FOOTBALL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9820, 20 July 1900, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

(BY "SPECTATOR.")

With the promise of good weather and the likelihood of an interesting display of football, there will doubtless be a numerous attendance of spectators to witness to-morrow's matches. The meetof Ca'edonians and Napier 11. in their match of the junior nag second round ia surrounded with additional interest by the "Calies" having had the first match, which they won, given against them owing to having played a classified senior. Both teams will meet to-morrow on an improved footing, and a very fast and hotly convested game is anticipated. For the senior fixture Napier have succeeded in getting together what on paper looks a very capable combination, including three or four new faces in local senior football, and may be expected to give the Pirates a tough afternoon's work to put them down. Pirates' team will be almost similar to that which met Clive. The following are the teams: — Nanier: McVay, Bowman, Macassey, Nicholson, Hume, Fraser, Ring, McCarthy, McMinn, Iron?, Bristow, Baker, Merritt, Colledge, Roscor ; emergencies, Aplin, Garry, Hunter. Pirates : Franklin, Bear, Baird, Hoppv, Eddy, Double, Mullaney, Johnstone, Hill, Telfer, Boyd, Williams, Carlson, Strickland, Oliphant. Referee, Mr Weir. The following are the teams for the junior flag match :—Napier 11. : Bogle Cottedll, Balfour, Margoliouth, Jago, Sellars, McFarlane, Alpin, Roulston, Brophy, Tonkin, Hunter, Garry, Ptebble, McLeraon; emergency, J. Humphries. Caledonians : Bishop, Smyrk, Nicholson, Fraser, Samson, Scorgie, J. Munro, P. Munro, Cameron, Cullen, Batcnelor, Sheehan, Mahoney, Stevens, Gore. Referee, Mr Cowell. More than usual interest is attached to the third cup match, to be played at the Spit, between Ahuriri If. and Kia Ora. Both teams have shown much improved form in recent matches, Kia Ur.a especially having come on so well as to make their chances for the cup honors very rosy. One of the best third grade matches of the season is looked forward to to-morrow afternoon. The teams will be : —Ahuriri: Fulton. Scullion, Connor, McCarthy, Seymour, Rauzi, Saunders, Gardiner, Naive, Smith, Harvey, Sullivan, Puflett. Emergeucies, Krogh, Edwards. Kia Ora :—Adams, Spiller, Beach, Moonev, Doherty, Condon, Smith, Hunt, Prebble, "Fuzzi," Peterson, Angove, Thompson, Cropp, and McCallum. Emergencies, Cassey and Scullion. The school tournament match tomorrow will be Napier v. Marist Bros., to be played at the Spit at 10.30 a.m. At a meeting of the Rugby Union dele--gates last night (Mr Weir presiding) replies from all the clubs excepting Te Aute were received to the letter of the Union dealing with the referees' question. All but Clive accepted the names of the whole of the list of gentlemen 3 übmitted willing to act as refeiees, the Clive club giving a qualified acceptance. A resolution was unanimously carried expressing confidence ia the Referees' Association as a body, and the friction which has lately arisen may now be considered to be at an end.

A telegram from the Turanganui Club (G\sLorne) was road at last night's meeting of the Rugby Union intimating that that club were reluctantly compelled to abandon their proposed visit to Napier next week, owing to difficulty in raising a team. The Gisborne Club are, however, making an effort to send a team to meet the Pirates on the 28th instant.— In reply to a letter from the Wanganui Union,\nviting the Hawke's Bay representatives to visit Wanganui this season, it was decided to reply that it would be impracticable to comply with the re-

quest. Thejßugby Union have decided that in future the names of cup teams shall be posted up at the Criterion Hotel as soou as received by the secretary of the Union, to whom a duplicate copy of the names must be sent by the secretaries of clubs.

A motion of condolence with the family ( f the late Mr Hildred was passed by the Rugby Union last evening, and it was decided to defray the funeral expenses. A meeting of the Napier Football Club was held last evening, when the position of the stn or team was discussed, and it was dec ded that, as ma'.ters connected therewith were improving, the team .-ho :!d be kept going. As formerly stu'ed \,. thi: c:lu::n, the departure of pr.mir.ent payers from the district has caustd this team an uphill struggle, but the adv-i-nt ot.s.v rul capable recruits gives hope of the club being able to see the cup contest through. The West End Club are preparing for a visit to Waipawa, and were last night granted permission to play tha country team.

The Masterton Rugby Union have granted the Masterton juniors permission to play Caledonians' (Napier) team provided arrangements can be made for the visit by the latter. •

, Ten matches up to and including last Saturday have been played in the Dunedin senior grade competition, Alhambra being on top with 16 cup points, Kaikorai next with 13, Union 12, Zingari-Rieh-morid 10, Pirates 10, University 8, Southern 7, and Dunedin 4. The leading team have won 7 matches, lost 1, and drawn 2.

Sydenham and Christchurch played off last Saturday for the Canterbury senior honors, and the match ended in a draw—a try each. Another go will probably eventuate to decide tbe supremacy. At Wellington last Saturday, Melrose and Athletic played a draw (no score), Petone and Old Boys a draw (a try each), and Petone defeated Orientals by 11 to 3. , The following players have been chosen as the Wairarapa representative team to go on tour :—Backs : E. McKenzie, Ross, Brunton, Marsh, Wrigley, Peterson, O'Leary; forwards: Armstrong, J. McKenzie, C. Moore, D. Udy, Callister, Ahipene, I. Armstrong, Gray, Jackson, Dockery. They play their first match, against Pahiatua, to-morrow. " Forward," writing in the Otago Witness, accuses the Canterbury Referees' Association of an " erroneous interpretation " of the law dealing with shouting " all on side." He objecis to the awarding of the penalty " where the ball was last played," and considers that the kick should be awarded at the place of infringement. But there is a Rugby Un'o.i law (No. 11, sub-section J) dealiug with die case under discussion —"A player who shouts 'AH on side,' or "words to that effect, shall be penalised —the penalty to be taken at the place where the ball was last played." This amendment was adopted at the instigation of the English Union.

In view of recent experiences in Napier, the following paragraph is "P ouas :—The difficulty of obtaining refit ees was the subject of a discussion at a. recent meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union and the thankless nature of a leferee's position was referred to by several of the speakers. Said one of ti.e officials of the" urn on : " A man acts a- a referee for a tirm-, but he finds that he gets no thanks from anyone for giving Uj.hi-i Saturdays, and that he is sure to one or other, if not both of the so he siys to himself, « Wo get t:u medals.for thi*,'and he gives it up."

The delegates appeared to consider that this represented the real position, and several of them expressed an-opinion that if, instead of having referees found for them, clubs had to look round for their own referees, they would soon come to their senses.