FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 208, 27 May 1908, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

THE BRITISH TOUR; V ' ■ ~ '<'"■> ' TO-DAY'S MATCH. The second match of the Britishers' loui , e to bo played to-day at tho. Athletic Park] irhen the visitors aro to meet the Wellington representatives. Special'interest is being taken in tho match oh account of the pro- . miso shown by tho visitors in the opening j game .: against the; .Wairarapa' and Bush Unions. > Tho JSnglishmen were not pushed in the first game, aiifl no idea could bo formed » of their defensive powers, but it is antici- . pated that' the Wellington team will call tho full strength of tho tourists into play. Most j." ; of tho business places in town will be closed this afternoon, and an exceptionally large crowd is expected at the Athletic Park. Up to yesterday evening 1100 of tho reserved ss. seats had been booked, leaving less than a hundred; still open - for salo this morning. Temporary stands have befen erected at the northand south ends of tho grandstand proper, and a chargo of 3s. is being made for - admission to these.' The ground should be ■ in good order, although, yesterday's rain and a heavy dew last night will leave it on the soft side. •' ; Owing to uncertainty as to whether , ceri tain players will be available, the British team is not being selected until this-morn-ing. Harding is anxious to play, but there is somo doubt as to whether ho will bo able to do so. -.'■■■■- . . The Wellington team will be as under< Full-back—G. Spencer. ; ■; Three-quarters ; -—- Evenson, Mitclnnson, 1 ind Thompson. . . • Five-eighths—Roberts' and \\ allace. Half—Green. ■■ ■■ Wing forward—-Hardham. • •••• • Forwards — Readv,_ Hamilton, Rush, A. (Vilson, A. M. Wilson j Dowar, and Alexander. ' ■ CURIOUS PREPARATIONS ■ Those who may'view the Anglo-Welsh footballers at close quarters to-day will notice that their features and limbs have a highly polished appearance.; This is.not due to any. ■ ■ beauty preparations,' but is : simply the result of . liberal . coatings of vaseline, which tho visitors 'uso as a preventive to any pos- ' siblo inflammation or suppuration of wounds, which otherwise would be oxposed to tho cold air. . Precautions of this nature aro much more necessary, in, the cold climate of Britain than in New, Zealand.' ; Several ;Wai-' • - rarapa lady''enthusiasts who.'were-much dis.1 appointed in the defeat of the'coyntrymen ■< last Saturday'at Masterton stated that the ■. visitors took an unfair advantage'by smear-' ing themselves with vaseline so that - they" could not'be collared.; Preparations of some sort or other are very popular amongst many football teams ; :" For instance Uru, the well- ■ known Canterbury giant, •;■ once : introduced ; : bird-lime amongst back players, 1 so that the ball"could stick;to their' hands on a wet day. This stuff proved, too sticky on numberless • occasions,, whon- a, thref-quarter was ob- , served streaking for the line, and with a look of horror on his face because he could . not get rid of the leather, which was hang-' ijig' l to o his'digits .as ,if magnetised! Resmalso ' was at oiie time; very, commonly used for rubbing on the'hands when, the ball was slippery. Ellison, who was-a genius'in* many ways, pinned his faith on these- oc-. casions to white' kid gloves, ■ which were never .- found to slip against : a wet' surface. Ah-, otherpractice amongst' footballers '' is " chewing some sort of substance,'chewing gum or ; gutta-percha, in : ordor to keep' the' mouth •closed, as ; much as possible..- This devicp'has'; V been-proved to bo successful in many!'ways. ' --.Then again' there are Splayers who believe in /•' greasing ./the' soles of/their' boots so that the; mud will'not stick to them on a muddy ground. - ; .i'

Special - tramway arrangements in -respect of the football, match; are advertised elso- ■ whoro. .- ' -- ; . . W/r understand that the Telegraph , Department' 5 are putting extra instruments 'at' the .Wellington; South ■ (Newtown) office ' to- - facilitate' the transmission of messages in connection with to-day's football match. The office will also be kept open till 6 p.m. The New Zealand team which is to meet ■ fclio ■Englishmen''in.thei.first'test match to be. played at Dunedin. on June.6 is to gather in. Duriexlinriot later; than June 2, so as , to enable the'tcam to practice together before tho big garnet WELLINGTON RUGBY UNION, A meeting of the Management. Committee j ' of the: Wellington Rugby [Union was held last! evening, Mr: ;J. Murray presiding. There were also present':—Messrs. J. Sweeney,' B. !v 0. F. Alpe; 6. Bogle, J. Bums, J. F. o'Sullivan,, and W. G. r Talbot (seoVetary).' • •'j lho New Zealand Union forwarded the following ruling of the International Board just received from t-ho English Union, as bearing • on the case of a thrown in from touch as in Law .12,.Section (A), when the ball does • not - alight at right angles ' The advantage' . . rule does not- apply to' a. throw-in- from ' touch." . i'- • It was decided, in resppnso to a letter from the Wairarapa Thursday Union, to arrange ;a 'representative match with the Wellington' Wednesday representatives at Wellington on July 15.. . .A 'suggestion was 'received from Mr. E. J. Barriett ithat a hat band should be estab- ' lishcd for old Wellington representatives. The matter, was .left; in the ' hands . of , the secretary.' ." "It.'was decided that in future the' Horowhenua. Union's B team, will meet tho Wellington. junior representatives, so as to.ensure a more even game.; , - / It was,;-decided. 1 that, the ,Wellington-Tara- . Eaki representative inatcir would probably be played on August 19. • . ' , ' A letter was received from the Wanganui Union stating that, they would play 'Wellington at Wellington on June 3 on condition tho visit was returned during the Wellington' team's Northern trip. , . .The, Marlborough Onion asked for a match with tho Wellington representatives this season. It was decided to hold tho matter, over . until . the representative fixtures.'-aro considered. ... The ManawatiP Union wrote that i they. should play Wellington a-r, a cur-tain-raiser to tho New Zealand-British test match. It was decidcd to reply • that tho committee could not see its way to adopt the suggestion, but would bo pleased to meet : Manawatii in Wellington during tho. second week. in_ August. ■ . Tho Now Zealand Union forwarded the following resolution passed at tho annual meeting,of tho Council:—"That the affiliated Unions.be requested to submit to the Management Committee suggestions for tho improvement of. the game . and that , the proposals of tho Management Committee on these suggestions bo forwarded to tho English Union ■ .... with a request that they may be dealt with beforo next season." The New Zealand Union suggested that a rough draft of tho more important suggestions should be forwarded-by June 25 to enablo .tho Management Committee to discuss them generally with Mr. Harnett, manager of the British team. A special committee, consisting of Messrs. J. Sweeney, C. Camp- , • bell, Harry Roberts, F.Roberts, *6. C. Fache, "and W. Wallace, was appointed to consider tho matter. ' \ . ..} • ■i Tho committee went .into the matter brought forward .at. last, week's meeting by . a deputatioii from the Referees' Association, some discussion ensuing as to the procedureto bo adopted in-inquiries into the cases of , players ordered off tho "field by a referee. It was resolved that in future in the caso of a playor being ordered off, the referee's, statement be accepted as fact, but that the player bo permitted to make a statement, and to call evidence to prove provocation or in mitigation of penalty. » We acknowledge from Alfred Ford,' the well-known Sydney football- manufacturer, copy of N.S.W. Rugby Football Annual for .1908.