SOCCER

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 July 1925, Page 11

SOCCER

(By “Centre Half.”) To-day the Taranaki representative team meet Wanganui at Cook’s Gardens, Wanganui, in the return, annual match, and the result- will be awaited with interest by all “soccer” enthusiasts in Tarankai. The sole selector (Air. N. H. Kendall) chose the rep. team as follows: Goal, Budd (Manaia); full-ibaoks, Bc-are (Hiawera) and Retteridge (Manaia) ; half-backs, Dancer, Forbes (Hawera) and Freakley (Anroa); forwards, Ramsay, Galloway, Campbell (Hawera), Pollard (Auroa) and Muggertdge (Manaia). The selection, from the player* available, is not a ’bad one, and it is questionable whether a better team could have been chosen. Budd, in goal, has certainly earned representative honours this season, and should give .a good account of himself. He has one very bad fault he should get rid of, and that is running cut of his goal - to the danger of the team. His clearances are good, and he keeps cool, an asset a good many “goalies” lack.

It would be hard to find two better backs than Beare and Betteridge. The latter player, to my mind, should have the opportunity' ot being seen in better class football than we get in Ta.ra-] naki. The T.F.A. could with very' good judgment recommend Betteridge for inclusion in the New Zealand team, for he is a full-back of great ability. The half-backs. Dancer, Forbes and Freakley, are all consistent players, and justify their inclusion. Freakley woud be an. ideal centre-half, but to play him anywhere else, in that line would be a wrong move. Ail three of these players know lheir work,, and should .prove a very hard line of defence for Warignaui to evade. The. forwards, Ramsay, Galloway, Campbell. H. Pollard and ATuggeriuge. are a well tried combination, and have played together on many occasions, so that they work well together. Given a fine, dry day' they wiilil worry the defence of Wanganui very considerably. ATuggeridge is not an extra good left winger, still, with J. Campbell as hi* inside man, there should be one or two goals registered from that wingIf “Joc-k” Ram-say' accompanies the team he will keep them busy. Unfortunately he I* a mid-week player.

ami lie may not be. available to-day. J’aianaki will miss their speedy light winger if he is not there when the whittle blows. It will be a good game;, and on much an iaeal ground as Cook’s Gardens \> aiiiga.nui. there should be v. “record ’ attendance to see it.

Football is increasing in popularity day by day in Spain. Time, land, and money are being lavished on the game m Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and other large towns, and even the small towns are not far behind in their enthusiasm. This fact, in conjunction with the lack of great bullfighters, is a serious menace to bullfighting, and in the opinion of many good judges the flourishing days of the “national sport” will soon be over. GOALKEEPER AND HJS JOB. I promised in last week’s notes.to commence a .series of “leeturettes from, the writings <>l great players, and the first one on the “Goalkeeper and his job” i«s written by Siam Hardy, the famous custodian who has won fame in the colours of LiveiipooL Aston Villa, Notts Forest, and has represented England on nearly thirty occasions. He says:—ln the first place, he has a job, which is essentially different from any other player on the field, and because of thL difference be has to act in quite a system of his own. A fullback may make a mistake, and it can be covered up, but once let the “goalie” make one, and all is lost. II the goalkeeper fails to stop a shot, it goes into the net only to record a goal against his side. There i s nobody to cover up his mistakes. Having this in mind then. I will point out how the peculiar “last hope” position must always be kept in mind, and from that mould his play. Summed up in one sentence, the goalkeeper cannot afford to take risks. There are many gooff goalkeepers who make it a regular practise of using their fists, especially when the ball comes in from the' wing. Well, it is a very risky practise, and one that should" not he indulged in, only under exceptional circumstances. Catch the ball first, hold it, and then kick it — and kick it hard to the wings for preference. "When the situation is desperate. then adopt a desperate remedy, but every other time “safety first” should be your .slogan. A word about dealing with “crossshots.” On seeing a forward approaching along the wing, move away from him across the goal, until he is about to kick. Then you are ready to leap forward meet tb© ball, should he at-

tempt a shot. He may decide to “Centre” to his inside men; if so, having taken „\our position near tne Lost away front the winger, you are at once in a ‘much better position to deal with the shot from any inside attacker. The great aim is to cover tlie goal, and .so obtain a good chance of saving shots that may be threatened from any angle it is impossible, or course, for any one to stop all the shots at goal, but a good goalie keeps down the ntimber scored against him by adopting the safest methods. With' wing shots, as all others use the hands and pick up tlie ball n possible. Low shots can be gathered in by stooping, placing the feet together a most important point, and taking the ball in you r arms; Wing shots' ithat are high .and’ dropping, can best be saved b v tipping the ball over the bar. Alany forwards in their endeavour to .score, send in a half centre, just too far away to be of service to another forward. The custodian, seeing a chance to clear, would mu out, catch these, and thus intercept a movement which would most probably result in a certain goal. A goalkeeper should never indulge sepeulation at any time. He may “fluke” a save, but as a rule lie will “miss” and miss badlv! To have a perfect understanding with your fullback i sa big help to a goalie, and many little devices of your own will frustrate tlie best opposition. A have all, should lie keep cool and collected. A nervy goalie is no asset to any team. Remember that tlie Forwards in front of you are often very timid themselves, and a .cool movement on your part will often cause them to shoot just where you want them to—outside your area.

It may be right to describe the goalkeper as the “Aunt Sally” of the team, but don’t throw things at him when the other players are just as muon, if not more to blame. If the custodian allows one to slip through his hands, sav a soft one —and the match is thereby' lost, doesn’t that goalkeeper get it liot from the spectators and the critics? I wonder if you have ever thought lhow« general it is for the man between the sticks to be the scapegoat for defeats! I’m afraid this verdict falls to the lot of many a good goalkeeper. Still, with -.the help of some of the golden rules I have endeavoured to give, lie* should at least be able to save many more than will heat him! 1 trust that these “notes”’ will be found useful to the many keen Soccer players in Taranaki, and that; their plav will improve by the adoption of them.