ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 22106, 13 August 1935, Page 6

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As a Soccer player of several years’_ standing and an Otago representative, it was with much interest that I read the letter by “ All Clubs ” in’the ‘ Star ’ on Thursday. I sincerely agree with him in every detail, and am of the opinion that, before Soccer will ever come into its own as a “ man’s game ” wo have got to get rid of the present members of the Otago Football Association. Take, for instance, the deplorable lack of interest shown in junior football, which, as everyone realises (except the 0.F.A.) is the reservoir from which flows the stream of players for the first divisions of the future. Some four weeks ago a junior Otago representative team was sent to Invercargill, the sole selector being Mr A. Wyness. On the day of the trials nine jerseys and one goalie’s sweater were provided for one team, one player having to wear the jersey of another club, while the opposing team had to play in its own shirts of various colours. The two teams were ready to take the field at 1.15 p.m., the scheduled time to start, but were unable to do so as no ball was available. However, one was eventually borrowed, and the teams took the field 40 minutes late, thus having to cut down their game to 20minute spells. What an outrageous display of mismanagement. After a quarter of an hour’s play, during which time the selector inquired “ Who is this player?” and “ Who is that player?” the said selector disappeared from the ground I believe the only second grade match at which Mr Wyness was present during the whole of the season prior to the trials was the match between Caversham and Tramways. Even then he only stayed for 20 minutes. No wonder ho does not know the second grade players’ names. Mr Wyness did not travel to Invercargill te see how his selection fared against the Southland team, which, by the way, is composed of all first grade players, there being no junior teams in Southland, and which would easily extend any first grade team in Dunedin. However, he has now replaced five of the original team, which was only beaten by 4 to 3 after hard luck in many ways, and when one considers that it took the field one and a-half hours after getting off the train, having travelled from Dunedin that morning, I fail to see that it was necessary to replace the original members of the team to “ strengthen it,” as the paper says to-night. Other arrangements might have been made for the team, which would have cost the O.F.A. no more had its members gone down on Friday afternoon, as the team was billeted out to the Southland players. The players were not told their faults in the game, and this could easily have been done per medium of the Association football column which appears in the ‘ Sports Special,’ which is meant to be used for this purpose. I now see that the O.F.A. is using the return match tomorrow as a curtain-raiser to an ordinary club game, Mosgiel and Seacliff, the result of which is already a foregone conclusion. I wonder if the O.F.A. has its programme for entertaining the Southland team for the week-end fully in hand ? This should not bo hard to arrange, as previously this ‘‘ entertainment ” has consisted of a ticket for a free dance, and never have any arrangements been made for the Sunday. While in Invercargill as members of the Otago team we were the guests of the Southland Association from the tune we got off the train at 1.15 on Saturday afternoon until we departed by the “midnight” on Sunday evening, , and I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating Southland on its able methods of entertainment and hospitality.—l am, etc., Junior Player. August 12.