HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 18

HOCKEY

BY "STICKS"

THE KING'S BIRTHDAY BUSY TIME FOR LOCAL PLAYERS GAMES AT FEILDING, WANGANUI, AND WAIRARAPA

chairman said that while a hoy was at school he should play for that school. It certainly was not right that he should be allowed to play in two different grades. Naturally school hockey needed all the encouragement it nould get, and it was unfair that clubs should be enabled to cull the best boy players out and thus give the game in the schools a set-back. While the association had no authority to order the lad to play in either one grade or the other, it cer- • tainly had power to see that ho did not play in both. ' . The Zanol Cup. Wellington will probably play Auckland for the Zanol Cup (junior) on Ist August. This decision was come to at a meeting of the association this week, when consideration was being given to a letter from the Canterbury Association, . stating that a cliallege had been forwarded to Auckland. In the event of Wellington meeting and defeating the northerners, Canterbury will be savml the considerable expense and troublu ol making the long trip to Auckland. Helping the Youngsters ' The younger hockey players will be pleased to see that tn« association is, - evincing some interest in their doings, as witness their latest niuve. This is to secure a maximum rate return tram ticket for all players of 16 years and under, who travel on Saturday to their various grounds, and to achieve, this very desirable result it has been decided to approach the Sports Protection League' with a view to securing the co-operation of other sports bodies. It has been suggested that 6d would be a fair charge for the youths who would take advantage ,of the scheme. A Spirited Clash. Tho game between the Karori and Wakatu senior A teams on last Saturday week greatly impressed one wellknown hockey enthusiast, who writes to "Sticks" on the match as follows :— The tussle between Karori " and Wakatu was by far tha best senior game at Karori Park, on the day. Play was .very fast and clever, and both ■ teams went full out from the start to the final whistle. The first spell was very even, and both teams had several opportunities to score, but Karori managed to draw first blood with a nice shot from Knowles,- their inside-left. Moore played a very solid game on the right wing, but is lacking iv pace, and therefore misses good opportunities. Don M'Gaviu failed on .several occasion when with a' little steadiness he might have scored. This player could do with some practice at dribbling, as this is his weakness. Watchman..on the left wing for Karon", was very jnuch off his game, and ?ave one the idea that he did not know what was expected of him. Selfishness in holding on to the ball when a centre would be thebest course to adopt is his fault. '" Kiwj " Perrin was Karori's mainstay on Saturday, and without him they would not have been in the picture. It is unfortunate that he has to he all over the field, as this is. not the job of a • centre-half. Spiers played a great game for Karori;' and was particularly sound in defence. Brennan, ■in goal, was brilliant, and _ had it not been for his safe . keeping the score could easily have been more than it was. Trott, playing at. centre-half for Wakatu, was very solid, and was always in his position ready to attack or defend when necessary. Dee, on the right winj, played a very '' heady game, and put in some very nice runs down the wing. The goal scored by him was unplayable and was never seen by Karori's goalie. Stratton played his usual, solid game at " bully." D. Hood and W. Hood both ptayed well for Wakatu, and their play in the closing stages of the game showed them to be very fit. The goal scored by Don Hood was a very clever piece of stick work. Some Senior A Players. Bob Lusty is very dangerous when he reaches the circle, and is the scoring man for Hutt. Slater, on the right wing for Hutt, is all right on the field, but lacks finish in the circle. Cousins, playing for 'Varsity, was not on his game against Wakatu, and missed several opportunities of scoring. Lewis, left-wing, for 'Varsity, is the making of a good player, but require." a fair amount of coachinj. He is starved on the wing at present. _ Fraser, playing at centre-half for 'Var sity, has a good knowledge of the game and keeps the pace going to the finalwhistle. His placings are a pleasure to watch. Hollings has the style but wants in put more wood behind his stick when Rending the ball up to the wings. C. Ham, 'Varsity, was the most con> soicuous player on the field in the Wellington v. "Varsity clash last Saturday. He was always in the thick of the fight, and his two goals out of the three registered by his team capped a good performance. Notes. The New Zealand Hockqv Association has authorised Mr. L. H. "Norton, who 'is at present in England, to enter into, negotiations 'with the English Hockey Association with reference to a tour of New Zealand by an English team, to take place not sooner than the 1927 season. Secretaries of clubs are reminded that team lists must lie in at this office, addressed to " Sticks," not later than Thursday afternoon of each week. Lists arriving Inter than the above time aro liable to be omitted. Secretaries of clubs aro requested to acknowledge receipt of circulars sent out by the W.11.A: and tv carry out the instructions contained therein. According to the president of the A'ew Zealand Hockey Association there is little possibility of an inter-island match being held this year*

