SPORT AND PASTIME. Football, [By Ex-Forward.] THE LATE ALEXANDER M. ARMIT.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

SPORT AND PASTIME. Football, [By Ex-Forward.] THE LATE ALEXANDER M. ARMIT.

1874 - 1899. By the premature death of Alexander M'Naughton Armit, there is removed from the fields of Rugby a player who was generally admitted to be- the best allround three-quarter that has fought for his province or colony during <he past two seasons. In fact, Otagoites go so for as to say that he was the best allround wing three-quartei that the Southern province ever produced, and perhaps there are few who will dispute the assertion. . His fine touchline kicking, which was always a characteristic feature of his play, wet or fine, his plucky bulldog method of stopping rushes, his famous and ugly "bunting" runs, into which he put twice the energy an ordinary list 61b man. is capable of, and his resource and fearlessness in scoring, all went to make the Kaikomi crack a veritable Maxim gun on the football field. His plain, unassuming style, on and off the field, did much to endear him to all his fellows. In Otago "Barny" was the most popular player of the province, he was the special idol of the Dunedin populace and an undisputed proof of his popularity is the fact that even his brilliant captain, "Jimmy" Duncan, had to play second fiddle to his threequarter. Ever since he threw in his lot with the famous Kaikorais seven years ago, Armit has always been recognised as a little champion. His career in inter-provincial matches dates from 1893, his cap being first earned against Canterbury. Since that period he has always been a doughty performer for Otago and a mountain of strength to the "hillmen." Armit accompanied the Otago team on its Northern tour in 1896, and this was Wellington's first occasion of gauging and admiring his powers. His great opportunity came in 1897 when he and his clubmate were chosen to represent this colony on its tour to New South Wales and Queensland. Although not particularly noticeable in the early rtages, chiefly through an injury to his rib which he received prior to his departure from these shores, yet he was very much in evidence during the last six matches of the campaign. It is said that he scored a magnificent try at Newcastle after "bunting" the full-back over a three foot fence, and as a further proof of his powers in. this direction it may be stated that in the last test match against New South Wales he administered a bump to Stan. Wickham, an opposing wing three-quarter, which splintered the Welshman's rib. Barny's bump was of a deadly nature, as those who had the misfortune to experience it can well testify. If the tackling was at all vigorous, the tackier who essayed to bar his progress would generally imagine that he had collided with an armoured train. Possessed of as much pluck as vitality, Armit would not have stopped at bumping "Goliath" if that individual had been here to take such gruel. Members of the Wellington '97 representative team still remember "Barny" crouching himself in an attitude to give the coup d© grace to M'Kenzie,- the skipper of the Blacks. One of Armit's great scoring feats was in the Auckland -New Zealand match after the team had returned from Australia when the Otago crack successfully and successively placed three opponents on mother earth to their unexpected discomfiture. They ever afterwards cordially bore witness to his wonderful bunting powers. Possibly the reason why Armit in his last appearance on the football field tried to dodge Bayly instead of "bunting" was because he could not get the Taranaki skipper Bide on. It matters not whether the tackier was determined or not, if a man falls upon i-ue back of his neck he is liable to serious injury. Old footballers will remember a similar accident which happened to Mick Hyland in 1893 through his coming in contact with the redoubtable Davy Gage. On that occasion Hyland was reported to have died from the effects of the fall, but he is still alive- and well to-day. In all, poor Barny took part in nineteen, rep. matches, and it is' quite on the cards that had he lived he would have broken all previous records in Otago, as he was the stamp of a player who would have lasted for several seasons to come. Altogether, he played for his province against Canterbury five times, Southland six, Wellington four, Taranaki twice, Hawkes Bay once, and Auckland once, excluding the contests in the New Zeaiand team's tour to Australia in 1897. "A boy of the bulldog breed who never knew fear" aptly summarised a Dunedia writer in writing of the departed player, and the same authority states that only a few months ago he was specially singled out for his bravery in connection with a fire in the Kaikorai Valley, where, as a member of the Roslyn Fire Brigade, of which he was a very live worker, be distinguished himself by the plucky way in which he fought the flames, notwithstanding that he was suffering much paia at the time from severe burns. On that occasion he won the admiration of all for his intrepid work, and well deserved the case of pipes which was presented to him soon afterwards. Armit was also known as a cricketer, he having played with much success for the Roslyn Club ; while some few years ago he was a member of the Kaikorai Band, being a. cornet player of no mean ability. Armit crossed the touchline of death in the same fearless manner that marked his efforts over the chalk line. His confident bearing was maintained throughout, despite the terrible pain he suffered towards the finish. A great change came over the brave young fellow ere death claimed him as its victim, and those who knew him in his prime hardly realised that he was the same Barny Armit who had rivetted the attention of thousands on the football field, so wasted away was he from the effects of his terrible accident. Among the large concourse of people who attended to pay their last respects, many a tribute was paid to his memory, and often was the remark heard "Poor Barny! We will never see his like again." In Wellington, and indeed throughout the whole colony, genuine sorrow was felt at the untimely death of a young man of whom it safely may be said that he never made a single enemy. New Zealand athletic circles are poorer to-day by the death of Armit. As an athlete and a man, he may well be emulated by those who come after him. His death reoalls to one's mind the lines of that well-known football song: — This life's but a scrummage; We cannot get through Without many a kick and blow ; And then in the end, Though we dodge and we fend, That sure collarer Death lays us low.