SOCCER

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 22

SOCCER

ay "Vanguard"

THE GAME LOCALLY

IMPROVED STANDARD

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

There has been evidence already this season that the standard of Association football in Wellington is improving.. Patrons who visited the Basin Reserve last Saturday and saw the .game between Marist and Waterside must have left the ground very much impressed with what they had seen, and with a feeling of confidence for the future of the code in Wellington. In other sqnior games this season improvement has been most marked, but it is, not often that spectators are treated to as bright a display as that seen on the Basin. Each team has a distinct style of play, and on Saturday, each' adopted definite tactics which made for a game in which ithere was hardly a dull moment. : The strength' of Marist lay in their forward line, and it was only to bo expected that they would utilise the power they possess to the fullest extent. Time after time the forwards got away, and in most cases the movement was finished with a brilliant attempt at goal. These tactics were successful in the first spell, but in .the, second ■Marist found themselves up _ against strong combination. Waterside were not content to let, the Marist forwards have full play, and the tactics of the Waterside defence proved far too good for Marist. ,As a result, the Marist front line found its wings clipped, and try as hard as they could, the forwards could not secure the goal necessary to turn a 'draw into a win. Although leading in the first half, Marist wero beaten on tactics, in tho second spell. ' : Practically the entire'Marist forward line shone throughout the match, and of the halves Burd and Wilson were most prominent. In tho Waterside eleven, Abernethy and Bolton, the full-backs, were called upon to bear a great part of the Marist attack. T,ho forward lino was strong, Garrod and Main perhaps, being tho most prominent. .■- Better Shooting Wanted., - That the Hospital team is improving was shown last Saturday, in the game againstX Seatoun. Play was dominated throughout by Hospital, but poor shooting and a good opposing goalkeeper balked them of what should have been a sure win. ( Hospital's usual bustling tactics kept Seatouu on the run from the start. Despite tho fact that Seatoun was a much younger side, it was not the equal of Hospital in speed and dash. If two opposing players were going for the ball in nine cases out' of ten the Hospital man -would get to it first. This quickness on the ball is a char-, aeteristic of Hospital play, and one that could well be imitated by other teams. Hospital have faults, but they can never be said to be guilty of slacking. They are triers all the way, and if other teams were to infuse into their play the same vim the games would be vastly moro entertaining. Football played with theoretical correctness is certainly a thing to be desired, but without vigour and determination it degoneratos into, a sort of pat-ball. Last Saturday Hospital added to their foreefulness a better understanding and combination than they have hitherto displayed, and tho result was a, brighter exhibition than usual. However,'thero is still room for "improvement in their team-work. Soatoim did not seem to bo their usual selves. Their play was not marked by the same da,shhig vigour as was Hospital's, and their combined work, tho excellence of" which is normally a feature of. the Seatoun team, was poor. Their men showed to better advantage individually, their clever footwork getting them out of many difficult, positions. But for one defect tho game would have boon most interesting. Hospital were energetic, and showed flashes of good team-work, and though Seatoun were not so fast they had individual brilliance. ;'The-,one thing that spoilt Hie match-"was the' shooting of both Seams. It was slow, inaccurate, ana anything but well-timed. Lacking •excellence in this respect, neither team, could expect a win except by a chance goal, for the defence of both teams was very solid, and both goalkeepers were first-class men. Time and again the forwards rushed the opposing goal. They shot over it and around it, or did not shoot at all, and on the few occasions that a good shot>was put in the goalie was there to stop it. Hospital had some ■ good • chances in the second half when thoy rushed the Seatoun goal en masse, but Parkin, the goalie, would fall on the ball, and always managed to get it clear. Had the shooting, of both teams been up to the standard of the rest of the play there would have been no cause for complaint'as to the merit of tho game. . ■ ' Parkin, tho goalkeeper, showed up more than anyone in the Seatoun team. His saves when the Hospital forwards rushed him in the second half were very good from the Seatoun point of view, but rather' doubtful from the Hospital point of view on account of his hugging the ball. Kershaw was the best Seatoun man on the field. He supported both backs and forwards excellently, and was'always ready to try a shot himself. Of the forwards, no one man stood out from the.others, although M'Kenzie was noticeable for hard work. Ell, in goal for Hospital, did not have a great deal to do, but acquitted himself we^ when called upon. Jeffreys and Thompson wero good backs, and bojth displayed a turn of speed that was- troublesome to the Seatoun forwards. Hospital's forwards were strongest on the right, where Marshall, Campbell, and White worked well together. Gibb was good at inside left, but Eutherford on the left wing was not a success. A Team that Misses. . The impressi6n given by the Lower Hutt team is that they should do very much better than they do. Talent is there, in places at any rate, yet as a team tho Lower Hutt' combination fails.- On Saturday last, for'instance, they, were confronted by a very weak opposition, yet at the end of the first spell led by only the odd goal in three. True it was that in the second spell they added throe more goals, but that was nothing of which to be excessively proud. One fault is that there is a tendency to keep tho ball in tho air too much, and another is the dallying on the part of the forwards when they got possession. Fancy ogrations are offeelrivc at times, but can bo overdone. On Saturday, Batchelor, on tho loft wing, the best of the forwards, was badly starved at times. Perhaps as the season progresses the Lower Hutt team will produce f£otball of a standard

