SOCCER

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12507, 24 July 1926, Page 17

SOCCER

For a few weeks at least the 'Wellington Referees’* .Association . will be deprived of the services of Mr L. F. C. Cooper, who has just recently made his home at Ngaio. His services will be greatly missed as he is a useful and capable referee. He is in iiis second year in the Dominion, having come out from the Old Country about two years ago. Ho was on the active list at Home, and of course was given his badge on arriving in the Dominion. Ho represents Canterbury on the New Zealand Referees’ Association. Having lost to Auckland and 01 ago, the Wellington selectors have now to find a team to meet Canterbury on the Rasin Reserve ere long in the Football Association trophy competition, and it is hoped that Wellington’s full strength will be mustered on that occasion, for no one here wants to see *the local representatives register a “duck n in the first year of the competition. That is a record the representatives will do their best to avoid. However; we can recall the last Canterbury team which came to Wellington a year or so ago, and beat the local lads by 6—3, -and in convincing fashion. So the Canterbury team is not to be taken lightly, and in fact it is good to know that the standard of representative , football ie so much higher than it used to be, « * *,

The team that Auckland sent to Wellington a month ago is one of the best provincial teams which has taken the field, for some years, and if Auckland should succeed in becoming the first hefiders of the Football Association trophy, ns it is believed they will, no one can begrudge them the pride of possession, for they prepared for tho event in real earnest. Just as the track-runner has to prepare himself for events in the field, so Auckland prepared and roused their representative players to, a nigh standard of excellence, and the sole selector, Phil Neesham, deserves the fruit of his labours.'A few more Phil Neesliams about the Dominion would do the old game, a power of good.

There is a general • feeling of satisfaction that the Now Zealand Coun, cil has definitely accepted the terms of tho Canadian Football Association, to send a team to tour New Zealand, and there is no reason to doubt that the Canadian Association will accept the tour at its annual meeting in September. Tho Canadians have not fared over well' against the English team which has been tonring that country, hut as the tourists are even stronger than the team which went to Australia, the results are satisfactory by comparison. The Canadian Association will send a strong side to the Dominion, and New Zealand teams will have to put forth their very best efforts to win the honours. • • • *

The council appears to he very much alive to the necessity of getting to closer quarters and obtaining a better understanding with the sister Dominions on the subject of oversea tours, and the sooner something of the kind is brought to a head the better it will be so far as arranging future tours is, concerned. The ques-