HOCKEY SEASON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 84, 10 April 1911, Page 4

HOCKEY SEASON.

THE PROSPECTS. SHIELD MATCHES. In three weeks hockey will be in full swing in Wellington, and it would eeem that an interesting season is in prospect. The local association has held its annual meeting, set up committees, and the machinery of a powerful sports organisation is now in active operation. An important meeting of the Management Committee was held at the close of the annual meeting, and much business was transacted. Mr. W. J. Organ was re-elected chairman. Cup matches will commence on 29th April, and tae entries close on the 14th. In accordance with the suggestion con tamed in the annual report, the question of reducing the 2 )a J' m e n t& by affiliated clubs was duly considered, and it was resolved tc reduce the ground rent charge from £7 io £5 per club. Mr. H. V. Walton was unanimously re-elected sole selector. Last year there was considerable discussion on the question of placing the sole responsibility of the selector of Wellington's tives on one man, but when Mr. Walton's name was mentioned the opposition vanished. It has been realised that the appointment resulted in conspicuous success, and for this every credit is due the holder of this important office. There was absolutely no discussion oa the proposal, the re-appointmenfc waa taken for granted, and carried amidst applause. Messrs. W. J. Organ, J. W. M'Bonald, and A.^A. Bennett were each appointed to the Match. Postponement and Transfer. Committees. The meeting decided to play two rounds in the senior championship, one round in the junior, and two in the third-class. The committee anticipates having so many junior entries, about fourteen probably, and it was considered impossible to get through more than one round, making allowance for stoppages for bad weather, etc. The Petone Club, applied to have its name altered to the fiutt Valley Club, and intimated that it would be entering one junior and two third-class teame. The alteration in name was approved. The finances of the shield 'matches revealed a loss to the association. Six matches were played. The total takings were £42 14s 6d, £15 odd being at the Auckland and Hawkes Bay matches, £8 odd at the Canterbury fixture, and ±!3 8s 6d at the Wanganui match. The # expenses totalled £58 ICs 6d, and on top' of that the Wellington Ladies' Association received a portion of the takings at the Hawkes Bay shield contest as a ladies' representative match was played on the same' day. The loss was thus £15 16s. This sum has been allowed for in the balance-sheet. Although a match lias been owed to the Nelson Association for a number of years, the fixture, arranged a week or two ago, is not to take place, as the Nelson authorities held it to be impossible to make it a representative match. The team will meet the Blenheim representatives on Easter Saturday, as originally agreed upon. A resolution is being forwarded to the Wellington delegate on the New Zealand Hockey Association ip. referenceto the proposal to reduce the' number of games the holders of the shield must | play. He has already replied to the effect thai} he is in accord with the suggestion arid that he will do his utmost to have the terms of the resolu- ! felon carried out. Wellington desires the number reduced to four and that challenging teams • should play off for the honour of meet-ing the holders. For havtanca, Manawatu, Taranaki, aad WSanganui could play off-., the 'Conqueror to come to Wellington or the place of tbe association holding the shield. I The delegate will also be asked to urge upon the New Zealand Association the advisableness of compelling challenging teams to win a match in the c-rdi-nai-v tims allowed for the game, instead of playing additional time if a . draw ocaars. The local committee feels that the challengers, to win. should be able to defeat, the holders ir> " the ordinary time, especially in view of the fact that the light would be poorer at the latter hour and a goal may get through that would never pass the goalkeeper I other-wise. The objection that will j doubtless be T aised is that it will tend to cramp the game. Some may think that the defenders would play a purely d-efensive game and play merely against time. This, however, is very unlikely so far as Wellington is concerned. The policy of the best rep. hockey teams is to keep the game open. The entries for the shield this year will be. as large as, if not larger than, last .year's figures. There will be one less senior team, as Metropolitan is j playing junior owing to the loss of some i players. There will thus be six Benioi' ' teams. The association has the usual five grounds at Day's Bay, • one at Duppastreet.. one at the Basin Reserve, and probably two at the Hutt Park. A lease may be arranged between the Hutt Valley Club and the Hutt Park trustees, in consideration of which the trustees will put the ground in order. Kelburne Park has been given to the Rugby Union. It was alleged that hockey injured the ground. What about football? A suggestion, was made at the annual meeting that representative matches should be played on the Basin. Reserve. It is probable that the Cricket Association would ijneet the- hockey authorities and put the ground in good order. If that be arranged, the Hockey Association will endeavour to repair the- ground sufficiently to enable it to play shield fixtures there for " gate " purposes, as even for the moefc important matches, the general public wijl not go as far as Day's Bay, although the spectacular and interesting nature J of the game is considered likely to attract' them to the Basin Reserve. 'Atr ptesent the ground is very rough and bumpy. TRIAL MATCH. A trial representative hockey match, in view of the- Marlborough fixture for Easter Saturday, was played at Day's Bay on Saturday afternoon. Players did not achieve any combined form, but a useful practice eventuated. The A team won, by 4 goals', shot by G. Davies, Murphy, Loader, and Parlon, to one, notched' by Organ. Mr. H. V. Walton had charge of the game.