FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8123, 21 March 1887, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

CHEISTCHUECH CLUB. This Club held their annual meeting at Warner’s Hotel on Saturday evening, March 19. The following officers were elected: — President, Mr E. J. S. Harman; the election of Captain and vice-Captaih was deferred till the meeting of the first fifteen; Secretary, Mr L. Cohen; Treasurer, Mr E. Kinvig; Committee, Messrs W. J. Cotterill, W. Y. Million, J. M. Turnbull, and P. Wilkinson. The following were elected for the Eugby Union: —Messrs W. V. Million, J. H. Beswick, and L. Cohen; and the opening day was fixed for the first Saturday in April. The following report was read and adopted: “Tour Committee have much pleasure in presenting to this meeting their twentieth annual report of the Club. The credit balance as shown in the balancesheet presented herewith, shows that in spite of considerable expenditure, the financial affairs of the Club are satisfactory. But as the test of a successful season is really the amount and quality of the football shown, your Committee think that in these particulars the season may be called fairly successful. The season opened with the annual fixture with the Wellington Club, and this match, remarkable for a fine exhibition of football, resulted in a win for the Club. The enjoyable nature of this match, and of the visit of the Wellington men, should incite the members to preserve this annual fixture, and as the match is to be played in Wellington this year on May 24, members are requested to get in form early in the season. As in former years, the Club was represented in the Interprovincial match against Dunedin. Messrs Beswick, Turnbull, and Webb in this respect upheld the honour of the Club. In addition to this an annual match with Timaru has been instituted, and we are expecting a visit from the Timaru Club about the middle of the season. The match last year resulted in a win for your first fifteen; but the form displayed in these matches, more especially in the former, against Wellington, was unhappily not preserved, and hence the comparatively low position of your first fifteen in the record of local matches; and as the prestige of a Club mainly depends upon the success of its first fifteen, the members of the team are exhorted to emulate the spirit of the second fifteen in the genuine application to the game, and in the consistency of their practice. The doings of the second fifteen will not be further adverted to than to say that they preserved the premiership among second fifteens, which they have now held for three years, having lost but two matches during that period. Your third and fourth fifteens have been limited in the amount of football they have had through the Clubs not keeping their fixtures, but these teams in the matches they played showed enthusiasm and an improvement upon last year. In the endeavour to assist and organise the training of members, your Committee last year, at a considerable expense, procured from the Board of Education the Normal school gymnasium. It will be for our successors to determine whether this be continued. Amongst the valuable possessions of the Club is the cup now exhibited. This was won by a team of the Club for a tug-of-war at the sports held last November by the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club. In conclusion, your Committee hope that the members will be mindful of the prestige which your Club (now in the twenty-first year of its existence) has enjoyed; and that by a sturdy application to practice and well conceived enthusiasm, to revive in their Club the premiership which is only possible when well contended for.