ASSOCIATION NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

ASSOCIATION NOTES.

(By Vanguard.) r Ati -lob 6 the much-discussed question

of how Mr. Asbury's services as "coach" are to be utilised has been disposed of by the adoption of the suggestion which origiually came from Mr. A. E. Qibbs. The coach will play for one senior team (Fetone) in the first round, and in the second will transfer his services to the team then lowest on the list. A strong case was made out for the alternative proposal that he should each Saturday d«vote the afternoon to the team having the bya. But thero were strong objections, too. One was, of course, that each team would Have the use of his coachiii'g only twice in tha season, aud that much of the work that he would do with each eleven on a small piece of ground could be done during the week in the gymuauum. Then, again, Mr. Asbury's preference was of playing with one team during the season, as ha connideied ho could do much rnora for the gama generally in that way. The proposal adopted, it will be teen, meets the couch's own ideas at least half way, and under tha circumstances mentioned it is probable that ha will remove his embargo against allowing the football in the "gyms." When that somewhat remarkable proposal from Westralia regarding the sending of an intercolonial team to England came before the Management Committee of the Wellington Association it received short shrift. As the President remarked, from what he was able to gather the general opinion was that if a team, was sent Home it should be a New Zealand team pure and simple. The Potone senior eleven will be much the same as it was last season, but M'iU be strengthened by the inclusion of Hawkins, late of the Swifts', who will probably play full-back instead of half. Berntsen will be playing again, but it is uncertain whether he or Brice will play in goal. There will probably be a fairly strong array of backs, but the forwards are likely to be weak at the start. Mr. Asbury's services should make a great difference here. The Diamonds have suffered a loss in the transfer of Andy Mouat to St. John's and by the departure of "Bobbie" Burns with the Tenth Contingent. Mouat is a valuable forward who goes from start to finish, and Burns is one of the oldest and most popular members of. the club. For some seasons he has played in goal, where ho has done splendid servioe and won his way to representative honours. All local * players will join in wishing him plenty of glory, "but dually a safe r « turn. •■ There are about 214 members of the Pourth'dass Assoaiatioix who are anxious to play this season, including teams .from Wadestown, NWtown, Kilbirnia, l and Brooklyn, but they ar| met with the old obstacles— laok of grounds. Newtown Park, the Nairn-street reserve, and Kelburne Park cannot bo used, and the Thorndon reclamation as a playingground is a thing of the past. The membership of some of the clubs is so large that they wish to cuter more than one team each, but the present outlook as to grounds is disheartening. One of th« oldest aad most enthusiastic of the local clubs is tha Pearls. Of its 57 members 46 are already financial, and the club has decided to anter for tha junior^ third-class, and fourth-class competitions. From the Pearls hava come a good mtfny of our senior playdrs. All the clubs hava held thair annual meetings, and tha outlook' for the season is more promising than aver. Gymnasium practice has been started, and already an improvement is to be s««n. Mr. Asbury is taking a lot of trouble and devoting a lot of timo in the evenings teaching tha younger pjayers the rudiments of the game. There will be teven senior chibs, six junior, and six third-class this season. When tha fourth-clas9 teams are added it can bo seen how the game it increasing in popularity hare. Morrison and Nogal, the Duned^i rep. players, have thrown in their lot with St. John's. This club has a good, forward team, but will be weak in backs. Queen's Park have the makings of a real good team, and they should finish well up. , "Jock" Henderson, of Auckland faraa, will play Vith the Rovers, who have also secured a half lately out from Home. Diamonds and Rovers had a practice last Saturday, when tha former won by 2 goals to 1. Queen's Pafk defeated Swifts by 4 goals to 1. Alex. Howie, the ex-Rover full-back, had the misfortune to break a bone iv his knee last Saturday when playing for fho s.s. Karamea team against the s.s. Athenic. He left on Friday with the Karamea, and will nob be able to move about till he reaches London. There seems to be a dearth of goalkeepers this season. Keys (Swifts), Russell (Rovers), and Burns (Diamonds) have all gone or do tfot intend playing. Russell met with a nasty accident while yachting. Blood-poisoniivg set in, and his condition was dangerous for a {itne. All players are glad to see he is able to be about again, but regret that he will not play this ieason. Secretary Renai has mude a good start iv his new position. He has had a splendid example of energy set him by his predecessor, Mr. M'Keowen, to whom the Association is much indebted. It is satisfactory to note that Mr. "Bob" Davenport will still be to the front with the fourth- class boys. He has done a tremendous amount for the game. Cup matches will start on the first Saturday in May. The Secretary asks club secretaries to send their lists of players in to him at once ; also lists of defaulters* ,