FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1204, 12 August 1911, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

;, 0 ' RUUBY.

[Br Aiustobumis.]

What is a "Playing Saturday"? What is a, "playing Saturday"? That is the question that is agitating the minds of a few footballers just at present. King (St. James) has been suspended for a "playing Saturday," and though there are no senior matches this Saturday, tho third and fourth grade championships will bo in progress, and, probably,' the St. James Club will bo engaged. Question: Can King play for St. James against Oriental on August 19? Country Men Lacking in Science. Tho visit of tho North Island Country team to Wellington lias demonstrated that there was very little in tho old argument that the smaller unions were- not given enough consideration by the selectors when the North and South Island teams •were being selected. Even after having played three matches together, tho members of tho Country team showed very little knowledge of the finer points of the game on Wednesday. Perhaps the "material" was there, but the methods were lacking. Wild passing, brainless kicking, inability to find the lino at critical times, unsystematic tackling, all combined to make the visiting team look unhappy alongside their opponents, who could not, by any stretch of imagination, bo said to bo the best fifteen that could, bo selected to represent this city. It is quite plain that, in tho country districts, football is not tho scientific game that it is in tho city. But if wo only had tho honesty in oifort of the country ami the science of the cities all rolled into one— Eh, what? At all events this new scheme seems fairly worth a test for a couple of seasons to improve and encourage country football. Australian Opinion of Some of Our Men. An Australian writer makes the following comment on a well-known New Zealand Itugby player-.—G. G-'llott knows Ilugby so thoroughly that ho will probably know the Northern gamo as well as any of the Australian team after a few matches, lie will bo a very useful man in'the team, both on and off the field. If Gillett picks up his old dash I expect .hiin to bo a great success as a player, otherwise he should bo merely a good, sound performer. This game, needs brilliance as well as soundness in its best exponents. One of the New Zealand managers says he would not ho surprised wore Gillott chosen as captain of the' Australasian team. A good many on this sido of tho Tasninn would bo surprised.

Just an Opinion. Mr. C. E. Morgan, manager of tho New South Wales team that defeated Queensland at Brisbane on July 2!), said he wa9 well satisfied with tho play of his team. In his opinion the game -was quite equal to anything New South Wales v. Queensland seen by him during the past 15 years. At first tho players did not appear to understand each other's play,' and this militated somewhat against combined movements; but this x soon . disappeared, and their efforts thereafter were splendid. Ho considers the Queensland team equal to previous Queensland combinations. v League Programme. Tho provisional programme arranged for the Australian Kugby Lcaguo team : in: England is given below. There may be two or fhrea slight alterations, and both Christmas and New Year's Day—both general holidays—are left open, and will be filled up as circumstances direct. Tho arrangements are: — Sep. 23—Midland and Southern players, at Coventry. „ 27.—Cumberland County (venue not fixed). „ 30—Brougliton Rangers, at Broughton. Oct. .4—Widnes, at Widnes. „ 7.-Wnles, at Ebbw Vale. „ 11.—Yorkshire County (venuo not fixed). „ 14.—St. Helens, at St. Helens „ 18—England, at.Eulham. ■ „ 21.—Hunslet, at llunslet. „ 25.—Northern League, at Everton, '■' „ 28.—Wignn, at Wigan. ■Nov, I.—Swinton, at Swinton. ■ „ 4.—Hull, at Hull. „ B.—Test Match, at Newcastle. . „ 11— Oldham, at Oldham. , 15.—Leigh, at Leigh. „ 18.—Wakefield Trinity, at Wakefield. , „ 22.—Lancashire •County, at Blackburn. „ 25.—Barrow, at Barrow. „ 29—Runcorn,,at Runcorn..: •J)cc. 2.—Hnddersficld, at Huddcrsfield. „ (i—England, at Nottingham. : : „ !1.-Salford, at Salford. . „ 1.'1.-York, at York. „ 16— Test Match, at Edinburgh. „ 20—Wales and West of England, at Bri>b!. „ 23—Rochdale Hornets, at Rochdale. 25.—Open date. „ 21!.—Halifax, at Halifax. . , „ 30. Warrington, at Warrington. Jan. I—Open date. „ o—Leeds, at Leeds. ■ „ 10—Test Match, at Birmingham. 13.—Hull Kingston Rovers, at Hull '„ 17—England, at Glasgow,

