SOCCER

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12513, 31 July 1926, Page 17

SOCCER

The Wellington team which visited Otago a fortnight ago were most hospitably treated all round, and their behaviour, as was to be expected, was exemplary. It is twelvo years since Wellington sent a team to Dunedin, and the Otago people were very keen to have another visit. The team was a very happy family, and the manager, Mr J. M. Coleman, speaks very highly of them. He says: “It would bo impossible to find a finer body of men to travel with . Their conduct was irreproachable. ’ ’ They were met at Dunedin by the executive of the Football Association, who welcomed them heartily. They stayed at the Criterion Hotel, and were made honorary members of the Commercial Travellers’ Club, a privilege greatly appreciated. On the Friday evening they were entertained at tho theatre, and after the match they were entertained at dinner. A motor trip to se® the sights of the city was the order on Sunday, and in the evening they were entertained by Mr J. Simpson. They were given a hearty send-off on Monday morning; in fact, the hospitality of the Otago people was generous m the extreme, anu this fact is appreciated by the W.F.A. .... Mr Smith, who controlled the game, gave a first-class exhibition of how a game should be controlled, and his decisions were at all time prompt and satisfactory to both sides; in fact, the Wellington team would be quite willing to have him in any game. He is a really first-class man, and the game was played in the best of spirit and absolutely clean and sportsmanlike. Mr Coleman writes: “Although the Wellington team was defeated the selectors have the pleasure of knowing that the team gave a first-olass exhibition of football that delighted the Otago people. Their conduct was perfect and they left behind a name that Wellington will always be proud of. The Otago F.A. are unanimous that a finer body of. men would be hard to find. There was not one complaint anywhere, which shows that the high opinion of the O.F.A. of the Wellington team was justified. Even the weather went out of its way and behaved beautifully. Taken in all a most, enjoyable trip, and all are looking forward to another trip to Dunedin. . . • . • “Our heartiest thanks are tendered to the following members of the O.F.A. —Messrs MoCallum (chairman), Smith, Simpson, Cook, McCrorie, and Grace (secretary).” . • • • In news from China high appreciation is expressed of the treatment the Chinese team reoeived in New Zealand, and Dr. Gray says that the longer they look back on it the better they feel about it. He only wishes the same could have been said about the Chinese -team’s visit to Australia the preceding year. It appears that

ficiently condemnatory of such an action as that.

It ie not surprising that the negotiations for a tour by a team from Australia ended abruptly. It may b© a long tint© before negotiations are opened up again, and by that time other officials and a new executive may have charge of affairs. Tho influence, of New South Wales is' plainly perceptible, and it is an influence with which the New Zealand Council has little sympathy. There is also a strong tendency towards professionalism in the gam©, a position which would not b© tolerated here for a moment. When professionalism does com© to N©w Zealand—if ever it does —there will be no attempt to disguise it in order to let the people think they are lily-white amateurs, and there is this to be said, that there ia 110 cleaner amateur sport in the world than in New Zealand, a fact upon which tho Dominion may justly be proud. W. 0. McGeehan, the sports editor of the “New York Herald-Tribune.* writing from an American viewpoint, believes that the day is coming when the people of his country will take to Soccer football with the same gripping enthusiasm as they do their national winter game of baseball, and conjures up visions of American representatives meeting th© pick of England, Scotland, France and tho Dominions in international fare. Probably he is not painting an exaggerated picture. Soccer, introduced during the close season, by English League clubs, has made rapid progress on the Continent; so much so in fact that semi-professionalism is creeping in—a sure sign that the gam© is going to go forward. Some may think that semi-professionalism is the reverse or a good sign, but looking into England’s Soccer history it will be found that the game was at a standstill until certain clubs introduced “amateurs” from Scotland. The “evil” became so pronounced that at last the powers that