ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

PLAIN DEALING ON THE WEEK. * [Br Centee : Ha ( LF.] t Following is a table showing the rela- i tive positions of teams competing in the ] First Division competition;— '

An Interesting Competition. Owing to tho Swifts-Corinthians match not being played last Saturday, Hospital were enabled to draw level with the leaders of the tourney, each team having -20 points, the Swifts having a match in hand. Hospital merit pride of place with tho tine goal record of 52 for to 17 against, Swifts' scores being 38 for and 14 against. Thistle come next with 1!) points, their goals for being 29 with 18 scored against them. Their draw with Y.M.C.A. may lose them tho championship, as with live games to go they will havo hard work to regain lost ground. In view of the gold medal donated for the keeper with least goals scored against him, the above records aro worthy of more than passing interest, and readers may rely on the above tablo being correct, it having been verified by the xeferees, official reports to the* lion, secretary of tho W.l'.A. Otago's "New Rules." Recently an Otago referee reported to tho ruling body that ho had ordered a playor off for "illegal practices." Asked o define the offences, he classed them as , "doubtful rushing tactics" and tripping. The latter offence is an old 'acquaintance, but what is to bo said of the former? A player under the jurisdiction of tho Otago Referees' Association is to bo sympathised with in regard to the above now terrors confronting him, in addition to the doubtful honour of a place on the "cautioned list" of notorious'fame. "Battle Not Yet Lost." ' '. Tho Tliistle-Y.M.C.A. draw ; was unfortunate for the Blues. They could illalford to loso a point, and a certain amount of sympathy is due to this club under the circumstances, as they would undoubtedly have won but for Hall's retirement from tho game. Ash a.nd the erstwhile back had teen combining beautifully in tho forward lino, and Clapham was sadly missed, but it behoves "the Scots" to show their "dour", spirit by sticking to it, and,'with the "disturbing element," in. the shape of Corinthians, the' battle is not yet lost A Complete Walk-Over. : Turning out four players •-.short, St. John's paid the penalty, Hospital piling up eleven goals in a very much go-as-you-please style, tho Yellow and Blacks, with their depreciated forces, offering very little resistance to tho White brigado, who put on six goals in tho first haU',,»and fivo in the second. Tiie game calls'fbr little comment, as it was a foregone .conclusion from the start, but it gave Snijw tho opportunity to further demonstrate what a lino player he if. Dick also gifve of his best, till his ankle was injured; when he retired in-goal; thereby showing', that St. .John's. have an emergency-keeper. .who has more than a rudimentary idea-of stopping and clearing a shot. Somo of his "saves" wero very fine. AVith weak opposition, the Hospital forwards,;'; in some cases, developed selfishness, and in others, rank laziness, and it is difficult to say which is most to be condemned. A Proposal. Vetoed. _=c Tho International Board has vetoed the following proposal for altering tho laws of tho game, viz.: In respect to tho penalty for an improper throw-in, the suggestion being that the opposing side should have a. throw-in instead of a ficckick. A writer in .London "Sporting Lifo" had tho following to say regarding tho proposal:—"ln' the event of a foul throw-in under the existing laws a freekick is given to the opposing side, and it is contended that tho punishment is too Eovc'ro'for. tho offence..,,* Perhaps it is, but it will not bo an improvement in tho game if so pronounced a mitigation of punishment leads to carelessness on tho part of players when throwing-tn. If it does there will bo many irritating stop-

pages, and it will not add to tho interest of the pastime. It does not always show wisdom to make penalties light, especially when it is so easy to avoid incurring them." Wanijanui Anxious. Wnngnnui Association is anxious for a Wellington representative team to visit them, and play on n Thursday, and it is to b« hoped that tho selectors will not havi) much difficulty in getting eleven men willing to make the trip. A Case of Mismanagement. Something must bo wrong with Wio management,of St. John's Club. The First Division team (ravels to l'ormia four men short, and tho Second .Division cloven defaults. Surely it could have been arranged to draw on the second team lo lill tho places in the first. Shaw and Dick did their best to put up a fight, and the former is treated with a lot of respect at. tho Hospital ground, while young Dick's play stamps him as a very useful man to any side. He should bo played as a back or • centre-forward— either of those positions he can ably fill. Phillips scored on one occasion with a "daisy cutter" from out on the touchline, from what looked an impossible position. Wo could do with moro marksmen of this calibre in' Wellington. As Other Eyes See Us. Says "Celtic" in the "Sydney Referee ,, : The New Zealand Football Association is to be asked by the Wellington Association to negotiate for tho visit of an English team to tn.ur tho colonies. Our cousins of Jlaoniand are more active in this important matter than Australians. I am looking forward to the not far distant time when wo shall all have the pleasure and education, in a football sense, of seeing an English team give Australasians a standary of play. A team of Corinthians, consisting mainly of Oxford and Cambridge, players, will leave England at the end of August for a tour in Canada and the United States to play matches in New York,-Philadel-phia, Chicago, and St. Louis. Ono supposes it will lie many years before a Corinthian combination is induced to visit Australia. They will probably be preceded by a Football Association team. No doubt the day will come when Australians and New Zealanders will be relatively as proficient in "Soccer" as aro their Rugby brethren of to-day. When that day comes New Zealand v. England will be something to ponder over.

S I p 3 o o:-f iS < Hospital ... 13 10 0 3 52 17 20 ! Swifts .12 10 0 3 38 1-t 20 ' Thistle 13 0 1 3 29 18 19 Ramblers ....111 7 2 4 32 23 IG Diamonds ... 12, (! 2 . i 33 22 It Y.M.C.A. ...13 5 2 "(i 17" 20 12 Hovers 13 •! 3 C 20 25 11 Wanderers ... 13 3 1 !) 17 28 7 St. John's ... 12 1 2 () H -10 4 Corinthians 12 1 1 W 10 50 3