FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16026, 18 September 1915, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME.

NOTES AND • COMMENTS-

The annual smoke concert of the Auckland Rugby Referees' Association will be held this evening. The Senior Cadets' Association representatives will play a practice match to-day against a selected team. The annual charity match between the ™ l ° ner .. »nd runner-up "1 the senior grade competition will be played at the Show grounds on Saturday next. It is probable mat an interesting Curtain-raiser will be arranged. The committee will have tickets on sate early m the week » and it is hoped uiere will • be a generous response to a worthy appeal. The Charity Cup is at present in possession of the University Club, bjch won it last season. .he usual crop of protests lias resulted iroin tlus season's competitions. In view °rna'h-ona 1 crisis the Management nuiSrP ff ~ Auckland Union endeavoured, after the season commenced, to disHlilSf® Practice of protesting. Conchih u?\ tried and f ?, iied - because one 8 to excuse an illegal act on senti™ena Rounds. Since then the officials or the club in Question have been active in promoting protests in the junior grades ''Practice which is likely to inculcate an unsportsmanlike spirit m youthful Rugby- ! V;™ Such action, which is to be deplored in times of Peace, becomes more distastefui m 656 (1 ? M of war. when the winning of a grade championship should not ei j piously. The honour is not Jrreat. and in the future "war year" championships will not be regarded as of equal value as those of previous seasons.

NEWTON CLUBS SOCIAL. Th« annual dinner and smoke concert- of the Newton Rugby Football Club, winners ♦ 7?.® grade championship, was held at tho rutin restaurant last evening. Mr. xl. Conquer presided over a large attendance of members and guests. After full justice had been done to an excellent menu provided by Host Crandall a list of toasts was honoured and a programme of musical items given. The toast of " The King" was proposed by the chairman; " The Auckland Rugby Union," by the chairman; '* The Reierees Association," by Mr. H. Crawford, and responded to by Mr. Coltman; "Members at the Front," by Mr. Crawford; and The Press, by Mr. McElwain. In the course of the speeches reference was made to the fact that many members of the club had left or were leaving for the front-. One member, Gibson, was killed in action, and four, Perihi. Herring, Vause, and Hanna, were wounded. The Harmony of the evening was provided by a quintette of scarlet entertainers, the performers being Messrs. P. Lewis. S. Pitkin. H. St. Martin. J. O'Kane. and F. Bennett- The items were of a varied nature, and were much enjoyed. Mr. H. Bowley acted as accompanist.

THE LEAGUE GAME.

PATRIOTIC MATCHES.

AT DEVONPORT i 0-DAY.

The patriotic matches, arranged by the Auckland Rugby Football League in aid of the Waistcoat Fund, inaugurated by the Mayoress of Devon port, will be played at the Dercmport Domain this afternoon- The proceedings will commence at two o'clock, the programme being as follows:—City Juniors v. Rest of Auckland. No. 1 ground. 2 p.m.: Referees' Association t. Junior Advisory Board. No. 1 ground. 3 p.m.; Sunnyside fourth grade team v. Best of Auckland, No. 2 ground. 2 p.m.: Sunnyside third'grade team v. Rest of Auckland. No. 2 ground. 3 p.m. The Referees' Association will be represented by'the following players:—Herri Calthorpe. Ferguson. Mcintosh. Hill. Weston. Murray. Gallagher. Wheatly, Vans*. Warner. Shaw. J. Thompson: emergencies. Aughton. Beeson. Dempaey. Neild. Clow. Mr. Joe Bennett will act as referee in this match. Return through tickets (ferry and ground) can be purchased for Is.

THE ASSOCIATION GAME

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

After an enforced rest of five weeks hostilities will bo renewed in the secondgrade competition to-day, when the juniors will commence the second round. Two matches will be played at Bayswater. Brotherhood has only one point lead from its nearest rival, but it is anticipated the team will keep its advantage, as at the end of the first round it was playing on top of form. In reference to the Falcon Cup final, this has been postponed till after the finish of the second-grade _ competition in four weeks' time. The executive wishes to point out that the ground portion of last week's through tickets will be available for any Saturday at Bayswater. as there will be a charge til! the end of the season.

WAR CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND. The coming English season, which is about to commence, will be shorn of a good deal of interest, as it was practically decided that clubs will play in local league competitions, but for the sport only, no cups or medals being available for the winning teams. This was practically decided on at the annual meeting of the Football League and the association's conference w£h the league and Southern League representatives. The question of payment of players has created much controversy, and the Scottish League at an earlier meeting decided to pay its professionals a pound a match, which would have been extra money to the many professionals serving their country as munition workers, and would have been a welcome addition to the soldiers " shilling a day.'' . The English League, at its annual meeting. also adopted this payment, but the Football Association vetoed the. proposal, and the league was forced to rescind the resolution at an adjourned meeting. In consequence of this decision everyone, except the players, connected with the game will be paid, and it will be interesting to see what attitude the professionals will adopt when it is remembered that secretaries, trainers, gatemen. referees, linesmen, etc.. will all receive their pickings from the gate money, while the men who draw the crowds will get nothing, although they , may still bo bought and sold under the unjust transfer laws. Taking all things into consideration it might have been as well for the national game had the powers that be decided to close down till after the war. as many clubs will only be playing for the sake of unanimity. Should the professionals decide to play without payment, the supporters of the Sheffield and neighbouring clubs should be in for good sport, as there are several players working at Sheffield on munitions, who last season played for other clubs. The Football Association has. ordered clubs which have been paying their players war bonuses since they joined the army to cease doing so. This applies to hundreds of professional players, who were bullied and denounced last year because they did not break contracts and immediately join the services, and who, now they are in the army, are being treated worse than any other group of employees in the country. It is doubtful if there will be any firstclass matches in London this year owing to it being decided that the clubs, if grouped, will play under the auspices of the Management Committee of the league, although there are five league and nine Southern League clubs wishing to take part. It was suggested the London Football Association should control the group, as all the clubs belong to that body, but this did not meet with approval. It is hardly likely the Southern Lsague clubs will be content to submerge themselves, and for the present matters are at a dea'dlock. It seems a fairly general opinion that the professional will not play as he will consider it infra dip to play for nothing when officials are getting their usual

remuneration. , Two competitions have been arranged for the Yorkshire and Midland clubs, but London will not decide until the meeting of the Southern League. In the north. Newcastle, Sunderland, and Middlesboroueh have decided to stand down,. and so have the bit? Midland clubs such a«t Aston Villa. West Bromwich Albion. Wolverhampton, and Birmingham, although the latter four clubs have been invited by the Birmingham Football Association to take part in a competition, the net proceeds of which will go to charity on behalf of the hospitals which will suffer through the non-playing of the usual August practice matches, the whole proceeds of which were given to charity.