WELCOME TO MR S. CASEY.

Evening Star, Issue 12762, 15 March 1906, Page 7

WELCOME TO MR S. CASEY.

The members of the Southern Football Club and their friends and adherents, numbering altogether about 150 persons, assembled at the Forbury Gymnasium last evening to give a welcome home to Mr S. Casey, one of the forwards of the nowfamous "AU Black." team. Mi* J. M. Gallaway was in the chair; on his left were Messrs F. H. Campbell (president of the Otago Rugby Union) and F. Smeaton. On the right of the chairman were Messrs S. Casey (the guest of the evening), A. M'Donald, and J. Duncan (forward and trainer of tho team respectively). Other supporters of the chair were Messrs E. J). Wilson (secretary of the 0.R.F.U.) and H. Harris (member of the Selection Committee). Apologies for unavoidable non-attend-ance were received from Messrs T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., and J. Williams (referee). Mr T. S. Culling also forwarded bis congratulations and regrets that he was unable to be present. After the loyal toast had been honored, \

The Chairman said, although such a short time had elapsed since they had wished their guest and the other men of the team a pleasant voyage, many important events in the football world had occurred. It spoke volumes for the management ,of the team, and for the members of the team themselves, that not one single objectionable incident had marred their successful career, and nothing had been done by them to make cither their friends or the colony of New Zealand ashamed of them as representatives of their football team.—(Applause.) It was a very difficult thing for them to take success in the way these young men had taken it, and it reflected very great credit on them. They had met with only one defeat, but that very defeat had raised them immeasurably in the respect and esteem of true sportsmen, for it was very difficult to face reversal in the light of all their successes. The British newspapers had all commented upon the true spirit in which, our boys had accepted that one defeat. He (the speaker) had been extremely pleased to tear Mr Casey in the Garrison Hall say that the management had sent the best material into the field against the Welsh team; but that the best team had won. Those were the sentiments of a true sport. —(Applause.) When the team left for England very few thought they would be successful, and the only man out of their acquaintance who had thorough confidence was Mr Harris, who then exactly predicted what afterwards occurred. The results spoke volumes for Mr Harris's knowledge of the team and of the excellence of his judgment in his- selection of the men. Undoubtedly the success of the tour was due in a large manner to the fact that the team had had the benefit of the training of such an "old soldier" as Jim Duncan. He had kept them hard at it—(applause)—and he believed thej' couldn't well have done without him. The men had all said how well they looked and felt after the voyage, and that was owing to Jimmy (Applause.) He hoped they would long have the benefit of his valuable advice. Mr Casey had shown him (the speaker), with the greatest pride, a handsome medal which had been forwarded him by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. He hoped that when the time came when Mr Casey could lay direct claim to descendants that those descendants would look with pride on the memento which he' had received, and that it would prove an incentive to them also to distinguish themselves in like manner on -the football field.—.(Applause.) Some people had commented on the fact that during the tour they saw little of Mr Casey's name iu the papers. He (the speaker) did not think there was any. wonder in tliat. Mr Casey was not a " paper" man—he was a thorough workman. "Steve" did not "play to the gallery"—he played for the game.—(Applause.) All through the trip he never missed the chance of doing solid work. That was the sort of man " Steve" Casey was. He wa* very sure they were all glad to welcome Mr Casey back—he was an ornament to the Southern Club, and he hoped and believed he would long continue to bo so.—(Applause.) Mr S. Casey, who was received with enthusiastic applause, said that he did not know how to thank them all for their hearty reception. He attributed the success of the team in England to the system of training which the men had been made to observe. There was no need for him to recapitulate what they had done at Home—that was all history now. It was suffialent for him to say that the team paralysed them in the first match in the Old Country. They couldn't make out where the team liad corns from.—(Laughter.) Ho could only thank them for their reception, and wind up with that.—(Applause.) Mr H. T. Leydon proposed the toast of " The Members of the New Zealand Football Team." He was sure they would all quite agree with him that when the team went away they did 6o on a big order. There were any amount of people ready to criticise the team adversely, but they were eventually compelled to admit thr.ir error. ■ It said a good deal for the team that they came out in the way they did. They must have had a lot of temptation thrown in their way, and it spoke volumes for them that they had stuck so nobly to their duty. The strict, training the men were subjected to accounted in a large manner for their success. As for Mr Casey, he could only say he was an honor to his country and to the Southern Club.—(Applause.) He had much pleasure m coupling the names of Messrs Duncan, M'Donald, and Casey with the toast. Mr J. Duncan, who was warmly received,, said he thanked them all on behalf ol the absent and the present members of the team. They would all have liked to have been at the function, as Mr Casey was a great favorite. Going Home, every man had behaved himself irreproachably, and the team arrived in the Old County in the pink of condition. Regarding the'comments which had been made in all quarters on the tour, he had noticed that not much had been said about the forwards. He would say that their work had b?en invaluable. In all his experience he had never seen better. On that all-eventful day in Wales had the backs worked as well as'the forwards the' New Zealand team would have been on top. However, under the circumstances, the best team won. Mr A. M'Donald, who was greeted with warm applause, said he had to thank them for their invitation to that evening's function. He could only endorse, what Mr Duncan had said—he had spoken very truly. Every back on the field, bar Roberts, should be blamed for the Welsh failure. The forwards did their duty. He must say ' that Mr Casey was the best hooker in the team, and as Mr Galhtway had said, he was a worker, not a "shiner." Mr Casey, soidMr M'Donald had not been sparing of praise fi a his ; (the speaker's)

