SOCCER

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 84, 9 April 1932, Page 18

SOCCER

By "Vanouahd" THE NEW SEASON

CLUB PROSPECTS

TEAMS IN READINESS

With the annual meeting of the Wellington Football Association concluded, and the annual meetings of all clubs affiliated to the association out of the way, the officers elected for the ensuing season have been particularly busy during the past three weeks preparing for a season of exceptional interest.

Clubs have been busy arranging matches ever since Easter. Monday, when Lower Hutt took the opportunity of visiting Hospital with three teams. A return visit is being arranged on the Hutt recreation ground this afternoon. Waterside visited the Hutt Park racecourse and played the Petone Club in three practice games. Other clubs took advantage of an early Easter and also arranged matches for practice purposes. Last Saturday Seatoun extended an invitation to the Lower Hutt club to play at Seatoun Park, and two games eventuated. The Thistle and Diamond clubs arranged matches at. Eongotai and the Stadium. Altogether, the organisation being perfected by the First Division clubs augurs well for a successful season, and indicates that the high standard that has been maintained for many years in. Wellington will continue to be shown this coming season. The past season, from a playing point of view, was one- of the biggest programmes that had ever been undertaken in local football. With an early start next Saturday with matches in the First Division there is every prospect of the coming season being one of interest. As far as representative fixtures are concerned, the management committee of the W.F.A. at its meeting last Wednesday decided to forward a challenge to the N.Z.F.A. immediately for a match against Otago, the holders of the F.A. trophy, and it now remains for Mr. Hicks, who has again been entrusted with the job of selecting Wellington's First Division representatives for the coming season, to select his prospective team and get them in training if the Capital City is to uphold its prestige against the redoubtable opponents on Logan Park, Dunedin, in the near future.

A decision to appoint a sole selector for the Second Division was a wise move on the part of the management committee. The selection fell upon Mr. George Aera, who is fitted for the position, having for many years taken a great interest in the players of senior rank below First Division. The first match in which the Second Division representatives will be called upon to show their mettle will be against the '' Navy,'' at the Kilbirnie Stadium, on Saturday next, to be preceded by the First Division match Diamond v. Marist. The management committee has generously decided to give the whole of the proceeds to the wife and children of the man who was lost overboard on the voyage of the Dioinede between Sydney and Nelson. The Navy men have taken the match up enthusiastically, and with the appearance of the band from the warship there is every indication that, given a fine afternoon, a large crowd will be present for so worthy a cause. Opening Matches. With every indication that the ground*at the Petone Recreation will not b, 6 available for the opening match of the season, Petone will engage Seatoun at Soatoun Park nest Saturday. There is every indication that the seaside team will piace a team in the field that will uphold its laurels. Mr. Braithwaito (the trainer) is confident that his team will lower the Petone colours on its own ground. The Thistle team, will journey to Hospital, and Waterside will play Lower Hutt at the Hutt recreation ground. Taking a line through the Lower Hutt team, the club is to be commended for their attitude- in sticking to the players who have come through the club, with a sprinkling of one or two seasoned players to give the team that stability and confidence required now that they have been raised to First Division status. Applications to join the club have been received from quite a number of players, but the club has adhered to the players who were with thefj whilst they were playing in the Second Division. The team that will probably take the field against Waterside will be Forbes, Gardiner, Holmes, Smith, Land, A. Stobbs, W. Nicolle, G. Stobbs, Brown, Jessup, and Batehelor, with the possibility of Cross, MacDougall, and Dunn finding places. The team to represent the Diamond Club will be much the same as last season, in Wyatt, W. Hopper (ex-Thistle), Guest, J. McLeod, Geddes, E. McLeod, Eigby, Neale, Dickinson, Smith, and Bryson, with Baker and Costley knocking at the door for plates. The Swifts Club are determined this season to find a position in the First Division, and once again hope to gain that position in Wellington football held by the club for very many years prior to the war. The players available for this season are Bradford, Longbottom, Glover, MacGregor, Millar, Dainty, Smith, Kelly, Adams, Shanky, Bilby, and C. Bradford. Entries. There is every indication that the entries for the coming season will eclipse those of last year, the indication being that there will be just on 50 teams playing in the boys' grades on Saturdays. Entries close next Saturday at 5 p.m. Sixteen First Division and Eeserve teams will take the field, as well as sixteen Second Division teams and Eeserve teams, and there is a prospect of the Intermediate Division being a keen competition for players under the age of 21 years. The system -of football under which the Wellington Association has been conducting its senior football during the past two seasons should be given serious thought by clubs during this season to ascertain whether the'new system has been all that was claimed for it whether the old system was preferable. This is a vital matter in which clubs and their delegates can put forward some constructive criticism for the benefit of the game. Boys' Football. Boys' football should occupy a much more important part in the management committee's deliberations than it does at the present time. Although for the past two seasons the junior management committee of the association has been able to send its two elected representatives to sit on the main body, the whole of the discussions around the table seem to centre around First Division football. Perhaps this is owing to the means of finance on which the game so much

