ASSOCIATION CODE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19752, 27 September 1927, Page 14

ASSOCIATION CODE.

SUPREMACY. OF AUCKLAND,

PONSONBY WINS CHATHAM CUP.

BREAK IN LOCAL COMPETITIONS.

The final of the Chatham Cup was decided in Wellington on Saturday, when Ponsonby (Auckland) defeated Northern (Otago) by 3 goals to 2, after a gruelling game. Ponsonby led by 3 goals to 0 at half-time, but Northern improved in the second spell, and made Ponsonby defend desperately to maintain its lead. This is the fifth year of the competition and the second occasion on which an Auckland club has been successful. The trophy was won by the Harbour Board team in 1924. Canterbury, Wellington and Otago have each won the Cup once. Ponsonby has shown a wonderful improvement in form since the early part of the season, and the club is to be congratulated on its fine victory. In the first half of the game on Saturday, Ponsonby made full use of the strong wind, and the forwards showed clever football. Innes and Hunter were particularly prominent, but the whole team was sound, and the score at half-time was about a fair indication of the trend of play. In the second half, Northern, with the wind in its favour, did the bulk of the attacking. The Ponsonby defence, however, was sound. The victory of Ponsonby in the Chatham Cup gives Auckland the honour of holding two trophies which are open for competition between the major provinces. The Auckland representative team has done extremely well, and, although it failed to defeat Canterbury, the English Football Association trophy has been successfully defended. That this has been accomplished with a team not quite up to full strength may bfe regarded with some satisfaction. There is little doubt the standard of play in Canterbury has shown a great improvement this season. That province has registered victories over Wellington and Otago, while its game against Auckland ended in a draw. It is only on a goal average that Canterbury failed to wrest the trophy from the present holders.

Championship Games. There is a feeling in Soccer circles that the Chatham Cup has seriously interfered with championship games by causing too long a break in the local club competitions. These, it will be readily agreed, are the mainstay of the game. A suggestion may be put forward that the Chatham Cup contest should not be decided every year. The position of team in the championship table is, to many, a disappointment, for while the position of the leaders is unassailable, the clubs lower on the table might have an opportunity to get higher up if the full round of championship games were played. Little interest can be maintained in the competition for the present season, and it is unlikely, in view of the few remaining playing Saturdays, that any further championship games will be played, unless in the nature of curtain-raisers.

Ponsonby still has three games to play, but by taking the possible six points, it would only be on a par with North Shore, with 20 points. There is also a feeling that championship and cup ties in local competitions should not be held up on account of the absence of one or two players from various clubs, who may be selected in representative sides. The championship and Falcon Cup competition has been delayed on this account. With the championship decided, a start will be made on the Falcon Cup knock-out competition next Saturday. A full round will be set down for decision, and with many of the teams showing vastly improved form some fine games should be witnessed. The Off-side Rule. It is interesting to note the effect of the new off-side rule. An amendment has now been in force for two seasons, and its tendency to expedite the play may be judged. In England the amendment has been the means of producing more goals. Newcastle United almost scored 100 goals last season, a feat that has only been accomplished on very rare occasions. In the Second Division, Middlesborough created a record for the number of goals scored by any club in championship games during one season. It is remarkable Newcastle United, which was mainly responsible for the adoption of the amended law, should be the club to derive greatest benefit from it. It will be remembered that the offside tacfJcs employed by the Newcastle team a few seasons ago when it won the English Cup, were very unpopular with the followers of the game. Hudspeth, who played at right back for Newcastle, was considered the greatest authority on the off-side rule, and the opposing vanguard was continually being caught for siis breach- Newcastle, no doubt, owes its success this season to a keener perception of the new rule and also to the fact that no money has been spared to secure forwards with real goal-scoring ability. It is interesting to compare the effect locally. It is evident forwards have not mad«> full use of th§ advantages they can claira under the new rule. The number of goals scored in the present season, although in excess of previous years, has not shown the increase that should be possible. Forwads can only play as well as the opposing defence will allow them, but there is still a tendency to pass the ball too squarely, instead of taking advantage of the rule which only require# one defender and the goalkeeper to be in front of tha player receiving the balL However, during the latter part of the present season, more goals have been scored, and many of the teams have altered their style of play to advantage. There is little doubt that the visit of the Canadian touring team did much to improve the interpretation of the rule, and it is pleasing to note that many of the lessons of the tour are being put into j practice.