Association Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 94, 19 April 1902, Page 6

Association Football.

The Contingents that ha\ c been despatched contained many of oui athletic \oung men and amongst them not ,i few Association footballeis aie to be found With the Tenth Contingent alone thcie a.ie thiee of, perhaps the best players in Wellington — McKmnon the late skipper of the Petone team Bobbie" Burns, the famous goalkeeper of the Diamonds, and Les Dixon, of the Ma.rist Old Boys, and late of Red Cio^s Although these players will be much mi' seel , still the number of new pla\eis and teams this reason more than compensates for their temporal v absence T hope the benefit denyed bv them on the 1 football fields will serye them to sonic purpose in South Africa. Heie's success to them, and a safe letum' The piactice game 1 ® ha ye ah each commenced, and thei style of pla\ indulged in at Mich a.n eaih stage of the season is \ei\ s-abisf actoi*\ r , and auguis well foi good sanies during the season. Royeis who aie 'dubbed" the weakest team wi'l present a yeiv fair eleyen when they aie called upon to face the music In fact, in the senior ranks the teams are. all so pyenlv matched that it is not oa,s\ to speak with authority as to the strongest o>i weakest team. Petone's luck in securing Mi Asbui\ w t .s aimved at in tins way The question of tbe fittest disposal of Mi Asbi'n's services a& a coach was mentioned <i f the annual meeting of club delegates .iud waisdefened by consent to the first meeting of the Management Committee of the WF A Mi A«-bui\'s opinion on tho subject which was woitln of cciiMeleiaition since his scnicos aie

gicituito'iife, \\a<s that he should be allowed to pla ; \ foi a team. This evoked con.sideiable discussion many ot the delegates suppoiting Mi Asbuiy's contention. Several deLegates, howevoi, notably Mi. J J. Roboitt., who, by the way, has a good know lodge of tootball coaching, considei ed the players, could not derive any benefit fiom Mi. A&bury playing with a beam Hi' science could not be transmitted to a. playei immediately Mr Asburv displayed it, noi could a game bo to allow Mr. Asbury to explain any fault of a plainer Another reasonable argument was that Mr. Asbur\ , being a forwaid plavvi, could not bv virtue of that stvlc of p!av benefit a back player To epitomise the matter, judging by the arguments and the suggestion to play foi a team, a most erroneous impression ■was cieated bv the delegates. Our players aiie, after all, crude at the game, and the mastering of it 5*5 * rudiments is more essential than a finished exposition by Mi . Asbury to be impressed on tho brams of our players KventuaJly, however, the vexed question of how to fitly dispose of Mr. Asbury's services was settled by the thoughttulness and generosity of Mr. Gibbs to let them a suitable large room in w Inch Mr Asburv could teach players both theory and practice Thi= overcame all obstacle's, out a stop to the arguments, pro and con, and satisfied both pai ties