thought , that',-tho qverrStrjngent rules of'.amateunsm adopted by'tho English Rugby Union- had led -to • of: professionalism: If a player who went '6n' tour witli' an interprovnicial • team lost \ Ins wages, why shoujd tho Union not make up;his-'urge's?!-,' ,TJip. ( nian.|did^not.!gct r .lus . living by. 4 'tM;'ganio'i;' \ V v l '. ;■>!:. -It was resolved,- vThajj.it be. rccopimendedM to the committee of management"to instruct its .to the. ,New ( ;Zealand "Rugby ynion to movo for'a conference or the sot-tirig-up of'a committee to j*o thoroughly-into the• rulesiibf?.tho. game; witliotliß~'ooject: of their improvement, and that the /decisions of the confcrencey or the suggestions' of the com-!-mitteo bo. passod on .to tlio English .Union.".';, 'Itwas 'als.crresolved,/'"That it J}?:: an"' instruction to delegates to. tho' Ne\v . Union to bring bofore,the annual meeting of -the, Union the ■ question- of the programme of 'tho British team's tour, with a; view to having 1 Test .matches' substituted for matches against tho North and South Islands." . , -Mr.. J/ Hutclnsop was elected president;

V'ANGANUI RUGBY UNION i- ' tur ■ TBpEGEiPn.T7-raiiSß association.) \ i: ' : Wanganui, March 29. I. The annual meotmg.'of the Wanganui Rug by Ujiion was held on Saturday evening. Tlie following -officers; were elected, for. the i ensuing year:—Patron,'Mr.- Walter Empson i (rq-elecUjd); president, Mr. G. Spriggens (re* ~ ■ elected); ''.vice-presidents, .Messrs. Tilley, ■ v Simpson," and rflustm; •< Befcretar.y, vMr. R. Dunlday; hon. treasurer, Mr. L. Crqig; audi-,- '■ tors,' Messrs. liatherley ar.d Pickering; vice- ' >. president of tho New. Zealand Rugbjv Union, Mr. yv.' Empson; delegates to the Union, Messrs.- -Hyams and Pownall; management — committee, .Messrs. Gray (VYaiiganui)-,\T. ■Bell (Kaiercau), Treloar. (Pirates),- Bassett • (Old-Boys),-Pownall (College),-. Brown (Aramoho)j Markliam (St.- Mary's);,selection . committee, Messrs. lilley, Wiesnpy,' and- Cor- ' ■ by. ' , 1 PROFESSIONAL" MOVEMENT!. IN- : . i AUCKLAND . tBI' TELEGpiPH.—riItSS ASSOCIATION.) ,' • . ,'■ . s , , Aucklandj.March 28.. ' Many complaints |.werev made hy.-. injured': players* of. Rugby, foptball. iji;-Auckland. last," :- seasoi} tjjati. while they were turning out .week ; : " by' week, at-risk;;of limb; ; a_ii<lj:--incidentally', ,: .', filling the coffers of the Union • by', the, gatesvs they: attracted,', yet. when they were uufor- • tiinate enough' to be. injured they. had town it weeks formoney I fromn'the'; accident fund. '.'.: This ' tended to'. strain ; the. relationship-; bo- ... .tvreeii ;. tlio _ officers, Union,'■ ana' the; players, who surmise-that 'they 'are, being used , ■' to build' ' that' mispd.''are'J'liKcly'•■..tq^ijb^'/t^v^he^yprce;« ' .'of. "professional movement.'.. .appears '. ! . ; .to,; ;)i'avo r i . Wpofo:,a'gd'.' , 'tho. ( . . ; mail ;-in the' street"i.wasjsayjjig'that/ithero' ' would be • fotiV"'team's) staHed./ran'd.'that; tie., > ; ; Edeii'' Pistrict;. •' been 'secured 1 ; yet' nothing ; lia's. . .- quiries hiive: elicited 'the 'fact;th?t"t))Q 'Eden'.'' r authorities have not ! 'yet~ lieenUppfQaphed by -v: . tjio professjbiial '.promoted'aijto"' the rent:, 1 ing of their-' ground. " -The/promoter's niay be' Ijko;," .-•R#bit,' < '.-gljing:.;Jpw and .'. awaiting fcliV arrival'of ihe .tom'; now, on.its way front". Eiiglaitd, * but' ifs':'thaj. ;wer6'" tho •' case, Surely, tongues ,would; wag... . : ;

THE ASSOCIATION , , , "A''< roturir showing.the financial result. " the-Brown' Shipld' Association;,matches' held -■ hero -lasts'season- shows that - , a- sunv of £32' 11 125... lid. been netted by. tho'Now Zealand 'Football Association,-. Tho 'total receipts ivere £6!) Bs. Gd. It has Ideally thai the Brow^i' Shiold\nijitches should • i ,be played this season-'at. 'Wellington instead■' ,of ••at Dunedm.Such, a . proposal is con- • sidorcd' a-fair- one, iu'.bhat Wellington teams '• have.travelled tho,lasf-'iwa,seasons:,'to'these. - contests', ''whereas Otago has devoted tha money, available to Bend; teams away- to tho • buying of.,a-ground: It is.understood locally-: that tiieproposed ' visit.- tb.VEnglandby-,.a •<. No\y Zealand .teani isjrather.preniature.: ,\Mr. . Richardson deserves credit , for his , effort ill , ' bringing aboututlie Jbr. ,tlie trouble; lie has .taken. to make preliminary:arrange- . .'ments, .bub the question of, financo is .rather , a big oiio for 'the New Zealand Football Association to taekhi. Howcveiy'tho action of tlid GVssbciatioij .'ivhen .it lias pbrused .the corr <?• rospondnnce that Sir. Richardson has received •" will be awaited with interest-':. .: ■■'v