SOCCER.

Grey River Argus, 9 April 1927, Page 7

SOCCER.

In their opening game of the season at Blackball, the Dobson Club will be represented by the following players: Goal, Hardie; backs, McFarlane and .Erskine; half-backs, Marshall, King and Gunn; forwards, Hoggath or Cowan, Hughes, Mitchell, Gibb and Hud speth. Runanga senior team to play Rewanui United at Dunollie, at 3 p.m. today, will be chosen from the following: Richmond (Capt.), Barnes, Ennor, Beeton, llewitson, Pago, Campbell, Doug las, Campbell, Winstanley, Clarke an . another. GENERAL NOTES. ; (By "Wanderer). To-day sees the commencement ui the competition proper, the fixtures'pairing Blackball and Dobson, IN wanui and Runanga. Both matches are being eagerly looked forward to by followers of the round ball code. .Blackball and Dobson met last week-end in a friendly match, and al-i though Dolison were defeated by i three clear goals, they had practicnll; as much of the play as the home team] and only weak finishing enabled Blackball to keep a clean sheet. To day’s game will be brimful of excitement and keen play with the winners hard to find, and although 1 fancy tinhome team will just scrape through, I would not be surprised to see the visitors collecting the points. Blackball appear to have enough players on their books to run a couple of good teams, and it seems a pity that so many good players will merely be spectators, whereas they could be indulging in the game to the advantage of the code, and also themselves. The local Derby between Rewnnui and Runanga should draw a big •Giowd, as the rivalry between these teams is even more intense Ilian in previous years, and he would be a bold prophet who would forecast the result. Rewanui have a very strong team selected to do duty for them, and the play of their newcomers wili b<watched with decided interest, and their supporters are confident they will make historv by beating Runan

ga, for the first time in a competition game. Runanga up to the time o 1 writing, were finding it difficult to raise a team, as three of their playors at least will not be available. Given a good day a “ding dong” struggle should be the outcome of the meeting, and with Mr Rutherford in charge, a dean and sporting game will be witnessed. The Greymouth (Tub are hard pushed to raise an eleven, as many players who would assist this Ulub, are unable to do so, they being employed on the Saturdays. I have no doubt that the small band of sports connected with this Club will carry on us in last sea son, in the interests of Soccer. T 1 < Westland Selectors will be in attend aucc at the Blackball-Dobson game on Saturday, and intend to follow the matches every week, and therefore they will be in a position to select the best players to represent the Coast, in the numerous engagements to be undertaken this season. A trial match is to be played, I presume, to select the team to oppose Buller foi Ihe Peter Dawson Cup, ami with the excellent material to choose from, i see no reason why this Cup, and also the Emms Shield, should not be annexed. The advent of the Canadian team if? eagerly being looked forward to. 11 includes one or two players known to Coasters who recently arrived from Home. It is a much more stronger combination than that which visited Australia, and a treat is in store for Socccrites wherever they play. J shall deal more fully with this tour al a later date.

The soccer season at Home is drawing to a close, and some tight finishes in all the divisions will be witnessed. Huddersfield, Burnle.y and Newcastle arc running neck and neck, for the FirsY, Division Championship with the chanec-s favouring Newcastle United slightly in the Second Division, Middilesbro, Portsmouth ano Notts Forest are battling out the is sue. Very little separates Swindon, Bristol City, Millwall and Brighton in the Third Division (Southern Sec tion), but Stoke seem pretty sure of topping the Northern Section, whilst either the Rangers or Celtic will, J think, carry off the Scottish Championship. The English Cup Finalists, Cardiff and Arsenal will draw a record crowd, I am sure; and a good deal of speculation will •be indulged in, whether Buchan will win his first Cup Medal, or whether the English Cup will go to Wales for the first limo in history.