ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 514, 22 May 1909, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

(By Centhe-Half.)

Tho progress whitfh tho •'solicer" gajne is making" is causing , some alarm in the Rugby camp, and "tho management of tho latter game ja, considering v,-,vyg ajid means of combating;ihis fafirb growipg pppplarity. ~ Probably the bitter phase of the recent developments is tho. large number of boys who are grvinc .their "attention to "soooer" in

ptsfarmea to iiogbr,' endj hnre Ilea ,tho concern ot iht) Ituguyifcs, knowing Ml well na fboy ,dfj fct, thd ut)js t(re tW ponjor pteyctß of lie liitoßalflte fifeo- A tastober pi' Mio jyj un RgcsnpV-i tlid vVoillngtufl ittigb/ Uhiuii wloed wa cooootu /it ft reosfli ineeflng 01 Ills oofflmtt/tco. He W lieeil (jut i,o MlramM'tho piavl(?«s fin) 1 ! tod (xnmiyereu that " Wa« omtO(miX-pi,lti!ii!S-4a fact It Was r«>lly WoaOoi'ful—-to 6sa tlie iHunber of boya tatsma mrt m ttio AsssclsUon MJiie. Llo wnnlcd to kw Why it witf that the boys wore going over to tho foreign L'WiK), The "KXWr playorg nn,swer i ffllblj-: ''liroftu&i It U ft nctitqr ijttrno, ■ ,)!>lt t«ia dnon not ontlxfy tho llvisby cflt4ii)s(i«it,-; who consider* tliat tlio boya aro not doingtho righi tiling In plaj'intt ftuythuij; but ltugby. Tho snort and healthy reoreation is apparently notliii|£( (o tliO llugbyito, and ho would, if h° fl ou hli Iwo we boys away from "soccer" by ru offor pf free passes to tlio Athlotio Park on Saturday aftornoqia, 'Tho questions arise: What good weuld t®i? do tho boys, and how aw them.would go over to th.Q Kilghy game? Ihe writer ventures to say not vory many, but the re-, nclt would bo to encourage a horde of youthful barraekers—a mo9t 'undesirable outcome oren from tho Pi-Ugby view-point. The free pass will rob the ltugby "lower grades pf players, and transform theni into bank idlers, and v.'ill thus defeat its own end. That the Rugby people'havo cause for concern if provod by this year's figures. Last, year there wero 26 boys'teams playing "Beeper,' This yea? the total 'has piqiuitcd up to 34, and it is not only'in the lower grades that the improvement is shown.' The' total number of teams playing.under the '.'sQocer" code last vrar was 49; this soason there are, 01 teams in the fiold. Tho game is. headway in spite of many' little obstacles thrown in the ;way by somor-I aav "pomtf advisedly--kecn, but narrow-nundod CTpportors of Rpgb.v.; The future for ''wcoor' never looked brighter than it does at the present time. The senior ranks have been;strengthened by a large of Homo players, and the boys' and other junior grados are full, keen', and enthusiastic, and, with the South African visit to look forward to, everything isroao-tinted. ■ - With the nil all nt half-timo, and tho conditions in favour of Wandorors, St. John's did not look to have much chance at Seatoun last Saturday, and when the 'Wanderers, registered a goal soon aften the second term commenced, St. John's chances looked stilj worse. Faint heart never won a football match, hqwever ; and St. John's, recognising this; played with an enthusiasm which fairly paralysed 'VYftndfrers during; tho latter pajjt of the game. After equalising, the-scores, the juqjpr team of last year waded in. and pot on four more goals, and oveptually left , the fiejd ivith a brilliant win by 6 to IV to their credit. The heroes pf the winning ' team fere Moore and Ferguson,, on tho left wing-rthis pair .playing havoo with-tho Wanderers during'the last 2Q of tho game.- Ferguson, was personally respqpsihle- for four of the live goals scored by St. John's, played ail ideal i game, and to him and Ferguson, hearty .support, from the .win was due. • ' Bradbury and Ash- wore the pick qf a poor lot of Wandorora forwards, and Hatches played a good gamo at balf. Cornish and Jardino were deceidedly off-colour. < .'Both teams playing at Seatoun on Saturday had complaints to : make, in reference to the ground. Each Btlcccoding team has had something to say .in. this, epnnoction. ; • I notice that-no seJiuor fir?t division. tejm is to be played there to-day. . ■ ~ Refercos had ft great deal of trouble in finding grounds -,last Satuiday, Wing to tho mix-up; through shifting two senior games, from toW-i to Jliramar at the last muu'-tc. Onq gatp'o wfts not commenced pnti) 4 p.m. Petopo had'their first win of tte.Wgson last Saturlay, defeating llambbr? by 5. to ?. Tho suburban team, tjidod by a strong southerly wiqd.' mndo thipgs very Hyoly in the first spell,.but lost:a lot of their.dash in the .second term. ; ' ■. , "Bumper" Wright, who drew first -blood for Potone, throughout played, a BP»i E 0 ™ 0 - Ingram was the next tO.Eoqro, and the three last goals wero scorod by Ball. ;< The baok division was. patchy, . Cricp saved several Lot shots, but had iw ohanco of stopping '.-sie two"Penalties - awarded against Ronai.. Bowman-at full, and Hawkins at half, wore the pick of tho backs., Sopae 'coftfusipn arose, last Saturday Q wiPg to a notice appearing in town which statoa that all matches played on the city "reserves \yoro, postponed.'.' Playors must undcretand, that if the reserve? are not available, the Barnes will, be transferrod to Mirsrnar, and will not be postponed unless, there is » Mtico stating that all Association foowall matches aje postponed. . • ' Private adviccs from Auoldand state tnat tlie Auckland ' T.AI 'has'again mado terms with'the -Eden Cricket Club for the use of tlio Cricket' Ground' during tho winter season. ,'So far-this season, an average gate of £10 has been netted,, but better results. are expected lator on in the season. ' Phe writer concludes, by saylng'thnt'tbe^northern association is making ii big effort towards raisin" fund for buying a suitable ground, an'd for that purpose a" bazaar is being pr<* f Tho Chief Commissioner of Police, Lonr donj has written' thanking the Football Association for their help-in securing a recent cohviction'for distributing betting circulars. Action Is being taken in 'othor directions ™ stamp out this'ovil. . /. ■' - The Football Association have decided that an embroidered silk flag shall each season bp presented to the linesmen in the International matches against Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. : '. „ „ „ , . '; I . understand that' Air. B, L. Salmon intends resigning from the Senior Second Division Selection Committee; as v he finds that tlie G rounds and Boys Buh-committeea take up'alj his time and attention.; The "soccer" gam? appears to ' bo on the upgrade again/in , Sydney this seasqn. La?t season tho game rather ■ languished, but this year things liave tt'ken a new lease of life, There are now thirteen senior grade tean)S ( which is a copsidorable; increase. Mr. J. Bnrt 'has again taken up tho' secretaryship, and should holp'to ppsfi thipgS' along; : Acting on; the suggestions thrown out at tho conference in lluncdin last, September, the. Boys Sub-committee have recommended that the apsociation invite a team of boys from Otago to play here in August or Se'p'teniber, I'he has arranged for thp bpy? to be billeted, locally. Already the local teams* are forward to such a visit, and home-and-homo games of this descrjptjon.' nipst. considerably- increase the interest'm the'boys' department of tho gamo. - - '. 1

