FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4300, 8 March 1901, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

> RUGBY. \ ■ ■ : . The annual report of the Oriental ' Football Club for the season 1900 conf gratulates members. on the degree of ■ success attained last year, a decided improvement in the records being notice- > able throughout the club. It is hoped - that the amount of success already j achieved will spur members on to still greater efforts in the coming season. : The club is in a sound, financial posi- > tion, with a good credit balance. The ! olub records for last .season were as foli low;—The ‘first fifteen played eleven ■ matches, winning throe, losing five and , drawing two (while as' to one match s against Poneke re winch this club pro- : tested to the New Zcalnd Union, no , decision has yet been made public); , joints for 37, and against 46. ’ The ■ second l fifteen played nine matches, wiu- . ning six, losing two and drawing one; . points lor 65, and against 36. The , third .fifteen played nine matches, winning four, lasing four and drawing one; . ‘points for 94, and against 48. The fourth fifteen played ten matches, win- 1 . ning six (three by default),and losing four I (oneby default), one match won by 17 . to nil being afterwards forfeited; points ' for 28, and against 19. Two country matohcs were played during the sea- , son, one against the Levin Club at Levin -on Easter Satmjday, resulting in a drawn game (three all), and one against the Horowheniia 1 Club (also of Levin), played at, Miramar on the Queen’s Birthday, resulting in a win for Oriental by nine points to three. The first fifteen performed very creditably throughout the, season, all the matches being closely contested, while the second fifteen had. a most successful season, being ruuners-uff for the Junior Cap. Since the last-report was submitted. several more members have left for South Africa, three (Messrs Fletcher, .vie William and Davidson) having left with‘the Fifth Contingent, while two more (Messrs Stubbs and Stringer) departed . with the Sixth, making an Oriental, contingent of ten. The olub has also, since last season, lost several prominent) and valued members, who have left Wellington, and will be much missed. ■ Of one of these (Mr O. Bush)/whp left only the other day for Christchurch',' special mention must be made. He has, for a> number of years taken a very prominent part both on and off the field, having been captain of the first fifteen for - several peasons, and the mainstay of its back division. The report regrets to have to record the death of Mr M. K. Samuel, one of the vicepresidents, also the- deaths- - from fever in South Africa of Messrs! Mo'eller and Broome, both of whom were . prominent members of the club for several years. The olub was represented in senior representative matches during the season by Messrs C. Bush, E. Wylie and W. t Skilton, while Messrs D. Taylor, F. I Taylor and A. Russell were chosen in the Junior representative team. The <

thanks of the club arc due to Messrs Hill, Jordan, Niramo, Gibson and Woon for kindly presenting trophies, and thanks arc also clue to Mr Gi A. Hill, president of the club, for so often presiding at meetings, social and otherwise .

Too annual report of the-Wellington Football Club, to be presented at its meeting at the Trocadero to-night, states that the total number of members on the roll is IC3, viz., 92 active, 40 honorary, 22 life, and 9 retired. There were 1 59 members elested during the season, while resignations, etc., numbered 29. The club has a cash credit balance of £5 9s Bd, nnd assets valued at £7l lls Bd, there being no liabilities. Members are congratulated on the acquisition of club-rooms, but the paucity of attendance at the gymnasium is lamented, nl.though there was an improvement ou the record of previous years. The outgoing committee recommends members to secure a larger gymnasium for the • coming season. Messrs Gallagher, Brodie, Meredith, Wood, Manson arid Leversedge represented the union in tha senior iuterprovinci’al matches, ami Messrs Scanlon, Hulme and Miller in the juniors. Nineteen committee meetings were held during the year, and only three members attended more than half of them. Tha annual match with tho Christchurch Club was played at the Athletic Park on Easter Saturday, and ended in a victoi-y for the visitors by 13 points to 3. The first fifteen arc congratulated in the report on the vast improvement shown on past seasons. Although the number of matches won, out of ten played, was only three, the team at the end of the season, was considered one of the hardest to boat in the competition, and, tho report continues, ‘‘if we can place an equally strong team in. the field this season wo fetsl assured that the club will attain that position which it has long desired. Points for, 48; against. 95. The second fifteen were inconsistent, partly owing to the number of players who were disabled, etc. . Their record was—Matches played, 10; won, 5 ;lost, 5. Poinst for, 107 ; against, 57. The doings of tho third fifteen cannot be considered satisfactory, as they only Avon two matches out of eight played. Poinst for, 30; against 57. They received no encouragement from tho 1 older members of the club, and until we have some one to look after cur junior teams we cannot cxpoct the club to flourish.” The annual dinner was held , in September and proved to be a very en- \ . joyahle function, there being about sixty ■ members present. Messrs Hulme, Horne and Blundell, of the second fifteen, left Wellington with the Sixth Contingent, I and the club wishes them a safe and I speedy return. Feeling reference is made to the decease of Air John Moeller ' in South Africa, from fever. ASSOCIATION. 1 At the annual meeting of tho Swifts 1 Club, the report and balance-sheet, ■ which was presented, expressed regret 1 at the poor showing made by the club last season. Tho only team out of the i four that met with success was the Thirdclass, which won eight matches out of F fourteen, and drew two. A number of . new members were elected, and it was ■ decided to open the season on Satur- • day, March 16, with a practice match, , t The following officers wdre elected:—> 3 President, Mr C. P. Skerreft (re-olect-ed); vice-presidents, Drs Henry and j James, Messrs A. -de B. Brandon, J. W. Bridge and J. S. W. Mills; delegates to New Zealand Association, Messrs F. J. Courtenay and W. White; secretary, ; Mr V. L. Salmon; junior secretary, Air W. Churchward; secretary of third-class team, Air R. Richards; treasurer, Air ’ H. G. Mayer; captain (of senior eleven), 1 F. J. 'Courtenay; vicc-captain, P. J. f Kiuniburgli. It was decided to.com--J menco practicA on Saturday, 16th 1 March.

The German footballers, whoTCcently visited England, were beaten in every match. In this they were scarcely disappointed, for they did not expect that victory would reward their efforts, but they wanted to learn something, and -■ they did so. Their wind-up was most enthusiastic, says one writer. At the Crystal Palace, under the chairmanship of the one and only “W.G.”— who had been an interested spectator of the play in the last match—we were continually \ rising from our sdats w.„h “Hochs” and the more British “He’s a jolly good fellow.” “W.G.”—who has twice visited Australia, also America,! but never the’ gay Cpntinong—so far repented of the emission to suggest that he might risk the visit. The Berliners played five • matches, and lost all. Goals for, 12; against, 35.