ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23201, 27 May 1937, Page 4

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

By Corner Kick FIXTURES June 2.—Otago and Southland v. English Association Football team, at Invercargill. June s.—First tost, English Association Football team v. New Zealand. at Dunedin. THE ENGLISH TOUR FIRST MATCH TO-DAY This week will be noted as of historical interest in the annals of New Zealand " Soccer,” as it will mark the arrival of the first team ever to come from the Old Country to tour ihe Dominion. It opens its tour at Napier to-day, and is due to play the first test of the tour at Dunedin on Saturday. June 5, on Carisbrook, which has been generously granted by the O.R.F.U. The side is composed of purely amateur players, 15 of the 18 members being of international fame. Leading critics at Home have - described the team as the strongest amateur side ever to be sent abroad, and there is no reason why the present tour should not do as much for the “Soccer” game in New Zealand as did Stoddart’s British team in 1888 do for the sister game of Rugby. For instance, the “feint” pass was a thing unknown in Rugby football in New Zealand till the English players exploited it, to the surprise of the unsuspecting Dominion footballers. Rugby, following this visit, made remarkable strides, and the public of New Zealand was educated to become more internationally minded towards all branches of sport, and it is confidently expected they will turn out in great numbers to welcome the British “ Soccer ” players. Supporters of the round-ball game in New Zealand have been looking for many years for “Soccer,” as the visiting Englishmen will undoubtedly be able to demonstrate how it shquld be played, and there is no question but that the tour will prove of enormous educational value to the game here. Eor this reason, New Zealand officials are looking forward to meeting the senior manager of the team, Mr C. Wreford Brown, who is one ol the leading authorities on the game 1 and has had a long experience as player and administrator. It will not be questioned that his knowledge will prove of considerable assistance to New Zealand administrators. He played for Oxford University, Old Carthusians, and Corinthians, and represented England against Ireland in 1889, against Wales 1894 and 1895, and against Scotland in 1898. Mr Brown is a much-travelled person, as he has managed English professional teams on tour in Germany, Holland, Hungary. Austria. Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Italy, and in 1928 he took an English team to South Africa.

OTAGO WINS JONES TROPHY An eye-witness of the above game contributes the following notes:—Canterbury was greatly fancied for this match, and after a splendid trial game the previous Saturday it was fully expected that the selected players would again trounce Otago at Christchurch. Canterbury in the opening stages set a terrific pace, the Otago defence being hard pushed, but managed to keep its goal intact. The Canterbury forwards had some great opportunities to goal, and, as reported, were considered unlucky, but in my opinion they showed poor finish in front of goal. Otago took some time to settle, and after about 20 minutes' play the Otago forwards received the ball for the first time. Sutherland neatly slipped the ball along to Ryan, who cleverly worked Romeril into a shooting position, and, after drawing the defence to the centre, transferred the ball to Groves, who, unmarked, put Otago one up. It was an excellently worked goal, and the ball never left the ground from Sutherland. The second goal was scored by the same method and the same players. At this stage Otago were treating the spectators to some wonderful team work, backs, halves and forwards combining nicely. Romeril now was being closely watched by Cawtheray, who was brilliant on defence for the home team. Romeril, however, eventually slipped through to put Otago three up. Canterbury then adopted the hit and follow-up game, and from one of these dashes opened its score. Three minutes later the same tactics brought another goal, which in more than the writer's opinion was offside. There was no football tactics in the scoring of either. This success acted like a stimulant to Canterbury, and the spectators were treated to an exciting 15 minutes of strenuous, fast football, during which the Otago defence rose to the occasion with Hall in particular giving a great display of goalkeeping. Still, Otago was the most dangerous, and playing sound football. A peculiar feature of the game was that the Otago forward line never lost possession of the ball until the goal area was reached, the difference being that the Otago team moved on the ground whereas the home side moved in the air. Every player for Otago played nis part well. The newcomers to representative honours—Ryan, M'Narey, Romeril and Hall—are to be congratulated on their excellent showing in their first big match. Sutherland was outstanding, although he was inclined to attack more than defend. The veteran Anderson and Sutherland, as a pair, were better than Cawtheray and Roberts, who were inclined to play too square. The wings in Duncan and Skinner, though not getting overworked, did everything right. Canterbury were strong in the half line. The two Gordons and Patton combined well, their only fault being their tendency to feed their forwards in the air. G. Smith, at centre, would have been dangerous if he had received more support from his inside forwards, Ellis and Ives. Adam, on the right, is a fine player, but Barnard appeared nervous.