which will leave no cause for criticism. This should/bo possible if the finer points of the game and team-work are studied. Football in the Boys' Grades, The new method of .election of the two members to the controlling body of Association football, by the duly constituted body, the Junior Management Committee, governing ago limit football in grades below intermediate division, has resulted in greater interest being shown by that committee in the welfaro of the boys. It indeed was a step in the right direction when tho Management Committee saw fit to approve of such a committee after a period of years, in which various committees were delegated certain powers. Unfortunately these powers were not exactly directed to the real interests of the game as a whole, and the Management Committee had to exercise their right on various occasions in putting matters straight. The nine members appointed by the clubs, and then confirmed by the W.F.A., have all had, considerable experience of football amongst boys, one member having been connected with the game in Wellington for a period of thirty-eight years, and every one of the nine members appointed have boys' football at heart. '\. ■ It is a significant fact that this season coaches have been provided by clubs for all teams in the fourth division, but there is dire need for coaches in some of the lower 'grade' teams. The most promising material that this association has had at its disposal is there ready to bo coached by old players and enthusiasts. Go to the Kilbirnie Stadium any Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m, in the afternoon, and you will see in action the boys who are to be the future players of Wellington, full of enthusiasm, eager to learn. It is an object lesson to all clubs both in the senior and junior divisions to see the whole-hearted interest taken in the teams under the jurisdiction of the Marist Newtown and Marist Thorndon teams by the brothers every week. Twenty teams of school boys take the field there, and' this is in addition to thirty teams that play on Friday afternoons under1 the Primary Schools' rootball Association. ':. Schoolboy Representatives. Extraordinary interest is being doveloped at the present time in the trial matches which will be played next week, prior to making the final selection of the two teams from the Wellington .Province which will be placed in tho field by the P.S.F.A. for Mr. E. Harrison, of the Belmont School, Auckland to view to make his selection of tho five players from Wellington during the first week of the school holi■days. The*players to be considered must have- been under tho age of 14 years on the- Ist January this year, which will limit the. age limit to 14 years and 7 months when the team takes its departure from these shores in the August holidays. First of Season Showings. Judging by the displays of teams< in tho first games of the season there is every likelihood of good displays of the code being given, particularly in the fourth division. A new .club to this 'competition is the Technical 0.8. team, which should be well to the fore at tho end of the first round. With players of the calibre of Briggs, Webster, and Simon in the team, all of whom have represented Wellington in the secondary schools' matches with Auckland, a first-class gymnasium at their disposal for training, there is indeed a bright future before this new club, and tho college, as a recruiting ground, mil tend to make the club strong, and build up the toanis in the higher divisions. In the first Saturday's play, the defeat of Institute by Lower'Hutt by 3 goals to 1 was not expected; as the former team was considered a strong combination, and no doubt now the season has started the gymnasium will be well used. Tho Diamond v. Miramar Bangers gamo was greatly enjoyed' by tho early spectators at the Basin Reserve, and moro games of this ..nature will go a long way in furthering the game. Tho football was good, and before many games arc played both teams will bo hard to beat. Smith showed great defonco for Diamonds at leftback,'and when Farrington tackles a little more tho backs will be hard to beat. J. Bamfield, as the last line of defenco in goal, will take some penetrating. With the. for ward line in Croskery, Baker, Hunter, , Tanner, and Lucas, . goal ■ scoring should be quite a feature this season. -....