SIZE OF GROUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1933, Page 20

SIZE OF GROUNDS

The advisability of senior teams playing on smaller grounds is questioned by "Albion Kover," who writes as follows: —

"In submitting Ms report of the Australian tour to the N.Z.F.A., Mr. H. L. Godber (the manager) says that the short-passing game is the most attractive and effective, and urges its adoption. It is to be regretted that he recommonds that to do.so players should bo compelled to play on narrower grounds. That idea is simply ridiculous and is a retrograde step. Why not play with a smaller ball to suit those players who cannot control one of regulation size? When John Lewis (now deceased) was on the Australian tour with the English team some years ago, the one point he stressed was playing pitches, their size, condition, and marking, and he tendered very sound advice. Let the juveniles and juniors play on narrower pitches, but don't tamper with senior football. If Mr. Godber was conversant with either English or Scottish football, he would not entertain such an idea. What is needed is good coaching and apt pupils, and the real science of the game will make its presence felt. But above all, we require the best brains in control of the game. It is not a question of improvement in Australian football, it is a question of New Zealand football going back, and a badly selected team being sent away. When men like MoDougall, Cope, Brown, Leslie, Campbell, Hanlon, and Cunningham . were loft behind, we all knew the result of the tour was a foregone conclusion. The prestige of Soccer as played here was sacrificed on the altar of favouritism and of trying to have a team of nativeborn players. Surely the solo selector will take Mr. Godber's advice about players versed in the short-passing game, and he will ppnder why he came to leave out an ideal player like Cunningham, an unselfish leader like Leslie, and an ideal pivot like Brown. That is the only answer to why 'wo lost the ashes.' "