SOCCER FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1928, Page 3

SOCCER FOOTBALL

NOTES BY “PISTOL.”

I have been drawn once again to put pen to paper, to answer a question that has been causing a good deal of disscussion during the past few weeks, and is likely to cause more in tho future. I have been asked the same question time and again: “How can we always be assured of having good senior teams in Greymouth?” I believe some of my readers will treat my answer with contempt. Nevertheless, everyone has to acknowledge that in the interest of the code it is essential to have a good team in Greymouth. Therefore, before the management committee go out of office this present season, I would like to see something definite done in this important matter, and if it is possible also to make some suggestions as to tho buying of some ground to have as their own. Well, my suggestion to tho management committee in regards to having a Soccer team in Greymouth is this: That they should put the districts into groups, and the players residing within the said districts should not. be allowed to play for any other club outside the radius. What I would suggest is this: That Greymouth and Cobden be number one district, Dobson and Wallsend number two, Taylorville and Brunner number three, Blackball number four, and now we come to Runanga and Rewanui, where the only trouble to this scheme would arise from, as most of the players of these two teams would come from Runanga. I would suggest that there should be only one team in this district, as then we would be assured of having a team in Greymouth at their expense. All the same, if’ these two teams have a desire to carry on in their own way, the Management Committee could make one district of Rewanui, Dunollie and perhaps a few outlying spots to be known as district number five, and Runanga number six. I have seen this grouping system worked with success in a number of places, and my mind carries me back to one Association where for three seasons there were ten clubs- in the competition, and one club had all the good players. They beat all the rest easily, and won the competition for the three years. The public in general were beginning to think that Soccer was only a farce until the Management Committee came along with the grouping system with the result that the district the player resides in is the team that he must play for. Since then Soccer in that Association. has gone on with leaps and bounds, and to-day they are in a good sound financial way. Now, my suggestion has been put forward with all humbleness and I trust that it will not be torn to pieces that if it is not workable that some foundation is laid for the Management Committee to build upon. This season I have given advice to committees, referees and players to strive together in unity for the sake of the game, but one has to come down to rockbottom truths, and say if we are all striving together for unity and the players do not train, the code is bound to go down. I have given the players a hint or two on how to train. Still, we have always that self-conceit-ed player who thinks there i$ no better than himself, and that the club cannot get on without him. A few club committees know that they have such a player in their midst. He ruins the team spirit, yet they resign him out of clamour of a certain “clique.” Give it to “so-and-so” you can hear buzzing round the ground. If he makes a mebs of it the “clique” says, “Hard lines. Had it been any other player the “clique” would have shouted in open reproof. The trouble with self-conceit is that it knows neither humiliation or sense, and ex’cuses its failure by the assured conviction that no one could do better. As the close season is nearly upon us, I would suggest that each club next season should have its training nights. The players to remember that they can make or mar the game, and I ask them in the love for the game as they assemble for training, to cultivate the true spirit of friendship and brotherhood, and then they will create an atmosphere which is best calculated to produce the real team spirit. You must be fi’iends, and though the other day I heard a man seek to justify criticism to the extent of abuse on the ground that it was a license 3 friend enjoys towards a friend, let me remind you that your desire should always be to bring the best out of your friend by playing the game. There are now only two playing Saturdays of the season left in which io decide the ultimate winner of the medal competition. Rewanui travel to Blackball and they have to win by three goals before they can enter into the final, which is, in my opinion, beyond their power. Taylorville travel to play Runanga, and have a leeway of five goals to make up, therefore I expect them to forfeit the game. For the final, Runanga are assured, and I expect them to be the ultimate winners.