FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15407, 16 September 1913, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

THE ASSOCIATION" GAME. ENGLISH SEASON OPENS. BIG SUMS FOR PLAYERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright . London,. September 14. The English Association football season has opened with fine prospects. There is a larger number than ever of thousand pound men." players for whose transfer clubs have paid £1000. Some of the clubs are paying moro than c? or , new first - cltt,, s talent. For the opening of the season on September 6, there were big crowds everywhere, especially at the Tottenham Hotspur-Chelae* fixture, which drew 60.000 spectators The outstanding features of the contests were the defeat of Sunderland— year's winners of the League championship— by 2 goals to 1. and the outclassing of Chelsea by 3 goals to 1 by ; oUnam Hotspur Only a few weeks ago the Chelsea directors spent considerable sums in obtaining first-class players. Aston Villa, the winners of the English Chip, had a narrow escape from defeat, being lucky to draw with Bradford City The principal results were:—Newcastle United defeated Sunderland by 2 goals to 1, Bradford City and Aston Villa played a scoreless draw; Blackburn Hovers easily accounted for Liverpool by 6 goals to 2; West Bromwich Albion defeated Burnley by J goals to 1; Manchester United defeated Sheffield Wednesday by 8 goals to 1, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea by 3 goals to 1.