INTERPROVINCIAL CONTESTS.

NZ Truth, Issue 327, 30 September 1911, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL CONTESTS.

RESULTS OF SATURDAY'S GAMES Wellington 26, Canterbury 9. Otago 9, Southland 8. CHARITY CUP (Wellington). Athletic 11, Oriental 0. Athletic Park, Wellington, was more like a circus ring than. a football ground on Saturday last. A few hundred people turned up to see the match. Press v. Police, and most of them left very shortly after the finish of that interesting and startling event. So if the Athletic-Ori-ental crowd reckon THEY drew what there was (and it wasn't much) m the way of general public they arc wrong, q\iite wrong. It was undoubtedly the game between the News-hunters and the Powelka chasers that attracted them. The Charity Cup match was a frost. It mostly always is. Both teams consisted of some senior players and many juniors, and nothing m the way of a Billy Wallace or a Jimmy Hunter appeared on the horizon. Athletic got six points m the first heat, and live shortly after, and that was; the end of '.'football" for the day. Alter that the circus commenced. Nobody £ook the affair a bit seriously except Referee Larway. He fell and broke his wrist, which was bad luck for the energetic little cuss. This rei'ereeing business will have to be stopped. It's too dangerous. Sixn. Wilson was a busy little clown. m the ring. Saw him get going once, and thought he was going to finish up m Adelaide-road.. But the Big Hill stopped him. The ball was about 100 yards away at the time. But m the football part of the proceedings Sim did all that was required of him. Oriental played all Junior backs, and some of them didn't do a bit badly. But the Oriental attack that we are used to, wasn't there. The most serious, man on the fleid was Charlie Atkinson. He looked like; a Government servant going to see the Minister about a rise m screw. But C.A. is always of a serious nature. Can't help it. Looking at the game everybody was pleased that it represented the final local match of the season. We've had .quite enough, and the long suffering players have had a deal tod much. Afte Referee Larway retired injured, Brother Church took charge of the whistle, and from that on Athletic had the upper hand. The same team. alwajrs do better when controlled by a "Church." Anyhow, let us all thank the Lord of ; Hosts. football hosts, dinner and any other old set of hosts, that it's, over for the season. Tired? Yes, everybody is tired. Players, spectators, tram-guards, police, press, and the sergeant's dog. All. full up. Mr TT. O'Leary refereed the FressPolice match, which is quite right, sv-in«r that whenever the Police or the- Press get into trouble they accept the decision of the Law on the matter. There wasn't any trouble m thijjpgame, because nobody knew

enough about the rules to appealMust certainly get a photograph of that Police team. They were just "IT." It's a good job the Wellington Selection Committee were not present. They would probably have snared the Press full-back and sent him down South to assist Roberts j and Co. This young player has a ! great future before him , (if he knocks oil football). v As an exhibition of Rugby football the game didn't count worth two small beers — one ' for each team. As a bit of raw comedy it wasn't half bad. - The funny .man of the day waa the excited constable who grabbed the ball and ran the wrong way— about fifty yards. When arrested he stated the only course open to the Police is to assist the Pr e sSf He's right. There was a fat man playing for the Press by name Potts, who nearly did great . things. Got within a few inches of the line once, but being one- of the Conservative mob he had to stop . and consider the next move. That was the end of "HIM:." A big, burly policeman took the ball away from him without saying "by your leave," or any other old thing. They're not too polite these budding inspectors when they play with a football. These Press chaps knbw\all about the fine points of Rugby *< football when they're safely planted m the Press stand. On the field they know just as much about the game as the other chaps do about catching Joe, : and that isn't much. The whining team will not receive any medals for their performance. This is not to be looked / forward to as an annual fixture. Stacks of notice will be given about the next game (probably m 1925).