. The following extract frqm a ciroular addressed to olubs. by tho chairman of the ,W.F,A.; Mr. H. N. Holmos,.'shonld be'nqted: -n"I anv requested by my management commjttfo to ask you and tlio members of your team to refrain from' communicating: with either the.secretary or the treasurer of tho .Wflb'ojfftiqn: during thejr business' hours, a? during; past seasons a considerable amount ,of their time has been taken up in this way, and,'while all appreciate the good work done by theso offiqerp, wo would lint liko to lose 'thoirVsorvjces, because they received too mapy'.calls during their oftipo hours. Latter? addressed tp Box 691, will always receive pro'pipt attention,'.'' -

. Tho foilotving paragraph is frqm a Home paper:—"One of tbo''greatest'blowings' that {hp ; referee can: possess is the' power'to disorip.iinate and-to-corpeptly follow a copjiplicated niovomont or a sorios of incjdents that fallow, jll rapid: succession.' ' Fqr instance, a forward in possession of the liall may phopt for goal whon the would-be tackling back is ahpub two yards away, the ball strikes thp h?ck'g |)Bpd,-.and instantly an appeal for jv penalty' kick ig made. Possibly, on the spur of tho moment, some roferees would award ,1 penalty without i\ moment's consideration, as" to whotbor - the hall struck tho hand qr the band struck tlio ball., T|jp yast'difference between tho two js tho difference botwgdq an accident and an ipteiitional breach of tho law, and the treatjnept shop|(] 'he very differept ipdped, fpr if the accident ifl 'nqt an intentional breach of the lap hq piipiphpipnt ■sliould be gjven, for np offence has boon committed." ' •