FOOTBALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 184, 26 December 1908, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

(By «'Pakeha."i "J.F.D." (Invercafgill).— l9ol-2-3. ''A wins by streets. "P. 8." (Danncvirke).— Our reply admit-" ted- of no doubt. We shall be happy to . show you the records. < «T.C." (Orange, N.S.W.)— (I) Ellison; (2) Wallace; (3) F. Roberts for defensive purposes ; (4) Auckland, without a shadow of a doubt. Many stories have floated out from the Cold Country about the amateur Kangaroos misconducting themselves. The same tale was spun what time the All Blacks were on the warpath m Motherland. Hamish Stuart, the Scotch Rugby critic, is generally hard on Colonials " from the Southern Hemisphere. It ,was he who repeatedly rubbed the New Zealanders up the wrong way.. It was he, who more than any other writer of note, upheld the attitude of the Scottish and Irish Unions m standing ; a lo Q f ,from the Australians' tour. So that when this bilious scribbler deems it ' the right thing to give praise to the Wallabies Idr their football it may be considered, that, the praise has been well earned. Anyhow, Manager .MeRTahon's brigade is performing real well against the Rugger champions m the Old Dart. A. number of English* writers see no good at all m the play of the M.S.W. pros., /unmindful of the fact that, iE there 'is any truth iff their criticism, it cuts 'deeper against the home teams, against 'which the .Corustalkers have performed splendidly. ~, ... ■ Tommyrot published»by a Dunedin writer :— "The injuries received by Billy Wal•lace during 'his long and useful football ■career have left', their 'indelible : marks on his frame and. effects: oh his constitution m such a way that he is now almost unfitted to follow his trade of mechanical engineer. It is understood the amount raised recently will be devoted to- the'

purchase of a business affording him light occupation." In the first place Billy is not .a mechanical engineer but a moulder, and a good tradesman, too. Secondly, the amount subscribed by his admirers will be devoted to quite a different object to that mentioned by the Southerner. 11 • may also/ be news to our misinformed j Duriedin friend that Wallace's constitution is m no way shattered by his experiences on the Rugby field. The English F, ootbail Association is keeping up its efforts m reference to the suppression of the betting system, and the practice encouraged by the distribution of bookmakers' circulars both through the post and m the public streets. The circulars have become quite a nuisance to those who love tne sport purely for its own sake and the distraction and recreation it affords. Thoueands of these circulars are siven away atf the entrances to football grounds just the same as it they were . the handbills of a tradesman. Most of them are thrown to the ground and trodden under foot, and some clubs have removed the distributors from their approaches. But such circulars lead to betting on football, and that is to be strongly discouraged. The Football Association is seeking to induce the Home Office to move m the matter of the distribution of these circulars both "by the post and m the streets. , One of the Australian Rugfty team gives it as his opinion that A.O.Jones, of cricket celebrity, is much the best referee he has struck at Home, and is the nearest approach to the best colonial variety. . ' A curious experiment was tried by Lochgelly United Club, which, during the interval m its game m East Fife, at Methil, submitted the ; members of its League team to the experiment of inhaling oxygen. .At the conclusion of the first half Lochgelly looked like a beaten lot, but after the administration of the gas they, played up m wonderfully improved form, and drew the match. The men stated that at the conclusion of the game there was a total absence of the usual feeling of exhaustion, and that they felt quite capable of playing for anothdr hour and a-half.