Football.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 8052, 1 April 1905, Page 7

Football.

Passinar Notes.

[By''Tenit.' 1] j

The combined.New South Wales and Queensland Kugby team to visit New Zealand this season, will take -its departure from Sydney on Auguttl2ih. Wby not come a nionta or six weeks earlier P. Muoriland . teams usually vis.it Australia early m July and complefes their tour by the end of August. In this cuise it will be September before the tour is half through—far too late, in my opinion.

"Argus," in the WairarapaObserver, referring to the proposed affiliation to the JManavratu Union of the Foxton and Uorowhenua Unions, says:— t; Th.c Manawatu governing body will be able to send a team into the field stimK enough to ' lick' anything it meets—bar Wairarapa!"' Readers will remember that a team from the Palmerston clubs alone beat Wairarapa by 5 to nil last year, and with tb.e "new blood" to be introduced this season Manawatu's margin of points over Wairarapa wiil probably be increased to 15. I. was going to say 25, but I will deduct ten points of that total for gymnasium training !

An endeavour is to be made £0 resuscitate tho Bed Scar Club in Masterton, which, if successful, will result in chit town being represented by two senior Satardaj teams in the Wairarapa championship this season.

It is understood that four teams wili compete for the Foxcon cbampionstup this season—Old tSoyt, Awahou, Wandeiera and MotuitJ.

Teo following jeference was made in thu annual >epoit oi the Mast ci lou eiub to the " crack " wing forward ;—" A distinct loss to our rai.k* has been caused by the removal of W. Warner to Petone. The comrnUtce has placed on record this player's long connection wi*h the c!ab, and his e~jctll9nt services on the field." Looks aa if Wa>ner v setkirg a trtp to the Old Country, I guess.

Under ordinary circumstances, the atmual meetiog of the Manawatu Rugby Union geuerally occupies a space of about three hours, but witu the unusually large amount of business to be transacted and debatab c subjects to be determined present indications point to an "all-night" sittings of that body at its meeting this year. Important matters affectiug the welfare of the Union and football generally will include:—The advisability of engagng '■ outside" referees for rep. matches-, reducing and discontinuing accident fund subscriptions, providing appoint-' monts and conveniences at the Showground for players, consideration of r<poft and balance-sheet, election of officers, the question of disallowing junior clubs to compete unless such club nominate a senior team, an endeavour tj arrange a match "with the Australian team to take place in Pa.'merston North, and a quanti'y of other business, all of which goes to indicate a good and lengthy meeting.

Considerable dissatisfaction haa been expres.-od relativo to the open naanuer in which junior teams have in the past been allowed to enter for competitions under tbe Mariawatu Union, and forcible demonstratiODs are likely to be mada at the "Onion's animal meeting wifcn a view to preventing a eontinuaaoo of this practice, it is allaged on many sides that catering too freely for junior football, that is, junior clubs who do not also " run" a senior team, injures footbail, inaamuoh as it robs a senior team 0? tcaoy eligible members, &nd is no» conducive to concentrat.ng or centraliciog tooibail, Would it not bo better

if all junior players in Palmorstoo j.insd the Palmerston, Old Boy, or Institute, and give each club h mtmbership of 80 or 100, each player to be classified, and tho clubs enter ssnior, junior, ihitd and even fourth-class teams, whereas aa at present constituted seiii-.ir teatm conti.-ier theuiselves fortunate if they potsesa more th in 18 or 20 mimbsr3 to coruo and go 00. If some Ruchuka Fchcme was decided upon club 3 would always bo in a financial position, have Buffioieaii members for all purposes, greater enthu-io. in would preyail, while the senior players would-infuse greater interest in>o and impart valuable knowledge and instruct tbe:.r juniors 10 a greater extern and advantage than h done under existing circumstancea; the jauiors could act in

ii'db manner to the thtrd-clos?, and so on, and with aach en initisution as a gymnasium iooiba'l would progress by leaps and bound:). It is admitted there is little variation in the o^uss of football witnessed it junior matches in fulmarston season after season, which can only bo attributed to the cause I have above pointed oat. There will undoubtedly be discussion on this subject at the Union meeting, and I venture the opinion that the d-cision arrived at wilt be adverse to allowing juniors to emer teams unless accompanied by a senior team also.