•■ -.. • ; ; The Miramar Rangers team was a solid combination, the backs, Minifie and Martin, playing particularly well. Bailie, centre-half, and secondary school representative last season, will make a name for himself before long in the higher grades. Jupp and Eager in the forward line are players of promise, having represented Wellington in the primary schools. The Seatoun team which played against Technical Old Boys have promoted their fifth division mainly of last season, and also contain ex-schoolboy representatives in Salt, Gibson, and Smyth. The Marist fourth division 'team should be very near the top of the table at the end of the first round, Fifth division football . this . season contains many teams'which were playing last season in the. sixth division, and it will be interesting to watch these players in action in the higher grade, particularly the Seatoun team, which annexed all trophies, in the lower grade last season., Sixth division football should provide an interesting competition for those players under 14 years, many of whom have come through the ranks from the lower grades. Common Faults. Dr. Tinslcy'Lindley, a.famous centreforward of the Corinthians and Nottingham Forest clubs, and on thirteen occasions an international player, has recently drawn attention to several more common faults among' first-grade footballers at home. Presumably a few of those faults will also be found among New Zealand players, in all grades.. It is often said, he wrote, that the man with the ball should make the opening, but it is just as much the duty of the other forwards to get into position so that they can play up to him. Dr. Lindley maintains that ball control generally is poor and.shooting is as faulty as it could be. He mentioned that on two occasions, both in first-grade matches, he took the ball through from the kick-off and goaled, without an opposing player having touched it. He considered that that should be done more frequently than it is. , a "Ball control nowadays is baa, ana shooting as faulty as it can be. Forwards won't get their knees over tho ball. They shoot off tho toe-cap instead of off ttio instep. Players should bo taught the principle of tangents and angles. With a moving ball the players on the wings should have their feet, at a certain angle, which requires working out, tap it when they receive it, and they would see .it go back to the player who is dashing through. "From my point of view," he con-

tinucd, "tho changes that have been made in tho game have brought about deterioration. The result of playing what is called the W formation is that at least one or two players are often off-side. The forwards should help each other, and go ahead together. - "Another reason for the decline isr that, for some reason or other, the backs and half-backs play the wrong game. In my opinion it is the duty of the half-back to watch the outside forward and for the back to take the inside man. The reverse action is often seen, and it is a mistaken policy, ■ "Old players, in my opinion, make the best referees, because they do their work in the spirit of the game. No pmbunt of theory can create that splendid breath for football that comes from actual practice. Another pomt i upon which I feel strongly is that referees should base their decisions on' tho intention of the act ana not on the mere consequences of it. ■ -, . \ "Then again, I" consider that there should be two referees —one for each half of the field. I also hold that the penalty line should be abolished, for players should not be allowed to know where they can or cannot trip with impunity. Ido not consider it right that a player should bo able to say to himself: 'Inside that line I must not be unfair; outside it I can bo so if I like.' I would, therefore, do away with the lines: and give powers 'to referees to award penalty kicks for foul play over a much larger area than at present,"