The Otago team, playing the fast three inside forward game, appeared to please the spectators, and at the same time to upset the Canterbury defence. The match was played in an excellent friendly manner, no penalties being recorded, and on this game should Otago and Canterbury meet for the English trophy it will be a came worth going a lone way to sec. This was the fifth contest foi the trophy presented in 1935 for home and away matches each season between Otago and Canterbury. Of the matches played to date Otago has won three, Canterbury one and one has been drawn. Of Romeril's play a writer in the Christchurch Star-Sun states: 'Though he has not much guile, he .looks another Hooper for Otago. Representative players from all over New Zealand during the past decade have cause to remember Hooper's smashing runs, and the prediction is ventured that their successors will not soon forget Romeril. He lacks Hooper's bullocking weight, but ho

has the same heart and ability to pounce on the ball and di-ive right through with it." SOUTHLAND v. OTAGO B The failure of the Otago B team against the Southland representatives on Saturday was to some extent unexpected. The visitors fully deserved to win, however, and demonstrated they are a much-improved side on last year's form when at Invercargill a second division Otago team held them to a drawn game of 4 goals. Southland displayed speed and thrust in attack, excellent team work and combination which unsettled the Otago players, who only on rare occasions showed their capabilities of passing play. In Sutherland and J. Morrison, the left-wing pair, the visitors had two clever forwards who worked in well together. The clever ball control of Sutherland showed a high standard, arid his anticipation of the play and passing of the ball were of repeated danger to the opposing defence. The half-line for positional play had it over the Otago line, M'Cormack, the ex-Otago forward at right-half, being the best of the three O'Rorke, at left full-back, was sound, although he is better known locally as a half-back. Pay, in goal, and Sutherland were the two outstanding members of the side. Occasionally the Otago forwards gave Pay some hard shots to deal with, and he met them with keen judgment. The selection of Pay, O'Rorke, M'Cormack, Sutherland, and J. Morrison for the combined Otago and Southland team to meet Ihe Englishmen at Invercargill on June 2 should meet with general satisfaction In the Otago forward line, Agnew filled the vacancy at centre-forward due to Romcril's deflection to the position his usual berth being at inside-right, and this together with the weakness of the half line upset any balance the team might have acquired in the play. Nicholson was the best of the forwards, sending across some powerful centres. Anderson and Rogers, the two insides, did not play up to standard. The former, however, showed clever work at times, but the nippy play of the Southland defence frequently caught him in possession. Too big a gap between the half line and the forwards gave the opposing forwards every advantage, although Groves in the early part of the game played soundly and gave his wing pair many openings. Rnmagc and Steven had a strenuous time on defence, and under the circumstances both put in good work. Jordan, however, was the outstanding player, his work in goal being very sure. Three of the goals scored were unsavable, whilst the fourth was from an offside position. In defeating an Otago team of senior players. Southland have every reason to be elated, and it should ensure that in the return match to be played at Invercargill later Otago's best team will be fielded against it to retrieve the honours. FLETCHER CUP The competition games for the Fletcher Cup will be resumed on Saturday, when the principal match will be the meeting of the two leading teams. High School Old Boys and Mosgiel, at Logan Park. At present Old Boys have a lead of one point from Mosgiel, and the game should produce excellent football, as both teams are I capable exponents of the passing ploy.