ASSOCIATION

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 102, 30 April 1921, Page 12

ASSOCIATION

(By " Vanguard.")

NOTES ON OPENING DAY'S

PLAY

PROMISING FORM

The 1921 soccer season was officially opened a fortnight ago by the playing of the annual six-a-side tournament, which as has already been reported, broke all Wellington records as regards entries, but the serious ol.av of the season commenced last Saturday, with the playing of the first fixtures in the senior championship competition. The fames were fast and willing, and everything- seems to point to a highly ..successful season, the enthusiasm being there from the kick-off, Wnth in the field and on the line. It is premature perhaps to speak of the standard of play and player, but it was' the 1, subject of general remark among those followers of the game who saw Saturday's matches that in their experience se.ldom had a season opened with such vim and snap. Active training and careful coaebjiy: off the field, combination, " brains," and cleverness on the field are essentials in the making of a good soccer player. Taking everything into consideration, the start of this season's competition ■is the finest yet shown for a first Saturday, and there will be many splendid displays before the winner is found.

The Diamond Club this year has a good infusion of new blood. B. Davies (goal-keeper), although in the cjty last season, was not available for any team. In 1919 he represented) Auckland in * Brown Shield match, against Canterbury, but was not on the winning side. On his first showing here he appears to be a heady and clever keep, and in two of the goals which were scored agai<tst him he had a slice of bad luck.

Three promoted juniorSj Hearn, Ron, and A. M'Leod, gave excellent displays, showing plenty of speed and daah in their work. The two latter are sons of " Tui " M'Leod 1, who some years. f agol used to play a dashing wing-forward game.

The Institute and Waterside. Athletic display was not at all a bad beginning for the opening' qf the season. The latter club made an excellent start, and appear to have "a team which may be able to give a good account of itself. ' A statement was made that in D. G. Jones they had the finest haJf-back. who had ever appeared on a city field- for some years past. However, his play did. not bear out the statement which had been going the rounds, for although he was not at all bad with his footwork, his shooting at goal was poor. My impression of him is that he would make a good forward,, but it is, of course, unfair to judge him on his first display.

H. Batten played a hard gamo, arid was untiring from start to finish.

Tln the Institute team the player who impressed me most was Gerald' Bell, at back. Time and again he saved his side, and he always appeared to be able to anticipate the position of the ball. Some spectators considered, him to be a bit siow on occasions, but even, so it should be remembered that it was the opening game of the season. A likely player in the forwfcrd line is H. Kershaw, an arrival from Sunderland.

The Petone Club appear to have turned the corner at the .present time, as last ,year they suffered severely through several players giving up the game. However, on Saturday they were able to beat Swifts by 7 goals to 2, and of this score Boadle was successful in obtaining three. The surprise of the day was the win gained by Marist, who beat Y.M.O.A. by 2 goals to 1. , Even allowing for the fact that Ballardi was not playing for T.M.0.A., the win was well deeerveid by the Green and Whites. Fitzgerald lacked a great goal for Marist, and G&rruthers played finely. As usual, M'EJligctt was instrumental in gaining a goal with one of his fine "solo" efforts.

Les Smith appeared to be the best ofthe Y.M.O.A. players. Ho may be wanted for coming Brown Shield games.. The Porirua-South, Wellington match resulted in, a win being, gained by the former team by 3 goals to T. Porirua played several of their last year's Fourth Division players, and they did very well indeed. South Wellington didl not haw ■the l'uak on their ride, and a. course of! training will do the team a. power of good, so it behoves them to study this 'aspect of the game. Mr. H. Yeoman, who refereed' the game has spoken in glowing terms of the splendid behaviour of the two teams. Right throughout the game there was no cavilling against any decisions it' was necessary to make, KAHORI AS SENIORS. Karori madie their first appearance jin the First Division League, when they met Hospital at Porirua. They made ai particularly fine showing, against their' more expenienoed opponents, their main] weakness being in the shooting. They had more than one opportunity to score, but they were up against a tough proposition in Porteous, who brought off several good saves. The forwards combined well, particularly Shapcott and' Eton, on the right, wing. M'lntyre, in the centre, distributed the ball well, but wants to get to the centres quicker, and a«y« at goal more. On the othor win* M Kellar and Moore did well, and' kept wie opposition always on the move. Tha 'tefence is well balanced, and> with a game or two, this team will win matches agauxst some-of the teams that appeal ranch stronger on paper. The Hospital team was much the same as fast'season, the most noticeable absentee being Batten, who is now with Watereidiers. The new men played) were : Wnght Patereon, and Th^npeon, The latter played for p orirua ia6b ason> Md , should develop into a fine half. Daily played a good game for the team, his centres being w«tkrigh perfect. Hughes abo made a welcome reappearance after His recent vent ia England, and played! one of his oldt-fcune games. Dave Ferguson did not score has usual goal, but had: a hand' in most o f those obtained. Tfte team -generally v pfoy«d well, and' will, as usual, take some beating. ROUND THE GROUND NOTES. During the off-seaeon, the top-dTessing of Association Park was taken in hand, and the rough topping-off of the northern section of the park is completed, but the surface requires a deal of heavy rolling before it will be brought to reasonably good order. Saturday's game were played on the southern ground. Soccei; players perhaps have to put up witK poor dressing-room accommodation, but they certainly have, at Association Park, the best wet-weather grounds in Wellington, for the sandy sub-soil ensures a playable surface within an hour or so after rainfall has ceased. Soccer players do not look at all pleased when the pavilion, dressingroom, plain shed—what you will—at Association Park is mentioned. The building is certainly not a-pavilion, it is a doubtful dressing-room, it is rather a poor shed. There is no proper .door, and a hole in the wall does duty as a window, satisfactory insofar as it admits light and ample fresh air, in which good work it is helped on its way by divers smaller holes and cracks punched by long years of wear and tear, but it also admits a. shocking draught- and rain when rain falls. Soccer players are good sports, and put up with the very ancient accommodation happily enough, but one oi- two whose loose cash and other belongings have been stolen from the shed by pickpockets are not bo happy, and they mnke various nuggentione fw ths bettering of the present arrangement*.