Beaten By Condition. Tho unfitness of the "unfit" for strenuous football was clearly demonstrated at Miramar last Saturday during the St. ■Tames-Old Boys match. For two-thirds of the game Old Boys set their opponents as warm a pneo as anyone could ask, but at tho business end St. Jaines showed the value of condition and simply romped . Although about eight of the Old Boys seniors who played earlier in the season ore now under tho caro of tho doctors, the club showed on Saturday, that it ■still has material for a really good senior team. Given hotter staying .power they would have to bo reckoned with, particularly if the backs could be strengthened tip a little. But it has always been tho same with Old Boys—they can produce promising material, but it is rarely they turn out a "lit" team. ; One of the brightest spots in last Saturday's match was tho display given by J)odd. On tho lino tho old warhorso was full of tricks and, in the solid, ho bore his part well, but tho surprising part wn.s tlip way ho shot out from the ruck time and again, leaving the rest of his pack feet behind, it was good to see signs of ihe old Dodd of four or live years back, bnt alas! in the'last quarter of mi hour condition told its tale in this case also. Turner was another useful Old Boy scrummer, but lie was too statuesque. Ho would be a good man if he would only Ihurl himself about a little—"dash" is ■what is wanted to finish this man. Fordhum whs on energetic youth on tho day's play and did good service. When Grace, Dawson, and Drako wero done there was little left in the Old Boys' back team. Grace played a really fine game and Dawson, who played wing-threc-qunrtcr, opposile the equally speedy Cooke, was brimful of dash. Dawson frequently sandwiches in brilliant and mully work' in about equal proportions, but on Saturday there wero no mistakes. With Moffitt taking a day off to enable a couple of brace of finger-nail scratches on his neck to get better, Manning also spelling for the day and De Blois having left' Wellington for tho timo being, the St. James pack was not at full strength. In addition to this King, although he played a good game, was suffering with an injured leg. On the day Donaldson wn.s about the best forward in the team, his persistent following up being a treat. ; Thomas wag taking a day off from his position of full-back, but otherwise tho St. James rearguard was' at its full strength. K. Koborls played a fino .game at half, but ho should let Crowes, Hekita, and Cooke see a little moro of the ball. Roberts tackled very prettily on several occasions, although Dawson beat him badly once on a straight dash along the touch-line. Crowes was as sai'o as a house and ran and passed with fino judgment, Cooke hud to make his own, play,

but ho did it with a will towards the end, putting in some pretty dashes. Value of Good Kicking. A good many Wellington football followers had hopes that the OrientalSouthern match would be tho brightest of tho (lay. The game, however, was not as exciting, nor as attractive, as tho majority imagined it would be.. Southern failed to fully extend the leading team in tho matter of points—they kept them well on the mora 1 so far as the actual game was concerned, but the margin of points in Oriental's favour was too large to permit any anxiety. After a while it was realised that Oriental's lead was .sufficient to make Southern's fight a hopeless battle. And what is moro dreary than a foregone conclusion? Oriental piled on points-through Kinvig's goal-kicking. The left-footer was in great booting form, and, as bis tasks were mostly easy ones, he had a lan:» amount o,f success. Kinvig's" kicking is frequently of a class which could bo emulated by many other players, particularly backs—with advantage to the copyists. His line-finding is what the writer has especially in mind. The poverty of tlio kicking of many Wellington backs is a tremendous handicap to their forwards, and an all-round loss to the team. It is wonderful what good results can be got from judicious line-kicking, and, in regard to the line-finding of the Oriental backs, it has been noticeable that much of'.the cleverest'of it'is dono under orders from Roberts. Roberts has an excellent idea of when a big advantage can bo gained by putting the ball out of touch.

Tho Black and White backs were not seen in action as a combination, and they will have to turn on a better brand of attack to successfully defend their existing titlo to a chnmpionship. Apart from, the lack of combined movement, tho Oriental backs, with the exception of M'Leod and Roberts, infused very little dash into their business. Tho Oriental pack was of more use than tho backs, but the Southerners warmed it up frequently, and, at times, swept it holus bolus before, them. But for the many points obtained by goal kicking, and tho failuro of Southern's customary stand-by (Bradley) to play up to form, a close game might have been witnessed. There were 2G points scored in tho match, and all but £ix came from successful shots at tho horizontal bars. Oriental got 13 of its 19 points from coals, and 11 of u>e 13"aro credited to Kinvig. Southern's 7. .points were all from goals. One of the Signs of the Times. Among the neople who frequently annoy spectators nt'fcotball matches, are lineumpires who appear to bo incompetent. If it is necessary to appoint a linc-unipirc, it is necessary to appoint a good one. Referees havo enough to do without educat-ing-lino-umpires as the gamo goes on. For a game to be played under the most satisfying conditions, "not only docs the referee need to be competent, but ho needs to havo line-umpires whom he can rely npou in every way. To fill tho position properly, one does not need to be a genius, but something more than a club enthusiast or a "has-been" is needed. Because a man is an enthusiast or an old-timer he is not necessarily suited. A specific caso will not bo mentioned this time but, as it is evident that' moro care should be taken in the selections for tho post, a few general remarks will follow. ■ II is not tho business of the line umpire to (when the oval goes out) utilise his flag-polo to poke about after it, instead of putting tho flag up. Securing the ball is a matter between the inevitable small boy and the wing-forward. Tim flag should be put up right away, and not as a kind of afterthought. 'A lineumpire has no business to keep his flag down an instant after the ball goes out, or to put it down before.the:.ball is properly thrown in.' Ho is inviting trouble by doing such. '