depends coming from this source. Second Division football is relegated to a similar position insofar as any I thought for the improvement of the game amongst these clubs is discussed and as far as football in the Intermediate- Division is concerned the most important link that the association has between the lower and higher grades—there appears to be no thought given to the matter at all. Would it be too much to ask the management committee to set up a small sub- • committee of three, perhaps of outside -"■ supporters, most interested in the r Second Division, and a similar commit-tee-for the Intermediate Division, both to act in an advisory capacity to the association? Training. Systematic organised weekly practices, whether held during the afternoons for schoolboys' teams on the city reserves or whether, as is the case with most clubs, at night, are the main contributing factors in the ultimate success of teams winning the champion- . ship or cup competitions. This to a large degree was lacking until last • season, when the management committeeprovided floodlights at the Stadium, mainly at the instigation of the four clubs who used the facilities provided. The lights cost £GO, and the fee is £2 i 2s per night for each club. The man--3 agement committee had before it on 3 Wednesday night applications of the y Swifts and Diamond Clubs for nights ' at the Stadium. Most First Division - clubs have already found training r quarters: Marist will goto St. Patrick's gymnasium, Hospital have splenr did facilities on their own ground; ' Petone likewise; Lower Hutt club in- ' stalled last season, at their own ex- ' pense, on the Hutt Recreation ground, • floodlights for night training, which are proving a good acquisition; Sea- ' toun will make use of facilities at I Seatoun Park; Thistle have the Caledonian Hall; Diamond will use the 1 Stadium; Waterside will probably have ' space at the Winter Show. Second Division clubs have the desire to get " into the First Division, and there is every indication that Swifts, with the 1 players at their disposal, will make a ° bold bid for the honour this season. Island Bay will most likely use- Wake- • field Park as a training ground; Institute- Old Boys, with training facili- • ties in the new gymnasium to be prof vided over the- bath at the Boys' Institute, should have splendid facilities, and no doubt now that they are concentrating on the training and retaining of their own Institute Boys will come back into their own at no distant date as a First Division club. J Miramar Rangers, with a large number of teams in their ranks, are out to s make this season an outstanding one ]; for their club. Stop Out will enter the 1 field with five teams, and Technical " Old Boys, N.A.D.A., Brooklyn, and W. Y.M.I, will have teams in "the See- » ond Division as well as the Keserves. 1 Altogether the. season amongst the V higher grade teams promises to be- a s keen one. Everything depends upon s the keenness for training—and the 1 provision of these facilities by the ? clubs. The association has more than ; done its share, and is looking to the clubs for their assistance in making 1 the Kilbirnie Stadium the training ' centre. Some of tho best football during the past few years has been given ]// teams in the intermediate and fourth divisions, and this is no doubt r attributable to the enthusiasm dis--3 played by the players under twenty-one t years of age: would that more of this 1 enthusiastic spirit were displayed by 3 the first and socond division players. f Petone's Prospects. 3 What Petone will be doing in the " coming season is described by an oin--1 cial of the club, Mr. J. W. Koy, who 3 writes:— "Like, all other sports bodies, the ' principal difficulty we will meet will, v of course, be on the financial side. We J will fortunately be able to- field almost I the same players as last year in all '__ three teams. Our senior team will ' most likely be McVean, Haines, Camp- ' bell, Hanlon, Scott, Brown, Boe, May, ■ Craig, Baistow, and Holmes. In addi--1 tion we are looking forward to several ' new players in the. way of promotions ■ from the reserves and transfers. ReJ garding the reserves, we have practically the same team as played last year, with several additions, and hope to more than maintain the high standard that is the hope of all Soccer 1 clubs. Our boys' team, too, is promis--1 ing. It will be playing in the third 1 division, and is cheerfully looking for- " ward to the opening season with that • spirit that has always gone so far to - -ensure ultimate success. We are all 1 very hopeful, particularly after our • friendly games on Easter Monday, when t all three teams had their first try-out 3 against Watersiders." ' , Lower Hutt. t The Lower Hutt Club is looking forl ward with every confidence to a very , successful year. It is expected that r the senior team, will be composed mainly 3 of the players who carried last season's i senior A team to victory. The Selection Committee have no intention of 1 searching near and far for players of f outstanding ability, as it is desired i that as far as possible club members 3 will be given the opportunity to prove - themselves. Several practice games - have already been held, and with cxl perienced players to build a team upon $ the club should be able to field a strong 1 first division eleven. The backs and - halves are young, clever players, and , working in conjunction with a set of . fast and nippy forwards should form , quite a strong combination. First - division reserves, intermediate, and 3 fourth grade teams have also been en- > tered, together with two. teams in the , Hutt Valley Boys' League. As selee- , tion to the various teams depends , largely on the attention paid to train--1 ing, it behoves members to keep an r eye on this particular branch of the game, and see to it that they keep s themselves fit. The social side of the t club has not been neglected, and a l very strong social committee has been 1 formed for the purpose of arranging 5 dances and other social functions. Goalkeeper's Action. Seventy-five thousand spectators told , over and over again the story of how John Thomson, tho twenty-three-year-old international • goalkeeper of the Celtic Football Club; lost his life in a • gallant and successful attempt to save I his team from defeat (states an English paper). Thomson died "in the ) Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, from mii juries received in the match against - Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox Park, Glasl gow. There had been no scoring in , the first half, and excitement among l the 75,000 spectators had reached fever 5 heat. Early in the second half Engl lish, the Bangers' centre-forward, broke ; through the Celtic defence and had noi body to beat but the goalkeeper. Thomi son left his goal, and flung himself at i the feet of the advancing ccntre-for-i ward, who was in the act of shooting. ; He deflected English's shot, but was l kicked on tho head. The ball spun [ past the net. Both men lay on the > ground. After a few seconds English i rose, but Thomson lay unconscious. • Many supporters of the Rangers, not • realising the gravity of Thomson's : condition, began to shout ■at the stricken man. ■ But the Bangers' captain, Meiklejohn, rushed towards them with outstretched arms in a- dramatic appeal • for silence. This, coinciding with the arrival of stretcher-bearers" to ; carry Thomson from the field, had the desired effect.

Thomson was given immediate medical attention, but when lie arrived at the infirmary it was found that his skull -was fractured. The game ended without a goal beiug scored. After Thomson's removal both teams lost their zest, playing listlessly. Meiklejohn, the Bangers' captain, was stunned when he.heard of Thomson's death.