GENERAL SPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23680, 12 June 1940, Page 15

GENERAL SPORTS

IMPROVED HAERIEES DEATH OF EX-FOOTBALLER DAVIS CUP TEAM'S EXPENSES The most frequently disqualified wrestler in America, Laverne Baxter, who was disqualified in his match with Terry McGinnis in Sydney recently for striking the referee, was fined £lO by the Stadium authorities. The money was given to the Lord Mayor's Patriotic Fund. Two University athletes who have shown marked improvement in harrier runs this year are M. McKenzie and 11. McCutchan. Good performances have also been given by W. Riddell, of Wesley and 0. Young, of Lynndale, while a promising return to form is being shown by W. W. Pelham, formerly of Technical and now of Calliope. Some good judges at the Royal Park Golf Club in Melbourne consider that they have at this breeding ground of good golfers discovered another likely champion. He is I?. Banks, who grips the club like a cricketer holding a hat, but he hits the ball truly and follows well through. The other day he did the first nine in 36, and, with a hole to go, needed another 4 at the relatively easy par 4 eighteenth for a 72. He took a 6 and finished with 74. "I was surprised to find that the privilege usually extended to oversea entrants in the United States open golf championship of not being forced I to play in the State or sectional qualifying rounds had not been granted ' to me*," writes J. Ferrier in the Sydney ! Morning Herald. "Norman von Nida, the Australian professional, on his visit here last year, was not forced to qualify for the open, and it does seem strange that I, a national champion, should not be given the same privilege." The death has occurred of; a wellknown Auckland Rugby Union and Rugby League footballer, Mr. W. \Y. ; Winter, at the age of 55. Mr. Winter was a member of the old Newton Rugby Football Club and was one of the foundation members of the Auckland Rugby League when that body was formed in 1908. Playing in the forwards, he was an Auckland League representative. Mr. Winter was a contractor by trade and was responsible for the early laying out of C'arlaw Park when that site was a Chinamen's garden.

Having won every game it has played with the exception of one drawn match, Frankton is leading at the end of the first round of the Stag Trophy Rugby competition at Hamilton. In recent games, the leaders have had some close calls, but have managed to secure the necessary points in the final stages. By defeating Old Boys last Saturday. City has moved into second place and is two points behind Frankton. The Old Boys team is in third position. with Technical and Taupiri equal fourth. The sixth team, Raglan, has not yet won a match. Among those who went into military camps recently was C. Eckhold, who a few years ago ranked as one of the best diving prospects Otago lias had, states a Dunedin writer. Eckhold was runner-up in the New Zealand intermediate boys' diving championship at Invereargill in 1933 to Arthur Williams (now on service in Egypt), and won the title in 1934-35-86. A brilliant career in senior ranks was predicted for this Dunedin competitor, but unfortunately he gave up competitive diving. He is a son of the late Mr. A. Eckhold, 1907 All. Black Rugby player and referee. Consideration is to be given to various schemes for coaching junior tennis players in Australia. New _ South Wales, as the prime mover, is most enthusiastic to launch an ambitious programme of mass coaching throughout the schools and colleges. The Victorian association has not yet given the proposal serious consideration, but it is anticipated that its recommendation will he to pick out a number of juniors who have done well in various school competitions and also in junior tournaments. These boys and girls will then be taken in hand by competent coaches, either amateur or professional. Three members of the North Shore senior cricket team, J. B. Simpson, L. Curtavne and "VV. J. McDevitt, enlisted recently for military service overseas. McDevitt was passed as fit. but Curtavne and Simpson will require a further medical examination before being accepted. Simpson, who has been one of the most successful fast bowler in Auckland for several years, has represented the province on several occasions. Curtayne has not yet attained representative cricket status, but he has played for Auckland at Rugby, and is at present a member of the Marist senior fifteen.

If a man is no good to one sport then lie's no good to any other. This, anyway, is the opinion of Mr. E. J. Gates, sole selector to and member of tho management committee of the Wellington Football Association. The remark was passed at a committee meeting the other night, during a discussion on the compilation of "black lists.'' It was decided to communicate with other sports bodies in an endeavour to establish a "black list" to cover all sporting activities. Defaulters with their club subscriptions and consistent lawbreakers would be the principal ones on this roll of dishonour. The only professional who ever represented England both at Hugby Union and Association football recently celebrated his 72nd birthday. He is John William Sutcliffe,' famous goalkeeper and Rugby fullback, now living near Bradford. ' When playing Rugby for Heckmondwike in 1889 Sutcliffe played for England against the Maoris. Tho same year he signed professional forms for Bolton Wanderers and afterward represented his country in five matches. Sutcliffe also distinguished himself on the running and cycling tracks and at cricket. His nephew, Charles Sutcliffe, kept goal for Sheffield United when it won the English Cup in 1920.

Scathing criticism of some of the amounts included among the expenses of the Australian Davis Cup team that toured the United States last year was made bv the president of the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association, Mr. B. C. Fuller, at a recent meeting. Among amounts mentioned by Mr. Fuller were the followinc: —Cocktail partv on s.s. Mariposa, £80; racquet restrings, 1939, £163 13s 9d, 1938, £95 Gs Id; presentation to overseas officials. including referees, 1939, £25 9s 2d, 1938, nil; expenses for entertaining plavers, 1939, £137 13s, 1938, £2B 4s lid; hotel, meals and baggage, 1939, £1252 15s 9d, 1938, £892 17s; rail, air. and taxi fares, 1939, £B2O 6s, 1938, £236 os 2d. One of the outstanding players for Wellington in the representative hockey match against University recently was D> S. Wilson, former New Zealand representative and Kilbirnie- Club and provincial cricket representative. On his form in the latest Plunket Shield cricket scries. Wilson showed definitely that ho was heading the right way for New Zealand honours in that sport, too. In 1935, when lie took Wellington cricket by surprise with some phenomenal scores, Wilson looked a coming New Zealand cricketer. Those who watched him :mnke his 84 against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve last summer must have realised that there were few piore solid batsmen in the comtge*