Accidents in the N.U. Game. A. regrettable accident, occuurod halfway through the second spell of the Aucklau'd-' v. Wellington Leaguo match on Saturday (says the Auckland "Star") when R. (Scotty) M'Donald had the misfortune to break his leg just below the knee. M'Donald is one of tho best-known Northern League.players, and has just returned from touring with tho New Zealand in Australia. The accident occurred in mid-field, and it is not clear how it happened. During the closing stages of the match, A. Seeling, of Wangamii, captain of the visitors, hurt his knee badly. He continued playing as full-back for some time, and then went off. His' knee is badly hurt, and will necessitate him laying up for three weeks. Hope On, College! At that stage when College led by 8 points to 6, Poneke, who this year havo proved their stride with the greater Oriental and St. James, looked as if they would havo to strike their..colours to tho most distressful fifteen, in the competiIn fact, the College forwards, led by Curtaync, swarmed down upon their line, were repelled, but still came on again, and even the mosC'sanguino Red and Black "barrackers" must have wished for another Walshc to stave off tho humiliation of a defeat such as this. Hut just'at tho crisis, College began to sizzlo out. They had attacked magnificently (for them), but 'fate and fortuno were.against them. .Slowly.and irresistibly, but fighting gamely, ;t,|icy ,wero forced back, and when Gardiner-kicked a penalty and gave Poneko' a •'one-point lead their scholarly hearts were splintered; when tho same player scored his ridiculously easy try hope left them, and flit away over the landscape. They plnvcd well and Victory should have: been more kind, but—kismet.

The two men who starred for Poneke that day wero feotheran and Prendeville. , , to ™* r made somo splendid individual efforts,- especially "in ta'tack, while the. latter was on many an occasion fho rock on which' College crumbled. And iilynrd and Gardiner, 100, .rendered vcomon service, but the rest were not "distinguished. Tho team at the start played with the soft pedal on, but at the finish co.-no with a mighty fortissimo. Green, as any Irishman can tell von, is tho Emblem of Hope, and College, who wear it, should not -iespair. Bad luck, and not Poneke, beat them. By the way, they can still do with another small bit ot training. As far as 0110 can see, they arc in no danger of growing stale by overdoing that part of the business. Football Riots in oyeney. In the early stages of the football match between tho Glebe and North Sydney League teams at We.ntworth Park, says tho "Sydney Herald," it was apparent that the game was going to be keenly contested. . . . The game was being pressed with tho customary vigour when one of tho Glclw players fell a victim to a member of the North Sydney team. The man was thrown on the ground, and the crowd grew indignant, believing that tho North Sydney man had taken advantage of the momentary excitement of the game to bring his opponent down from behind. There could be no question that the Glebe man had been knocked down from behind, but the trouble began .when someone started to kick him. He kicked the man twice ; with great deliberation, At this juncture matters began to liven up considerably, and other players joined ,in, and cschanged'.blows. A Glebe man rushed up to protect his companion, which was regarded as a signal for general hostilities, and a general melee took place, blows being freely exchanged. Matters soon became serious, and "the referee endeavoured to restoro order among tho belligerents by. sending three players off the field. As tho men were walking towards tho pavilion, the Glebe player who had been attacked from behind charged another player, evidently with the idea of returning somo of the blows received. The North Sydney man prepared to meet the Onslaught, and a free fight ensued. At this moment the partisans of the different players, who formed the greater bulk of the crowd, broke, over the harrier, a.'id rushed the field. The fight now became more or less general. The referee, however, blew his whistle, and most of the players left the field at. a run. The crowd became excited at this,, and the uproar was for a moment ..deafening.

As soon ns tlio players mndo for the dressing rooms the crowd attempted to rush them, but a small body of police interfered, and taking stern measures, dealt effectively with the mob before it got entirely out of hand. The onergetic nctioa of the police prevented anything in the naturo of a serious viol". After a while the crowd broke up into small groups, find heated arguments were indulged in, and in tome instances the rcimi'i'ka of a speaker were rendered more forcible by tho aid of a closed fist, used in a threatening manner. Tlio police drove the crowd off the field, and it soon dispersed,