Kome two years ago athletic bodies-

football, hockey, etc.—on Carterton. Wairaraps, who enluted the sympathies of a number oE prominent citizens aud townspeople, strongly agitated in the direction of erecting a public gymnasium wherein members of athletic organisations in the town would undergo a proDer course of training during their respective seasons. The re ult of a couple ff public meetings culminated in the Borough Council granting permission tc erect the proposed building on a very conveniently-situa ed and spacious unused Borough reserve at a rental of Is per annum lor 41 years ; two or three supporters of si.ort (sawmillers) disuiayed practical sympathy with the project bjdonating ihe necessary timber; a number of stor. keepers were canvassed and responded with liberal supplies cf iron, mils, ar.d other materials;

while, under a prominent contractor, a " workmg bee." composed ot the carpentering members of: clubs, was formed, together with other willing workers, who gave their seryices gratuitously, and within a few monvhs of the coinmencemens of the work a large and commodious gymnasium had bten etectsd—at a cost, comparatively speaking, next to nothing. Tho build-

ing, in addition to providing a vary necessary requirement, is of larga and ornamental character, and redounds not only to the credit of the athletic bodies, whoso enthusiastic members initiated the movement, but also to tbe credit of the town and iiß liberal and go-ahead townspeople and Borough Ccmnoil, who so succetttiully bolped and engineered iho.echeme tbrough. An the rear of ihe gymnasium there exisia an old gravel pif, and another movement has been started with the object of transforming ib into a Bwiinming batb, aod judging by opinion? I havo heard on tbe matter, there ia every indication the people will again riao to the occasion and likewise carry tbis scheme to Sucoc-Eshil fruition. Applications ere being invited lor the position, of instructor to the gymnasium

7RGd up-to-date appliances are also being installed, and in a few weeks proceedings will be commenced with a very la«ge membership. Weil cone, Cartarton 1

But, whit ar»* we doing in Pulmerstcn io respecfc to providing -proper training facilitioH for our athletic organisations ? We a;e rem*icin^ st'ognunt and allowing a town wi-h a population of a tew hundred, buc eothu-iasiic aud »portlo'ving, peopla to stiow us tho manner of ways and means of acquiring suoh on essaaiiil opoointment for th« deveiop■menfi of tbe mu^clf-s1 and lau^s and minds of onr jisingg^nerfttion-. Kumeroua icstarjcei could be quoieci as illuftradons to show tho proßtessiveness <.f other to^rjs in prcvidirjg gyuiaasiuma mrih ir ahtetic bodies and the publio. Many uma'ler tv.vna than Polmerston have, tstablishcd such ias-t'uutioos end also enjoy the tnitioi of a salaried und np-to-data in.strucror, whtrj not only footballer';, hoektyi c*, etc. hive tbe opportunity of •icidnl^ing m benpfiaial physicil decelcpoaent, but where, tileo, .young id*ii, boys and youtg girU can put thair spare time to some useful pnrpsss and aro afforded every fasili.y in pbyeical culture at a small charge. It seems unfortunate that our you:.g men will not bestir themselves m the matter, lam sure that if some of our prominent townspeople and suppoiters of out-door sport took tbe initial proceedings our athletic bodies and young men, in fact the public generally, would rally round and the project would with no difficulty soon'be carried to a successful is-ue. Will anyone move in this important matter ?

Following ate a number of important Engli- h Bngby Union decisions given since last season, which should be of interest at this early stage: — "Q.uestion: On a playerbe;ngbrought to tlie ground, can he pass the ball to-a ponfre.-e, or ran the latter take it from him. providing tbe ball has not been he!el by »n opponent?" Answf r: '■ Ye-?, provid'Dg also that the ball is not on the ground.''

It. as further drcided that a player can kick the bul! with his knee or leg; that wben the bah is ihus kicked, it is not a rebound : that if an opponent makes a fair catch off such a kick he is entitled to.a free kick.

"Question: An attacking side in a scram, with the bull between the first and second rows, and j.u-*hing the defending sida over the gial lino, touches thelm!l down- (a) by tho half back, (b) by a forward in ihe scrum; ia it a try. An3*?er: 1i c try should be allowed.

The fanr h aud la-t deci«ioa has been rendered necessary by some doubt orisiog as to (ho. manning of " fr<;e-liick " as mentioned in law 8. Thi-., hw allowa a free-kick for off side play. A freekick may "aiv either a 3 or a 4 poiGt oao; which id under this law?

Tho Union first decides that a ' frerkick " is either a penalty kick, which coun<s three poims, or a kick after a fair catch, which counts four poiocp. In deciding which of these is me^nt in law 8, the Union considers rub-section E of law 11, which provides that "free kicks by wuy of penalty" shall be awarded if any player " illegally tackles, charges, or obstructs as in kw'B," This niak<?s it plain that law 11 regards the kick inkw 8 as a penalty kick. The Union therefore further decides

—" A goal kicked from a free kick award.-d through an eppenent b*ing off-side uiider law 8, shall counc three points, as it is the re-ult of a jennliy nick awarded under law 11, section E."