LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 June 1927, Page 11

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

POSITION OF TEAMS. The Sfeilibr Competition at tllfe present is in a vbry interesting stage. The Grey team, Which last year came a vdry bad- la&t, has taken a new lease of life. This reflects great credit on the energy and perseverance of the Club, which noW heads the list of the winning teams with eight points. Rundnga is a good second with seven points. This team has made a great recovery and .its win last Sunday against the formidable Blackball combihatiofi was meritable.., Blackball Club is third on the list with six points to their credit and one more game to play than the two leading teams. The final for the championship between these three teams should provide some good, football, and the winner will be hard to pick. The Junior Championship will be fought but between Nelson Creek and Blackball, and these two teams should put up a great go.. The gaine will be played on the Nelson Creek ground and tlie tioriie team are confident of victory. The following is the table showing the relative positions of, the teams in the competition: —

Great interest being evinced by the school boys in the proposed visit to Canterbury for the Scott Ramsay Shield which the Junior Advisory Board has decided to challenge for. The first of a series of elimination games will be played on the Recreation Ground to-morrow at 1.30 p.m. These boys play good football and can easily give the senior grades points when it comes to playing League football as it should be played. They throw the ball about in good style. . That League football has gained a new lease of life in Wellington is shown by their proposal to tour the South Island this season. No doubt the fact that the Executive recently obtained a lease of a ground at Petone for a term of ten years, from the Petone Borough Council, has given them encouragement. Lack of suitable playing areas has been their drawback for many years.

Followers of the code should have no room for complaint this year as if expectations are realised, at least four representative teams will visit the West Coast this season, as Auckland, Canterbury, and Wellington have signified their intention of touring the South Island this year and including the Coast in their itinerary. There is also a strong probability of an Australian team touring New Zealand this season. There has been much discussion throughout New Zealand, both in League and Rugby circles, at the action of the English Council in lifting the “ban.” There is no doubt that no good can come of the Council’s decision and their attitude towards the protests of the bodies concerned, namely the New Zealand and Australian Leagues, will not tend to foster good feeling towards the Home authorities. Apparently, the English Council has been influenced by the powerful clubs at Home, which incensed at the refusal of the New Zealand League in refusing to grant transfers to players in demand by those clubs,® took drastic means to obtain their end.

While the English League must be congratulated on their enterprise in making these Dominions a training school from which to recruit their players, it cannot be said from a national viewpoint that their action is worthy of the controlling authority of League football, whose aim it should be to foster the game, not to reduce it to mediocrity. The international welfare of the code is of more importance than that of a few clubs or individuals and it is to be hoped that the English Council will realise this before it is too late. WILSON-HALL’S TERMS. TOO HIGH FOR HALIFAX. (Special to “Star.”) AUCKLAND, June 25. Advice was received by cablegram yesterday that the terms asked by Wilson-Hall, of Canterbury, are too high, and are therefore not acceptable to Halifax. Wilson-Hall is at present in Auckland, and leaves with the Auckland players, L. Brown, and B. Davidson, and L. Mason (Canterbury) on Monday night to join the Corinthic, sailing from Wellington on Thursday. It is the intention of Wilson-Hall to enter into further negotiations with Halifax when he arrives in England. Failing a satisfactory agreement, he will probably join another club.

SENIORS. P. W. L. D. Pts. Grey 6 Q i 2 8 Runanga 6 3 2 1 7 Blackball 5 3 2 — 6 Marist 6 1 4 1 ’ 3 JUNIORS. Nelson Creek 8 7 — 1 15 Blackball 8 6 — 2 14 Kotuku 9 6 o — 12 Grey 8 o 5 — 6 Runanga 8 2 5 1 5 Marist 8 1 7 — 2 Brunner 6 — — — — THIRD GRADE. Marist 7 7 — — 14 Blackball 6 5 1 — 10 Runanga 7 3 4 — 6 Grey s 6 1 5 — 2 Kotuku 6 — — — — FOURTH GRADE. Marist 7 5 1 1 11 Runanga 6 4 — 2 10 BrunnSr 5 1 4 — 2 Grey 6 — 5 1 1