The King's Birthday, on 3rd June,' will, as usual, be a busy time for hockey players. Several of the' Wellington clubs have been given permission to visit Feildiug to participate in the five-a-side tournament-, among them being Hutt, whose A team last year proved the champions of the tourney. A senior B and a junior team will go to Wanganui at the invitation of the latter association, and a senior eleven is being arranged to visit the Wairarapa, where hockey; it is said, needs a little encouragement. The writer remembers very vividly that last year a request was received from the Mana-watu Association, asking if Wellington could send a team to help put the garni; on a sounder footing there. He also remembers the result of the only match of the visit. Possibly the members of the Wellington team have a recollection of the score. It was by no means a runaway victory for Manawatu, but it served to show. that the game needed very little in the way of a fillip. Wairarapa may be the same, and it therefore behoves the selectors of the Wellington team to pick the best eleven available.. 'Varsity Play Criticised. It is estimated that about 2SOO people were present at the Oxford and Cumbrid.ee University match at Beckenham, on 18th February, and it is stated that seats were sold more freely than ever before. A correspondent t<>the "Hockey World" lias some rather caustic remarks about the play The game was played in the finest spirit of sportsmanship, and friendly rivalry, lie writes, and iv the second half in particular one was treated to wonderful thrills. It was a marvellous spectacle, and everybody present must have enjoyed every moment of it— as a thrilling spectacle. But, as a hockey enthusiast I cannot conscientiously say that it was hockey. It might have been pojo or shinty, but it certainly wasn't hockey. The stickwork at times was a treat to watch and envy, but the other kind of "stickwork" which consists in lifting the stick above the shoulder at any point of the stroke was a foul blot on the fair game. Ono goes to see class hockey to learn, and one expects to see the game of hookey played as it should be played, and that is in strict accordance with the rules. I admit that the spirit of the rules is every bit as important as the letter, but at the same time I submit that there are four occasions at least in which the referee should enforce the penalties for "sticks" with the utmost vigour of thp law, and they are : — (a) A relieving hit by the defence. (b) Hitting a, corner. (c) Shooting at goal(d) Centreing a ball from the wing for the inoers to shoot In each of those four cases, if "sticks" is ignored, an unfair advantage is gained by the. offender, and that is not in accordance with either the letter or the spirit of the game, or the rules. I do not blame the players; the fault lies entirely with those in charge of the game. I am not advocating namby-pamby methods of play for a moment. A man can hit just as hard without giving "stjeks" if he does it in the proper manner.' One of the chief causes of "sticks" to my mind, when shooting at goal, is due to Uie fact that the man shooting stands over the ball instead of behind it, and he plays a cricket shot in consequence. The slick comes high above the shoulder at the beginning of the stroke, _ but finishes only about knee-high, and it is hard to convince such players that they have given "sticks," unices you can prove it by showing them a photo of themselves ""caught in the act." Unless my eyes entirely deceived me the first goal scored by Roberts, for Cambridge, was a typical "horrible example," as also was the lightning, centre by Hickman that was npt taken advantage of in the first half. The goal hit was certainly being filmed at the time —by the Gaumont . Company. I understand —and it would certainly be interesting to test the truth of one's convictions by seeing it reproduced on the screen in "slow mo- : tion." ! Why was the rule originally made | about "sticks?" Presumably to prevent dangerous play. Robust play, as long as it does not include dangerous or unfair "sticks" or obstruction, is to be encouraged, but there the rule standsfor a very good reason, and it is not "hoc' key" if referees permit players to ignore the rules with impunity. I noticed three cases of obstruction in the circle, when an attacking foawavd was about to shoot, with only the goalkeeper to beat, but no penalty was awarded, let alone a penalty bully! These impressions are not a crab against this inter-varsity match iv particular, but the-laxity or indifference in enforcing penalties for "sticks," or obstruction (charging, crossing, etc.) is becoming altogether too convmon in first-class hockey, and I hope that in my enthusiasm for the game I shall not be accused of letting my enthusiasm outrun my discretion. ; For a Worthy Cause. In view of the great service which the late " Jim " Whithair rendered to hockey in this city, there should be little hesitation on the part of both players and the public on Saturday afternoon next when collections are taken up at Karori Park for his relatives. Mr. Whithair was one of those genuine enthusiasts to whom nothing was too much trouble or any courtesy too great, in'd it is only fitting that his memory should abide as a shining example tq. those who follow. See that the hand digs deeply and generously on Saturday ! Ono Game at a Time. An interesting decision was given by the chairman of the Management Committee of the W.H.A. this week in regard to a schoolboy who had been playing both for his school, team and (or a club junior team. On behalf of the club, it wae stated that they had first eeou'td the sendees oi tfes lad, but the