ASSOCIATION

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 14, 16 July 1921, Page 12

ASSOCIATION

THE BROWN SHIELD

MATCH

POSITIONS OF SENIOR TEAMS

(By "Vanguard.")

Congratulations are the order of the day in connection with the Brown Shield match at Wanganui. The W.F.A., as the holders, acted in a. very sporting manner in sending the team to play away from home, and this ia gratefully recognised by the Wanganui Association. The Wanganui Association deserves the highest praise for the perfect manner in which it carried out the arrangements for the match, and the entertainment of its visitors, and the contesting teams are to bo congratulated upon the skilful and clean exhibition of the game.

The match was played before an enthusiastic crowd of four thousand, in ideal weather, and on a first-class ground. The first spell was very fast, and full of brilliant football. The half-time score of 1 all fairly represented the merits of the contestants, honours resting very evenly betweeff the- teams. The second spell was not quite so fast, and Wa.nija.nui showed signs of lack of condition, while the combination of tho Wellington team improved greatly. Only the exceptional goalkeeping of Hyder prevented a much larger final score than 2 to 1 in favour of the holders of the shield.

Hyder kept a perfect goal. O*Neil (right back) was very safe, holding up I the Wellington forwards time aftor time. | Mitchell (captain), who played centre forward in the first spell and centre-half in the second, is a fine player, but in my opinion he made tactical errors -when, aftor winning the toss, he elected to play against tho sun; and when he altered the formation of the team in tha second half. ■ C. Gcll, in goal for Wellington, had little to do, handling the ball not more than six or seven times during the game. Taylor played finely at left back, one of Ted's" old-timo games. J. Ferguson (right back) was safe. Brownlee and M'Arthur, at half, played soundly throughout, ??<i.ii nG3 im l>r<"'ed in the second half. . M Mhgott and Cusack played well together, although the former was neglected by. his centre. Ballard and Campbell combined splendidly, especially in the second half. D. Ferguson, at centre forward, was a. failure on the day. The unanimous opinion of playere and officials was that the trip was one of the most enjoyable they had experienced. The Wanganui committee did everything in its power to add to the enjoyment of tho visitors. Special mention must be made ?w?. 0 ? fforts of ¥essrs- T°in Wilkesand VV. Or. Herd in this connection. Messrs. Auld (chairman), Wells, Godber Webster, arid Williams (manager) of the W.F.A. .Management Committee,' accompanied the team. HOW THE SENIORS STAND. Following are the positions of the senior teams m the League Competition up to to-day's play: —

South Wellington, Brooklyn, and Swifts are still a long way down, but they have showed that it is in them to climb, and climb they will.

Thistlo Juniors created a big surprise by defeating Marist. Th 6 latter team, prior to last Saturday, had an unbeaten record. Marist, the heavier team, could not maintain the pa.cc set by. Thistlo, who gradually wore their opponents down. Boyd, Marist's right half, was very solid in defence, and was the means of getting his team out of difficulties on several occasions. __ Young Greenfield, playing for Institute Fourths A, has been doing quite a lot of good work for his team. In eight matches ho scored 16 goals, one, during the game against V.M.C.A., being from a truly remarkable screw shot with his back to the goal. Gill, Dawe, and Davies are also good lads in their class. Soccer is the game to those who go down to the sea in ships, and teams representing the cadets of the British India training ship Woodarra and the officers and crew of the P and 0. steamer Peshawur played keen and fast football when they met at Lyall Bay last week. The Woodarra men went home with a win by four goals to nil, though they had to fight for it. Island Bay is running five Soccer teams this season, two juniors, a fifth, sixth, and a seventh team, and of tho.five the fifths (A) are the brightest. They have beaten several good teams, and stand well up in their list. The .juniors at times play well, but (hey lack finish, though they have considerably improved under ' steady conching. The club hopes to be able to enter a senior team next season. The president of the club, Mr. W. J. Forkins, has pointed out that the Island Bay beginners have had to make quite a few comparatively long-distance trips—to Seatoun and such grounds—and has expressed the hope that there will bo more fixtures for Duppa-stroet in trio future. All this club's players, by the way, reioice in new field uniforms. They look forward to the monthly club dance held at the Bay. Day, in goal for Watersidere' juniors, is quite a good man. In one or two recent matches he Ims had holidays, but when he has been colled upon to do his iob he has done it well. Hart, right fullback, is a big stumbling block to' the opposing forwards. Holmes, inside 'left, generally manages to notch a goal or so. and should stand a vnry fail" chanco of rntchincr the eye of the selectors. Jenkins, Cullings, nntl Bell are n (rood set of forwards, b'lt r!;e latter would do better if he nUaokerl ftnrl tackled moro . vigorously. The three halves, too, as a rule, make a good showing. WHAT OF THE FUTURE? "I notice that a member of the executive of the W.F.A. has mi.de comment on the fact that retired players do not take up refereeing as they should," writes V.P. "This raises the far bigger question : Why do so many players, on giving up active play, also give up their interest in the game? Although Soccer in Wellington is progressing by leaps and bounds, it is an unsatisfactory and disquieting state of things to find tho main work of management thrown on the heavily-weighted shoulders of a few —those few being old veterans wid have year in and year out cheerfully worked their soul cases out in bringing the game along to its present important position on the field of sport. Thore. se'.'m few available to take their places, and so to keep the machinery moving, thefie old administrators have to 'carry on.' "I am firmly of opinion that our rules should bo altered to allow of players taking some direct part in the management of tho game, which at the same time would train and encourage them for the higher executive positions. As it ia now, most players consider their duty done on Jhe field, and they divorce themselves from the management entirely. This should not 1 be. I am certain that the present rule prohibiting a player holding any office in the Association is largely responsible for this, and this rule should bo promptly amended on tho lines suggested, with a view to getting more co-operation and assistance from players generally. "Unless something is done, and done soon, there seems- to me to be a serious chance of a. break-down in the managerial machinery. Let us therefore face the problem now and endeavour to provide some effective way of encouraging tho co-opera-tion of tho present ivpathstio player in the important work of management.

1.. i i : i ||^ a 1 1 -I Ph t> >Jf Q U O (^ Hospital 10 9 1 0 37 9 18 Institute 10 9 1 0 35 '8 18 Thistle 10 1 1 2 35 10 16 V.M.C.A. (A) 10 6 3 1 • 34 18 13 Watersido 10 5 3 2 32 20' 12 Marist 10 6 4 0 20 16 12 Porirua United ... 10 5 4 1 14 16 11 Karori 10 4 6 0 23 30 8 Pefcone 50 4 6 0 21 30 8 Diamond JO 3 6 1 19 20 7 V.M.C.A. (B) 10 i 7 0 21 38 6 South Wgtn .10 3 7 0 14 31 .6 Brooklyn 10 1 8 1 17 38 3 Swifts 10 1 9 0 11 49 2