merits, and he would retaliater ; He did not think that Otago had been a better forward than Mr M'Donald. He had improved out of sight, as some future matches would prove. Respecting the trip, he said it was sufficient to put ten years on a man's life. Mr E. Smeaton proposed "The Selection Committee, 1 ' coupled with the name.of Mr Harris. There had been only three or four selectors on the, Committee, but there had been three or four thousand selectors in New Zealand who could have selected a better team!. The results had proved whether the Committee's opinion was right or wrong. ; Mr Harris was Known from one end of the colony to the Other as a most capable selector. Mr Harris, in responding, said Mr Smeaton had been' most kind and complimentary in his remarks in regard to the Selection Committee. The picking of a team was a most difficult task, for those in the North Island could not .exactly gauge the merits of the South Island players, and vice versa. It was only possible for them to do their best. It was quite possible the test team had not been picke'd under the circumstances, and, personally, he thought it had been chosen too soon. It was very hard to please everybody—and that, anyhow, was a task he would never undertake. No one was too sanguine when the team left. In respect to what Mr Gallaway had said regarding his (the speaker's) prediction as to the results, they must not run away with the idea that he was anything in the way of a prophet. His expressions at the time were, ho thought, based on the fact that the wish was father to the thought. As long as players would go in for strict training, as the team had done, they would never have to go far for good men.— (Applause.) Mr P. Sheeh'an proposed the toast of "The N.Z.11.F.U. and the 0.R.F.U.," coupled with the name of Mr F. H. Campbell, the popular president of the Otago Union.—(Applause.) The thanks of foot-ballers-generally were due to the New Zealand Rugby Union for sending a team to •the OM Country. Mr F. H. Campbell, in replying, said that as Mr Smeaton had remarked, the New Zealand Union were to be greatly complimented on their action in lurthering and arranging the tour. The financial results of the trip had been vaguely and variously estimated at anything between £5,000 and £IO,OOO. Whatever the actual figures were, he only hoped that some of the money would be distributed among the poorer unions, such as' their own.—(Applause.) The Otago Rugby Union had never regretted the amount they had voted towards the expense of sending the team Home. It had been said that tf one result of the trip were the sending out here of an English team, something of value would have been achieved. He himself believed that course would be adopted. He hoped the New Zealand Union would spend the money wisely. There was always a tendency towards professionalism—he hoped that would never come about.—(Applause.) Professionals never played for pure love of the game. Our game was run purely on amateur lines. The Otago Rugby Union had now and again had a bad time from footballers, but he could assure v them that the Union always did what they considered best for football. Last year tlie gentlemen associated with him worked their hardest for the game. As far as he was concerned in the position of president, he was merely a figure-head; it was the members of the committees who did all the hard work. In regard to Mr Casey, he had noticed the honest, willing way in which he always worked; he worked—h-s didn't talk. He was sure Mr Casey would always occupy a front position in the game of football.— (Applause.) A vote of thanks to Mr J. M. Gallaway for presiding terminated the proceedings. Duruig the evening songs were rendered by Messrs Mee, M'Cormack, Collie, Duff Foster, Firkin, O'Connell, and Sheehan, and by request the members of the team gave the war cry." Mr Collett.acted as accompanist.