BOUND BALL GAME

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 245, 13 September 1933, Page 9

BOUND BALL GAME

MATCHES IN THE MANAWATU. SNAPS FROM THE SIDELINE. (By “Centre Half.”) Saturday’s match for the league championship was perhaps the most unsatisfactory one seen for a long time. Despite the fact of a scoreless draw, which is sufficient to dampen the ardour of many people, there was —largely because of the elements—a lamentable lack of good football. Admittedly the leather was lighter than it has been for some weeks and the field was beyond its best condition, but it would have at least increased the chances of success if the ball had been kept down more. Players who have not been seen to head in the ball for a long time persisted in attempting to fight the wind and the result was hopeless. St. Andrew’s were without the sendees of Lyon and Young, two of their better players, but the two lower grade boys who substituted gave a better display on occasions than some of the older participants. Both teams were disappointing, but probably it was only an interlude. It was regrettable, that Harriman had the misfortune on Saturday to twist liis ankle and have to leave the field. He is one of Athletic’s really reliable men and the team , can ill afford to have him indisposed. It is to be hoped that his recovery will be a speedy one. Not for many seasons has the wind played such havoc with a game locally as it did on Saturday, when a big proportion of the time was spent in retrieving the leather. The spells the teams secured while the linesman emulated a harrier were appreciated. Owing to the refereeing arrangements not working tp time-table Mr Baldwin had a long-deserved turn with the whistle on Saturday and controlled a difficult game very well. There appeared to be rather more appeals than were necessary, and this was perhaps not encouraging to the referee, but he has the ability to take these games now, for he lias rendered yeoman service in the lower grades. Manawatu are to meet the Wanga.nui Association on September 23 in the final big match of the season and it is likely that a “knock-out” competition will be played on the following Saturday'. As there are only two teams to enter, however, it will be an outright contest.. The following side has been chosen to represent the River City : - —Walker (Thistle), Thomson (Athletic), Taylor (Eastbrooke), Kidd (Thistle) Crumbley (Athletic), Cave (Mills), Bell (Athletic), Munro (Mills), Heath (Thistle), Newman (Athletic), Quinn (Eastbrooke). Reserves: A. Thompson, Dashfield, A. Dear. Determined if possible to improve the playing a.rea at North Street Park, the management committee at its last meeting discussed the problem comprehensively. It was then brought to memory that portion of the park is already drained to a certain extent, No. 2 ground covering a subterranean channel. It was interesting to learn that a splendid job has been made at Blandford Park, Auckland, where it used to be possible to sail a boat across the main area. A great deal of expense was allowed and now, with a cinder foundation, the field is as near perfect a.s one could wish. That the game is held in high regard in the Queen City is shown when it is learned that a recent match attracted no fewer than 5000 spectators. This is a most encouraging sign from the north. When Manawatu visited New Plymouth the opportunity was taken at a social function after the match to review the game. Dr. D. E. Brown, a vice-president of the New Zealand and Taranaki Associations, said it was gratifying indeed to see the progress the code was making. Reference had been made to the action of the New Zealand Association in providing footballs for school teams, and he said this was because it was realised that the development of the code in the schools was the real work for the future of soccer in the Dominion. Not only in New Plymouth, but in numerous other centres, soccer was being fostered in the primary schools. Seven or eight years ago the movement had been started among primary schoolboys at New Plymouth, but had not been continued. Now, however, Taranaki had a good man in Mr J. W. Hollows, who had introduced the code to the schools again. . . . It seems that all is not well in the Webster Shield competition for the North Island schoolboys. The island has been divided into two sections, and Waikato have declined to enter, in the northern group. It is contended that Wellington have no right to the trophy under the circumstances.

It is gratifying to note the regularity with which reports of the fine conduct of the Manawatu team come to hand when they are on tour. Valued tributes were paid to them in this regard at New Plymouth, where the team were entertainel in a splendid way. The first round of the Manawatu fifth grade “knock-out” competition resulted in some good games in spite of a strong wind. Te Awe Awe Scouts, playing a good combined game, won a hard match against St. Paul’s. All Saints’ Scouts put up a very good show with a somewhat weakened team against Y.M.C.A. juniors and. although defeated, were triers until the final whistle. The other game, Terrace End Scouts and Central Scouts, was in doubt right until the end, as Central put up a surprisingly good showing and were only beaten by one goal. The surprise of the sixth grade was the great game played by Convent School B against Central A. They played hard from start to finish and are to be congratulated on winning and so entering the semi-final. Terrace End defeated Central B in a game which looked like finishing all square, but in the second half, with the wind in their favour, Terrace End brought off a meritorious win. ’ln the other game College Street were too good for the smaller Hokowliitu boys, but thte game was much more closely contested than the score would indicate.