THE SOCCER FORUM

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 222, 15 June 1932, Page 13

THE SOCCER FORUM

Few Overseas Recruits CHANCES FOR JUNIORS Club and Personal Notes (By “Ranger.”) Looking back on the last four or five years it is not very difficult to suggest reasons why one or two of the old senior clubs have not been able to keep the flag Hying, and how it came about that two teams had to be promoted this season to maintain the eight, in the first division. In years gone by clubs have placed too much reliance upon obtaining new players from the constant ilow of migrants from Great Britain, the majority of whom are naturally Soccer enthusiasts. Particularly has this applied to the Scottish clubs, whose ranks have been recruited from new arrivals north of the Tweed, and who have done little in the way of running junior teams and building up the club from junior ranks. The Government put the brake on the number of immigrants about three years ago, and this lias hit some of the clubs severely.

It is, however, an ill-wind that blows no one any good, and with few recruits from overseas coming forward, clubs have ■been compelled to bring forward players from the junior ranks. It is a significant fact that to-day the two strongest chibs are those which have always kept second division and junior teams going, and have given a helping hand in keeping the game going in -the primary schools. They are reaping to-day what they have sown in years gone by, and it is a tribute to the Marist club that most, if not all, of its present first division team, are players who have been in the club for years, and have risen from the junior ranks. This applies to Diamonds in a lesser degree, and Seatoun is another club which has brought most of its players along from the lower grades. It is all to the good that our young players have been given an opportunity of showing what they can do, for if football is in them they should be capable of taking their place in senior ■ranks on reaching the age of 18 or 19 years. So many old players have retired in the last two or three years that the clubs were wondering how they would be replaced, but circumstances have made them realise what an asset they have in their young players, and the Marist first eleven is a shining example. They have shown that youth will triumph when it comes to a hard 90 minutes’ play. Theory and Fact.

On the subject of selecting a team to represent Otago against Canterbury in the F.A. Trophy, a Dunedin writer says: “The most serious disadvantage we see in most of our players is lack of scheming and cunning—i.e.. there is altogether too much of the obvious in their play. The ideal representative player, of course, is he of whom you can say : ‘You can never tell what he is going to do next.’ Especially is this so with the half-backs and inside forwards, and some of us will not be satisfied until wc see more attempts at interchanging positions and methods that will keep opponents guessing. Those who aspire to representative honours should keep this in mind and remember that it does not pay to make the same move over and over again.” _ AVJiile agreeing with the writer m Ins theory, it would be interesting to know if he was present on the occasion at the Basin Reserve when Otago defeated AVellington 4—3 in the F.A. Trophy match toward the end of last season. If he refers to reports of the match he will find that three of the four goals scored by Otago were initiated b.v the same movement, and some criticism was made of the Wellington team and the way in which it was nonplussed by the move. After all, nothing succeeds like success, and on that day Otago proved it. So far as scheming and cunning are concerned, it would hardly be fair to say that AVellington is particularly devoid ot players of this type for the two leading teams have players who are well versed in the art of changing positions when the development of play calls for it. The right wings of Marist and Diamonds frequently practise this. The Championship.

Swifts were again in the front rank; on Saturday by securing another win,' this time against Hutt, and, having two games in hand, may well put a spoke in the wheel of some aspirants to winning the championship. . Marist gave a disappointing display against Waterside, who have come on surprisingly well in recent games, and must be reckoned with in the championship and the Chatham Cup. Petone cannot grumble at having snatched a point at Hospital, and as a matter of fact have only poor shooting to blame for the fact that they did not bag both points. I£ suggests that the forward line wants rearranging, if not reorganising. Diamonds had an . easy win over Seatoun, and Baker’s consistent play at centre-forward should impress the sole selector. Snapshots.

As clubs are practising at the Stadium at night under the electric light, could the management committee not fix up a match —half an hour each way—with a team from clubs practising there'.' Seeing that Otago defeated Canterbury 3 —l, the Wellington team will have to he in good trim if it is going to bring back the F.A. trophy to Wellington. The form of Haines, .Waterside, was in-and-out on Saturday, but in the last half hour he was right on the job.

Referees are still failing to turn up to some of the games. What happened to the one appointed to the fourth grade match at Wakefield Park, It is time the Referees’ Association got busy. Mr. W. Fraser, of the Waterside club, was unlucky that he did not see his team in action on the King's Birthday and the following day. It was a case of business before pleasure. Swifts only lost one game in all the senior and junior grades on Saturday. The recent, form of McLeod, Waterside centre-forward, has been very attractive. Seatoun came to light in the last quarter of an hour against Diamonds, scoring two goals. Why don’t they jump in from the start. E. Kershaw is to have a trial on the left wing for Swifts next Saturday. Vic. Garrod gave his best performance this season against Diamonds. Had the left-half given him more of the ball, he might even have improved on his three goals’ tally. Smith, with a poisoned foot. and Wetherspoon. who was injured the previous week, did not put in an appearance last week. Beasley, who once played for W.Y.M.I. was not too successful, but.McCormack went quire well at inside right. Diamonds’ centre-forward, Baker, added four more goals to his account against Seatoun. He has probably scored more than any other player this season. Stone gave a poor display of goal-keep-ing for Seatoun. Throe of the six goals scored should have been saved. Ron McLeod is not showing the form this year that brought him to the fore in the past.