SOCCER

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1937, Page 10

SOCCER

WESTLAND ASSN. MEETING. The W.F.A. meeting was held last evening. Present: Messrs F. Smyth (chair), W. Rafferty, C, Hodgson, J. Paton junr., and J. Welsh (secretary), A letter from Canterbury Association was received notifying that September 18 was a suitable date for the representative game for the Dewar Cup. It was decided to accept this date and other arrangements made by the Canterbury Association. It was moved that the secretary write Mr Bunt, regretting that Westland will not be represented in this year’s school tournament. The main reasons are that there had been little effort to foster school football this season, and, secondly, lack of finances, the Primary Schools’ Association having made no effort to get into touch with, or co-operate with, the W.F.A. Information was received that R. Scott is to receive a New Zealand representative cap.. A letter from the Christchurch Nomads Club was received notifying the Association that they were anxious to visit the West Coast io play two games. Permission was granted for them to play on the West Coast on September 11. The Nomads Club are to play Tech. Old Boys and Runanga Clubs. Permission was granted to the Technical School team to travel To Dunedin on August 23. Blackball Club forwarded the names of players in the junior representative team, viz.: S. Lester, P. Baily, L. Balderstone, J. O’Donnell and W. Frickleton. Tech. Old Boys’ representatives'"aTe: J. Perrin, J. Kerr, W. Paton, Len Duggan, J. Paton, J. Henderson, R. Dalzell, F. Cruse, A. Partridge, T. Philip, W. McDougall and G. McLean. Fixtures for Saturday, August 21, are:— Senior: Tech. Old Boys v. Blackball at Greymouth, 2.45 (J. Smith); Runanga v. Taylorville, at Runanga, at 2.45 (S. Hewison). Taylorville seniors: Tennent, Lee, Bernard, Miller, Bowan, Erskine, Hoggarth (2), Cowan, Bateman, Coutts, White and King.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. During the past fortnight the local senior competition has been marking time. Though this has been partly due to the unfavourable weather conditions the main factor has been the inability of teams to field full elevens owing to the great number of injuries. Even Tech. Old Boys were unable to fulfil their fixture against Taylorville, last Saturday, owing to several of their team including Marshall and Smyth, being on the injured list. It is questionable whether their outside-left will again take the field this season. The only matches played lately have been third grade fixtures. These boys are full of enthusiasm and have been turning on some good football. »»»»»•» Teams on Tour: To-day the Runanga Club have a return fixture with the Western Club in Christchurch. If the match is anything like the one played at Runanga on Coronation Day, spectators are assured of an exciting afternoon's sport. Scott and Crowe were Hie heroes of the last match, and if those two players can produce their form, the defence is in for a torrid afternoon, ft is likely that .1. Paton,, of Tech. Old Boys, will also be making the trip. He, along with Scott and Crowe, will prove a most speedy trio. On August 23rd, the Technical High

School teams will leave for Dunedin, to play the annual matches with the Otago Boys’ High School. The junior team will be a fairly well-balanced one, and should give a good account of itself. The senior XI. will have four of last year’s XI., but will not be as well-balanced a team as last year’s. The defence should be sound, but the forwards are causing a great deal of worry. Cruse has'been playing in the halves in Club matches but it may be necessary for him to take his place in the forwards. If this is done it may mean the playing of young Duggan, a most promising first-year youngster in the halves. What the players lack in experience, weight and size, they are making up for by their enthusiasm, and the competition for positions in the eleven is most keen. All going well, the teams will play further matches in Christchurch against the Christchurch Technical teams. • =■' Third Grade: The competition for the Wee Mac Cup was won by the Technical B team, which has had only one goal recorded against it during the season, and that when playing two short. Tech, have withdrawn their A team from the competition on account of the large number of boys leaving school and so making it difficult to field three teams. For the new compeition the players taking part in present matches are selected entirely from those available for the Dunedin trip. For the benefit of other teams the B team is G. Henderson, Dalzell, Fartridge, Henderson, Cruse, Walker, Anderson; L. Brown, Philip, Clelland, Steel and emergencies McNeish and Bowkett. The C team is Dixon, Duggan, Lane, R. Brown, Mettrick, Bowes, Campbell, Critchley, S. Smith, Thompson, with emergencies Simpson, K. Smith, Airey, Bowman and MeInnes. The B team made a promising start in the competition last Saturday, defeating the C’s by 7—o. To-day they meet Taylorville and on form should win. The C team will play Runanga at Runanga. English Trophy: Last Saturday, Canterbury by defeating Otago 4—l, were successful in staving off the second challenge of the season. Again Canterbury owed their victory to their youth. Otago quite failed to profit from Wellington’s lesson and field several players whose best football days are well behind them. It makes one wonder what Otago full-backs are like if they still have to play George Anderson in their representative team. Great player as he undoubtedly is, it is high time more young players of the calibre of George Sutherland were given a chance. The same policy was proved at fault in the case of their former centre-forward, Hooper. There is every possibility of an Auckland challenge, before the close of the season, but judging by the fine showing of the young Canterbury team against Wellington and Otago, Auckland will need to make some drastic changes and discard players such as Gerrard and Kay, if they hope to lift the Cup. ******* In Other Centres: The championship has now been finalised in Auckland and Thistle has proved to be the successful club. Tn Canterbury Technical are now assured of the honours, while it looks as though Mosgicl will triumph in Dunedin. The position in Wellington is i still most open, with three teams, I Hospital, Petone and Waterside all in I line for victory. It took Hospital all ( their lime to defeat a weakened Sea- s loan team by 1-0 on their own >

ground last Saturday, and on that form they look in danger of defeat at the hands of Marist. On present indications, the likeliest winners are Waterside. ******* Where the Money Goes: The English tour of Australia has been a most successful one on the score of “gates.” Unfortunately it is not the Commonwealth Association that will reap the great financial benefit, though it is more than rewarded in the growing popularity of the code. Up to the seventh match, the total receipts were £11,042, and the total expenses of the tour are £5,200. Of the profits, the Commonwealth Association gets a mere five per cent., while Die rest goes to Die guarantors.