ASSOCIATION NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 14

ASSOCIATION NOTES

[By Vangttasd.l

A three-year-old boy alone in Willisstreet, at noon, could not be further astray than some players in tho lower grades. They don't know where they are, and they don't know their class names. Little wonder. First and second division of leaaues and euch like

names are enough to jiuzzle anyone. Why not call a spade a spade, a junior a junior, and a third-class player what ho is best known asV Not a junior — a highflown name, as "a member of the second division of the senior league." It may be said that this system is adopted in England. But" it must be remembered, on the other hand, that the standard of play at Home is high enough to warrant such, a distinction. The new junior name is as bad as calling a cab horse "Carbine." Juniors who send to Tho Post reports of matches would assist "Vanguard" materially if they ascertained their official names, and wrote tnem on their "copy." The best match that the writer has seen this season was the DiamondsRamblers' contest, played on the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Though there was a high northerly blowing, some of tho football was good. A keen vigorous game is always worth watching, even if some of the finer points are lacking. Diamonds still adhere to their old dashing style ; it's a pity they don't combine more. Their forwards all through were fleet of foot, and accurate shots, but they failed to cultivate the combination necessary in a first-class team. On {Saturday they only brought off about two combined runs. The best was in the first spell, in which Lowe, Hathaway, and Duffy participated. Hathaway, 'as usual, made a dashing centre forward, ever on the alert for a .shot at goal. Lowe, at inside left, played a skilful game. His foot-work was neat, and he commanded the ball splendidly. Receiving the ball in Ramblers' twenty-five on Saturday, he made straight for the goal, and, eluding the backs, got home with a pretty" shot. Duffy, at inside right, played a serviceable game. His only fault was the old habit of occasionally elevating the ball. Black, on the right wing, was not so good as usual, but Reddy, on the left, was right up to concert pitch. The halves all played well. Taylor, at centre, good both in defence and offence. It was quite refreshing to see him 'backing up his fovVards after the poor displays that the writer had previously seen from other centre halves. A feature of the play of D. Roberts and Thqrley was their corner kicking. Invariably they landed the ball in front of the goal — a somewhat difficult task in a btrong wind. Roberts and Barnett proved a strong pair of backs, and Fitzgerald a skilful custodian.

Andy Mouat was the life and soul of the Rambler team. Nearly every attack was due to his efforts. With all his skill as a dribbler he never neglected to pass when occasion arose. It was difficult to know how he missed one goal from a range- of a few yards ; still, he made up with general good play for this lost" chance.' Waters, on the left, and Anker, in the centre, were only fair ; the inside right was "a passenger," and Saunders, on the outside right,* hardly did himself justice. Ramblers made a big mistake in not attacking Diamonds' goal more from the left in the second spell. The wind assisted them as much as an extra man in that quarter would have, but they would persist in driving the ball on the right, where it had to be propelled across the wind to be driven into goal. , \i Jackson 'showed improved form. There were several times when he displayed judgment and skill. On three or four wcasions he beat a man for the ball ! almost on tho touch line ; drew out the Diamond defence, .and passed neatly along the ground, giving his forwards splendid chances. Ballingal elevated the ball too much, and the right half aimed more at "fancy" than serviceable work. The best full-back on the field was M'Laren. With hard, low kicks, he did splendid work. Repeatedly he got his team out of trouble. Edwards, a light back, played pluckily all through, though with hardly the same judgment as his associate. Oldnall, in goal, made some brilliant saves, especially in the first spell, when he cleared in good style three shots in rapid succession.

There were about 500 spectators in attendance, and 1 they had a 'good afternoon's entertainment. The score wan '/two all," a very fair indication of the evenness of the teams. Ran*)lers deserve censure for being s6 dilatory in taking their places on the field. The game was a quarter of an hour late in starting, owing to one or. two of the players not turning s up to, time. "Soccerites" cannotexpect spectators to watch a game out if it is prolonged until dusk. Having put up such a good fight against the Wellington teams, the Petone senior team should give a good, account of themselves in some of the matches in the second round. In last week's game against the Wanderers, they - showed a great advancement in .form, and, .with consistent training, one can safely predict for them a victorious career. The team has been fortunate in' securing the playing services of tho secretary (Mr-. D. Jones), who has stated his intention of following the ball during tho remainder of the season.

The selectors of the Wellington representative eleven should keep a watchful eye on M'Kinnon, the suburban goalkeeper. Playing last week, for the first time in that capacity, he performed some really marvellous saves, and was very quick in returning the "hot stuff" so often dished up by Wanderers. With a little dressing down, Tap!ln should develop into a fast and formidable forward. Sparrow was sound, while Rcnai a/id Hawnins were conspicuous at times.

