HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 224, 9 June 1923, Page 18

HOCKEY.

(By

“Right-Half.”)

Wesley has lost the services of a pillar of strength and a valued member of the club socially in the person of Ray Philpotts, who has been transferred to Eltham. He was the. recipient of a token of the esteem of hia fellow members on the grounds at Karori Park on Saturday,, when the Rev. Brown presented him with a silver pencil and regretted his departure. A representative player at school, Philpotts started playing in Wellington for Y.M.C.A., and when Wesley started a senior team, he joined that club, of which he was captain this year. Always keen on the game, he has presented a cup for competition between the Wesley clubs. At present there ia only another Wesley club in existence, at Christchurch, but it is hoped to start Wesley olubs at Auckland and Dunedin also, and tlhe cup is destined for competition between all Weslej clubs. Philpotts has shown a fine spirit in giving this trophy, which should be the subject of keen competition later on. Wellington hockeyites will wish him tlhe best of luck in the promotion to the Bank of New South Walea branch at Eltham. The Wellington Association ht.s decided to allow the transfer of Wilson from the Huia Club to Wakatu. Watchman should stud his shoes better, or cultivate the art of keeping hia feet. At Karori on Saturday he wasted all his speed by falling down as soon as he had reached his objective. He is a good exponent of the stick game, and it is a pity to see his efforts wasted in this way. Several times he lost the results of good judgment and hard work by losing his feet at the critical moment '

Few players in Wellington have aa good an all-round grip of the game aa Perrin, the fast and sure Karori back. He stands out in his team by always having the knack of being where he is wanted without being irr the least selfish. If he falls he is,up again and close to the ball in an instant. He keeps his feet well, however, and is a quick and. accurate shot. In addition to pace, judgment, and clever stick work, he shows a thorough knowk’ge of the game, and is rarely penalised. The number of times Perrin has saved Karori this season from the results of lack of combination and careless play would probably prove a record in this team’s annals-

Rough Play Barred. The question of .rough play was pretty thoroughly exhausted at tho meeting held on Wednesday night to consider complaints in regard to two well-known players. A Wakatu player was the first to apjiear, and he was charged by tho referee, Mr. Ji. J. Cathie, with having chopped another Mayer's stick with nis, with swinging his stick widely round behind him, and with practically butting his opponent in the bully with his head. He said that the swinging was a habit with him. and as for the butting, it was quite unintentional. He had a habit of resting his hand against Ms right leg when making the bully, and. resting his weight on his right leg. It was the easiest thing to overbalance, and that and no more was what he had done 1 Asked to explain his swinging «troke. the player said there was not room there to do so. Some players wore of the opinion that it was clearly a case of charging, and not of rough play at all. The player said that was the hardest-worked man in the field, as centre, and he did all he could to win the match, but was penalised for all that he did. The question was asked by Mr. Thompson if the player had recovered his balance when he went forward. The referee .replied that the impact with the other player stopped him. A witness for the player said that he saw the ball .get between the opponent’s legs, and the went after it, and as he went after it he slipped. The only thing he could see that was the cause of the player being warned off was the oixmrrence at the bully. Asked if, in the tactics described, the player or his. opponent would suffer, the referee saM tha; 11 would be the opponent his head was low enough for the p.uyer now charged to reach his solar plexus he b. “K.O.'d" Kt? that the player had slipped he »r tainlv would not have ordered mm on, but if he had slipped he w ’ ul k- kaV ° fallen before he hod reached, his opponent. The chaiman (Mr. Thompson: “I « ,nnot . Bee tl J’£h ” slip and butt a man in the stomaom nlaver: “It’s very easily done. M». Hatch: “When the ball ha^ ; gone through an opponent 8 The treneral practice to go after Y’ general p uslJal thing Mr. WM. Ih. b«» was through the man. w ? » ' The player: “Oh Mr Martin (with fcondotton): “You they The chairman said tnai M, 'Si. "U “ tfi’g feree” 6U Mr n Teward said that the offender had pleaded ignorance of his Sence, wherLs he had Sid bTallowed to play in. the six-a-thoughTinember Ke dubj he had heard the evidence, and though* that they should support the referee There was too much rough play in Wellington, and referees shouldJ>ut it down on every occasion. Mr. Needham concurred. The roan charged, he said, was naturally a rough F B f? r ’ through over-keenness, but he thought that a caution wouid meet the offence. Referees could not tolerate rough play, but he did not urge the suspension of this player. The chairman: He has threatened to pull out. That’s like a pistol at our heads. U ot ? of Mr. Thompson, seconded by Mr. L. Butcher, the player wail found guilty of rough and forceful play, and after further discussion a motion to suspend him for two weeks was lost in favour of an amendment that he be suspended for one playing Saturday. When informed of the decision, the player remarked that he would not be found on the hockey field again. He had a good set of golf sticks, and would now oe able to use them. The next question was the striking by a Huia player of a Wakatu man. The Huia man cheerfully admitted striking his opponent, but alleged that he himself had first been struck deliberately. After hearing; several witnesses the Huia player,, who was very candid, remarked that if any player hit him in the same way he would do the same again. A finding of guilty and * caution met the case.