ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18321, 11 August 1921, Page 9

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

By Cobneb Kick. Again the weather necessitated the postponement of matches. The O.F.A. did wnat seemed to me to be the right thing in putting olf th© mutches early on Friday morning, because tho conditions were so bad that the grounds would have been in a very wretched condition for Saturday's fixtures It would have been unfortunate if Kaitangata and Northern and Maori Hill and Old Boys had had to meet on the bad grounds and in the snowstorm of Saturday. Both these matches will bo most important factors in the decision as to whore the Senior Cup is to rest. Nevertheless, Northern would probably have revelled in the mud at Kaitangata, and no doubt Old Boys would probably have heen hard on the Hill team on a greasy ground. The best possible weather and ground conditions are wanted for these games. Next Saturday, there will be no Soccer games on account of tho test match, and Soccer players will, no doubt, be on tho line in force anxious to see New Zealand keeping up her great reputation in th© sister game. The Second Grado competition is closed with Southern the winners. They deserve their success, and it is conceivable that next season these players will bo more than holding their own as a team in the senior competition. Canterbury teams are to be entertained in the Overseas Club on the evening of Saturday, the 20th, at a smoke social. I have seen the proposed programme, and the evening promises to be one of tho best. Soccer players interested may obtain tickets (5s each) from their club delegates. The Mayors of Dunedin and St. Kilda and representatives of the Rugby Union have been invited to be present. On September o a senior eleven is to journey to Invercargill. "Corner Kick’’ would like to see numerous players who have just missed representation m the Canterbury match making the trip south. Tho game is to be played on Rugby Bark, ami would be a lino chance tor some ot our younger seniors who are steadily climbing the ladder to rep. honours. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the Sou inland team put up a great light here on June 5, and were narrowly defeated 4-3. They will extend tho best that this province can put against them. An energetic and prompt club secretary is a great blessing to his own club and to tho governing body: especially has this been noticed in regard to the recent picture bt nefit. Numerous returns aio yet to come in. They should have been in by the Bth inst.

On September 3 the junior reps, are to play at Bnlclutha. Balclutha is looking forward to the visit. The visit next season of the Australian team is causing the Otago Football Association to think hard financially. £3OO is to be guaranteed, of which £l5O will be wanted in hard cash by the beginning of next March. It is obvious that this will have to come from supporters of the game willing to pay out now and take the chance of a return, which, after all, should not be a risk at all if the weather is anything like good, for the guarantee is to be given by the Otago Football Association on the understanding that one Saturday they play the Otago match and the following a New Zealand test match. I hear that already some six or seven referees and Otago Football Association officials have guaranteed £BS between them. Unfortunately, the Otago Football Association, as a body, cannot manage the £3OO out of its own pocket. The New Zealand Football Association require £I4OO for the tour, and it would be a great pity for the game in this province if Otago were cut out because the guarantee ol ±;3uU was not forthcoming. It is interesting to note that the gate at the recent Brown Shield match at Wanganui was £l5O. In the recent Brown Shield match at Wellington the attendance was 2000, and it rained incessantly. A schools' tourney representative of primary scliool teams is to take place in Dunedin between Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago on the 19th, 20th, and 22nd August. Sport or recreation being necessary to our existence it seems in keeping with tile times that prices in connection tneiewith should be high like the cost of living. A recent liomo paper says that Pym, the Exeter goal-keeper, has been offered the high transtcr fee of £6OOO, but, though a fisherman, there was no “bite.” He is probably waiting for a bigger “catch.” Strange to say in the summer he runs a fishing yawl so that all the year round his chief concern is looking to “the nets It is gratifying to know that the Otago representative team is now undergoing strict training in view of the game against Canterbury at Carisbrook on August 20. Canterbury. are sending down their best available -eleven, in fact, a better combination than which represented their province against Wellington in the recent Brown fcnicld game. Soccer enthusiasts can look forward to seeing a good exhibition of football. “Corner Hick” has already expressed the opinion that the Otago select is a good one, and he expects a win for Otago. The Second Grade team has not yet been selected. A trial match arranged for last Saturday had unfortunately to be postponed owing to the weather. Nevertheless, the selectors have had ample opportunity oi seeing the second teams in action this season and a good strong Second Grade Otago team ought to be available to meet the second Canterbury team on the 20th. This game will be played as a curtain-raiser to the senior representative match. Next Tuesday the Otago representative team will be tried out against a combined city eleven at Culling Park. The Rest of Otago team will bo: Bachop, Dickel, Trevathan, M’Farlanc, Fred Haig, Donaldson for Turner), Jock Haig, Blundell, Catto, Walker. Stevens (or O’Brien). The kick-off is timed for 4 o’clock at Culling Park. All selected players are requested to attend.

A correspondent writes me as follows:— ‘‘The recent correspondence in your column dealing with unusual technicalities brought about by rare happenings on the field such as you suggested in your involved question leads one to think of positions that might happen at any time. When these awkward moments arrive they come unheralded, and referees and players have no opportunity to look up the index for solution. “Such a happening that occurs to me would be in the event of a goalkeper taking a goal kick against a gale (it would need a gale), the ball coming back in the air through his own posts. Some of your readers might drop a line, not necessarily for publication, telling you what they would rule if they were referee. And what if the ball went over the bar. under the same circumstances. This is well worth looking into by goalkeepers. And here is another one for goalkeepers while I am on the point. Supposing a goalkeeper should take more than the proper number of steps carrying the ball, in clearing, right on his goallino and bo penalised for the infringement, where should the ball be placed for the free kick, and where should the defenders stand? How would the rule of defenders standing 10 yards from the ball apply? Take it from me. the goalie is not so free from technicalities as is generally assumed.”