"The refereo is always either a fool or a knave— never lass, though sometimes more, and that is wnen he is both (says' a Dunedjn writer). He is generally an ex-playci, which might suggest something to his generous • critic on the field. Whenever the refereo fails to olow his whistle it means that he could not, or wickedly would not, see; which only goes to prove the first statement in this paragraph. The referee never sees the sly 'hands,' the wily tripping tackle, the doubtfu' off or on-side position, ho never hears the muttered imprecation, the hissed threat, or the veiled sneer ; he never notices that the player most skilled in questionable practices is the one who makes the loudest fuss when he is the victim -instead of tho perpetrator. No, he merely muddles along like the mole, and spoils sport in a general way. If he be weak enough to accept as insult any implied sneer' from a heated, over anxious, and, of course, altogether unbiassed player he may' go home with a headache. But if he has the correct perspective he will find the players of strong partisan proclivities excellent entertainment, and refereeing an exhilarating mental and physical exercise. Some day tho Rhodes scholars will be chosen not from the players but from the referees." v "But sometimes the players ns well as the referees have been known to err. However incredible this may appear it is true. On Saturday, at Dunedin, for in stance, a senior player — and a Home man, too — who, while in an off-side position, was chasing close after the ball, actually defended himself seriously with the plea that he had not touched the ball. Another ot that ilk, who was in an off-side position when the ball was last kicked, claimed that as soon as the necessary three men had come- between him and the goal he was on side. And this is a very common error. If a player is in an off-side position when the ball was last kicked, it matters not if the whole- of the remaining twenty-ono players on the field get between him and nis opponents' goal, ho is still off-side until someone else plays the ball." In tho Rovers- Y.M.C.A. fixture a fast but not altogether intarestiwr. atuua cvau.-

tuatcd. There was plenty of energy displayed, but a lack of finish. The average "Soccer" player almost invariably infuses unflagging vtm into his game If he wtmld only use an equal amount of thought!' and preconceive movements, he would soon excel. Neither team on theday's play stood out by its excellence, and it may be said that honours were even in this respect. The extra goal that returned Rovers as winners, was the result of persistent attack. They play a hard and persevering game, and certainly were entitled to the victory. Neither goal-keeper was called upon often, the respective full-backs being successful generally in wardirfg off an attack. Duignan, of Rovers, was tho best of the quartette, and "with more experience may develop into a very sound full. He and his partner, Martin, back one another well. The two sets of half-backs, though hard-working, were lacking in judgment. Players in this position may be termed the directors of the game, but they were not so on Saturday. Of tho forwards, Martin and the übiquitous Barry were always to the fore for Rovers, while Gibson, playing centre- in the V.M.C.A. ranks, put in the most useful work. "Vanguard" is always prepared to publish the opinions of youthful "Soccerites." There are now fourteen boys" teams in Wellington, and all seem keen on the game. Here is a note which was sent in by on© boy this week : — "The Association game of football has made great strides of late years. The gamehas some resemblance to the origijial game o£ Rugby. Certainly, the word 'football' is a more appropriate name for Association than Rugby, as the ball in the former game is urged by the foot only ; it must not be held by any player except the goal-keeper. Some Association players do use the head to advantage, though. The main outline of the game is simplicity in itself. It is not a rough, but a good, steady game, and deserves to be favoured more by the public generally. The game is one that lends itself to some skilful play by the person who thoroughly understands it. Plenty of practise is needful, however, to enable the players to obtain some knowlodge of one anothers plays; and when this latt.ter is mastered it is well worth an afternoon's spare time to witness a game." "In your notes of last Saturday," writes Mr. Wm. Auld, "you referred to Austin Smith as probably the best, centre-forward that we have ever had in New Zealand. I think you must have forgotten that we had one better in Wellington; one who, taken all round, was a much better player, a more deadly shot, and one who never knew when he was beaten. I refer to Charlie Hailwood. As one who Jias played agaiust both players, I know which I would sooner have playing for than against me. Austin Smith was, admittedly, a finu player, but I think Hailwood was better. The latter, when he got tho ball, always made straight for his opponent's goal, and was quite the equal/ of Smith as a. dribbler, but inclined to fiddle too much very nice to watch from the line, but not always of value to his side. He was a man much easier to rob of the ball than Hailwood. Ido not think Wellington players are likely to forget or overlook Hailwood's splendid qualities as an all-round Soccer player."