FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 220, 23 September 1901, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

FANCY DRESS M YTCH-.

Notes By “ The Whistle,

A large crowd of spectators, including an exceptionally large number Of ladies, attended at Tucker’s paddock last Saturday afternoon, to witness what was advertised as a match “ Tarpots v. Deadbeats. ’ The match was under the auspices of the Beautifying Association, and a charge of sixpence was made for admission. .Mr Jvohere, who had charge of the principal entrance, informed me that the Association would net about &X> from the proceeds of the match. At ii.ls, the Deadbeats ” took the field. They were represented by a particularly youthful-looking team, and must have been beaten very early in life —probabiy by paterfamilias. Suddenly, an electric thrill ran through the crowd, as the weird strains of a death song rose on the afternoon breeze, and what looked remarkably like - The House Boat on the Styx ” was seen to make a triumphal entry at the principal gaze, and was navigated majestically oy its demon looking crew right up to the door of the pavilion. The “ Tarpots " had arrived, and their advent was greeted with roars of hilarious laughter. The team were attired in garments mystic and wonderful, the material for which were generously supplied by the local drapers. In fact, 'lessrs Eure and Bosie were the only firms unrepresented. The game was soon in progress, and some genuine amusement was caused by tiie play of the colored gentlemen, who played the good old game as it was played when the world was young, and village met village half way, and that sale was victor which first booted the oval over the parapet of their opponents’ citadel. The eyes of the whole, crowd were rivetted on one corpulent old gentleman in particular, who, to judge from his appearance, must have been centre-forward in Alexanders famous team what time he made iiis historical assault on the Trojan goal post. The fun was fast and furious, and the spectators certainly got their money’s worth in the entertainment provided. In the end, both sides claimed a victory. Tho skipper of tho *■ Deadbeats " totted up tho score on the English Jtugby Union method of awarding points, but t he " 'l’arpot captain said he had heard of no alteration or amendment to the style of scoring since lie last played centro-thi'eefjuarter with the crack Spartan team. W hile tho dispute was at its height, and the corpulent old gentleman aforementioned was commencing to talk alnjut “ splitting wind pipes.” we heard that Mr Wally Howard, tho referee, escaped ill a cab, and Messrs Xgatai and Harold Bright, the line umpires, also “ folded their tents like the Arab, and as silently stole away'

Eventually, some one produced a bottle of honey mead, ami oil was poured on tlio troubled waters, and the “Tarpots” reboarded their boat, and loft the field, like the spectators, well satisfied with the afternoon's fun. When last seen, they were clmntine a paeari of victory, and minting up the scalps at their holts, o ‘

On No. 2 (ironnil, the West Knd players indulged in some useful training, and had a number of interested spectators watching their work. This Club is going tho right way to work with the object of annexing the Senior Banner, tho tinal struggle for which takes place next Saturday between West kind nod Jlum. Idxceptional interest centres in the game, and we expect to see the local Union net the record gate of its history next Saturday. The great event of the football season of 11*01 has been fought and won, and our representatives have returned from Napier " vanquished though not digrnccd.” Tho result of this match has shown up strikingly the suicidal policy of the local Union in placing its representative team in the field without the slightest semblance of combination. Weshould, at least, give our representatives three games together before asking them to take the field in an important inter-union contest, and to e.xpeet victory without a single game together seems presumptuous, to say the least- of it. We could write a good deal about the game in Napier, hut will refrain. Our hoys did remarkably well, and we heartily congratulate them. They speak well of the treatment they received from the Napier Union, and were satisfied with Mr Ilallamore as a referee, hut consider the game would have been much faster had the referee over-looked many trilling infringements from which neither side gained advantage. From what we hear, wo consider Mr Ilallamoro, the referee in the Hawke's Bay-l’overty Bay match, gavo a wrong decision in over-ruling the local lineumpire on one occasion on which ho allowed the game io proceed for sonio time alter the ting was up. When his attention was drawn to the fact that the flag was up, ho over-ruled the lineutnpire and ordered the game to proceed. The only occasion on which a referee can over-rule a line-umpire is where tho latter has given a glaringly wrong decision. On this occasion the fault was the referee's in not having seen that tho llag was up.