One suggests a working bee, another lockers of simple and cheap design, and another that the management committee should depute ai member or some other responsible person to keep an eye on the shed to ensure that no unauthorised person enters while players are on the field. When funds permit the old shed will disappear, but in the meantime some improvement ia urgently necessary. A very regrettable incident marredl the Waterside Athletic-Institute match, resulting in Jones being ordtered off the field. It appears that he lost his temper with Korshaw, an Institute player, over a very trifling incident, and was cautJoofei by the referee. The game continued, but a spectator shouted 1.-to .Tones, advising him to pfey the game. Jones, it is affleged, walkedl across the line, and' struck thfl spectator a> sovcre blow in) the face. Tbe referee at once ordered) him off the field.

Apparently odd players would benefit from a re-reading of the rules of fee game, and. the game, in turn, would benefit accordingly. One rule insists that, where room permite, players shall stand ten yards, distant from the ball-when a free kick has been awarded tbe opposing team. During tbe course of th« game Rifoy (Waiersid'ers) stood a couple of yards from the ball, and; M'Arthur, who was to take the kick, appealed-, but the appeal was either not heard, or not treated seriously by tlbe referee. On© would expect a prayer of • Riley's experience to be fully cognisant with tho law* of fee game. An old player writes : —"Th» multiplicity of colours is apparently causing tile W.F.A. no endl of worry, amd it seems to me needless worry. What harm if two clubs have the' same coloure, providing the one with the junior registrar tion of cotours changes them when they meet. Hospital and Marist nave hod the same colours for years, and there hoe' been no friction between tbe two dribs. As a matter of fact, it was amusing last season, when the two . teams met, as when, they took ,tbe field itvwas found that both teams Had discarded the green and white stripe, and changed! into other colours. As a rule Hospital change when-meeting Marist, as they look on themselves ac the home team, and in England it is usual 1 for the home team to change when colours clash. As regards colours in England, recently mentioned at a meeting of the W.F.A., a few words regarding English football colours may be interesting. In th« First Division there are twenty-two clubs, and the colour question does' not seem to worry the EngEsh F.A., as several' clubs competing have the same colours. To mention some, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United', and Middlesbrough play in red shirts, while Boltou Wanderers, Derby County; Preston North End, andl Tottenham Hotspur play in white sWrts. Aston Villa ami Burnley both pl&y in claret and light blue shirts. Then Hudtdenrfield Town, Newcastle TJnitdd, and Oldham Athletic are each-proud of their blueiand white stripes. And why not? In the Second' and Third Divisions, clubs wearing the same colours are even more numerous. The main idea of colours is to assist the referees, spectators, and players, and it is' hardly possible that two teams would take thie fieldi against each other wearing the same colours." THE SKERRETT CUP. . Some time ago Mr. 0. P. Skerrett, as president of the New Zealand Football Association, presented the association with a cheque for the purchase of a cup for competition among soccer football teams of the Dominion's eecondary schools, but difficulty was experienced in obtaining a suitable cup. A cup of handsome design has now been obtained, and will be on view in a shop in Willisstreet for a few days. The Otago Boys' High School team at present holds the cup, or the honour of holding it, and during the present season.will be called upon to defend its title against several South Island schools, •' and probably North Wand teams. The secondary schools in Otago have taken up Soccer enthusiastically, and the game is attracting the attention of. quite a number of other South Island high schools. A possible claimant for the Skerrett Cup honours will be the St. Patrick's College team, which is making its first appearance this season. ,'"