HOCKEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15098, 22 March 1911, Page 10

HOCKEY

OTAGO ASSOCIATION.

Tho revonth annual report of the executive of the Otago Hockey Association says that tha number of affiliated chibs and of players engaged in tho competitions was greater than at any previous time, f<«ur now clubs having join-id at the beginning of tho season. The usual senior and junior grade competitions were jC-rri«l out aj.d keenly contested. Supremacy in the senior grado again rested with University, who thus retain- the Maoloan Cup for another year. Their record of nine games won and one lest, and only 11 Reals seorcd against them, is a very meritorious one. Gymnastic, with 14- Cup points, and Otago (10 points) were- second and third rreixotively. The junior competition commenced with tho record number of 12 teams competing, two. of which, however, wore withdrawn during the eaouwn. St. Martin's secured .the championship in this grade after playing ofil a tie with Cfego, and therefore hold th« v ciip generously .donated by Messrs T. P. WiiliamEon and Cα for this competition. Intorprovinoial matches •wore coniined to tlie nnnuaJ fixtures with Canterbury and Southland. Tne match, against Canterbury was played at Dunodin, aaid resulted in a, draw, each fade scoring two gcals. At Invercai-gill tho Otago repreeantativos were successful in defeating Southland by three goals to tiyo. Following the practice inaugurated in tho previous year, a junior representative tea.ni played against Camo.ru on the lattcr's ground, Oamaru scoring tho victory by four goals to one. During the season the conduct of players was in every way satisfactory, ami the executive has very much ■pleasure in recording the fact that there has never been any occasion during the existence of the association, to visit any penalty on any player for improver conduct on tho field. The balance sheet shows receipts for the year to have been £105, while the expenditure has been £110-2s 6d. Thore is thus a debit balance on the sear son's operations of £7 2s 6d. Bad it not been for tho executive's desire to improve the grounds, a credit balance of over £21) would have been shown for the season. •At the close of- the playing season a contract was let for ploughing and resowing about five acres of Forbury Park, the Trotting Club assisting by providing the material ami tho use of implements. Unfortunately tho dry' summer has been u-gainst a, good growth oi grass, and only about half the area treated- will show any improvement during the coniinjr season. Over the- remainder of tho nark conditions h&vo improved, the grass sown two years ago being now well established and the surface hard, Tho playing conditions wili therefore bo much better than they were last year. Communications have been reOiDived from the N.S4.H.A. with reference to a proposed -visit to Mew Zealand by an Aiistralian team. For tho present, how-, ever, the project has been abandoned, as the Australian associations have found it impossible to tour the Uominkmi this sea- , son-. The art union which was carried out with the assistance of the Ladies' Hockey Association, to raiee funds for ground improvement, was not so successful as was hoped, the amount realised being barely suhicient to prepare and equip the grounds far the season and to provide for some small works. A matter lor the consideration of tho incoming executive is tho desirability of -sending a team on tour during the coming season. Return visits are duo to several of jtho northern associations, and advantage coold be taken of the opportunity to make an attempt to win. the Challenge Shield at present hold by Wellington. ■• ••

UNITED HAEDWARE CLUB. The report to be presented to the annual meeting of the United Hardware Club says that last season, being , the first year of the club's existence, the committee feels satisfied with the position. The Senior Eleven were only successful in winning one match, and. finished at the foot in their competition, and although their first year's _ play their performances justified thorn in entering the Senior Grade. The Junior Eleven were also only successful in scoring ono win, and the committee regrets that to' the loss of a number of members by casualty and transfer this team wore unable to fulfil their two final fixtures. The club wbund up the season with a very successful evening in the Haremai Tea-rooms, which prored very enjoyable. Financially, thanks to tho hearty' support of the honorary ofSce-bearers, the club will begin the season with a email credit balance, and as there are prospects of a much larger membership, members may look forward to a successful season.

CITY CLUB. The oommittee has pleasure in submitting the first annual report, and, in doing so, feals that the club is to be congratulated on its first year's work. Though it was anticipated that the club would have been in a position to enter two teaune, tho actual membership at the commencement of the season did not permit of this. It should, however, have enabled the club to keen a full team in, throughout the season, but removal from tho district and othor causes materially decreased the mem-, bership during the year, and' by the end of the season, on more than one occasion, some difficulty was experienced in placing a full team in the field. The record o'f tho team ca-rmot bo considered otherwise than very satisfactory, especially when it is remembered that it was the club's first year, and very few of the members had played tho game before. Of tho 11 games played in the competition tho club was successful in winning six, thus securing 12 points. Tho goals scored for numbered 43, and against 49, and the club secured fourth place among the 10 toa-ms compsting in the Second Grade competition. The club was repres3ntcd in the junior representative team by two of its members—namely, Messrs Stewart Wright and- Charles Penman—who played in the game against Oamaru, The finances were- not in a very satisfactory state, the heavy ground rent proving a srreat drawback, and the committee, with the idea of relieving the position, arranged a- fancy dross match with tho Mornineton Ladies' Club, the proceeds from which, however, did not quite cover the deficit, nnd the balance sheet discloses a small dobit balance.