Football Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1598, 8 July 1882, Page 20

Football Notes.

By Plaoe-kiok.

Fixtures for tho Month.

July Bth— At Mussed urgh. July 15th- At Musselburgh: DF C. Second v. Montecillo First (return). July 22nd -At Musselburgh : D.F.C. First v. Union 1 July 29th— At Musselburgh : D.F.C. Second v. Union Second (return). •

Tho Dunedin and Union Third Fifteon match, which was to havejeome off to-day, had to be abandoned, the D.F.C. being unable to get a team together. Most of the Dunedin 'Clubs play club matches to-day, a pleasant change from the desperate encounters of the last four weeks. It is desirable that all candidates for Interflrovincinl honours this season should take part in their respective clubs' matches, as it is only by steady and unremitting practice that footballers can hope to attain that soundness of wind and limb which is the sure passport to success in any form of athletic exercise. I have private advices from one who knows a little about the game that our Canterbury friends aro 1 training steadily, and are determined to wipe out last year's score, so it behoves us to be up and doing. The possibility of the 'cornstalks' visiting New Zealand this season should be an additional incentive to renewed exertions on our part. , Last Saturday's matches may be said to have finished the first series of inter-club matches this season. What most strikes one, on looking over the results of the matches played on and since the 24th May, is tho position occupied by the erstwhile invincible D.F.C. ' Tell it not in Gath, &c.,' not only have the Dark Blues lost every match they have played, but what is even more astonishing, they have not scored a solitary point. I confess my inability to fathom the causes that have brought about so unsatisfactory a state of affairs ; no doubt the want of a suitable practice-ground _ has debarred many members from playing who otherwise would have been only too willing to don their flannels ; perhaps the wet woather has chilled the ardour of some of ' Poster's ' abominations — viz., fine-weather footballers : and perhaps the improvement in the play of the junior clubs has considerably affected the results of the matches. But surely the members of the D.F.C. will ( not be content to occupy the same position in the return matches. If there is any real 'grit' in the Club (and I firmly believe there is), I am .sure a long walk and a wet ground won't keep members from turning out regularly to practice. But revenons a nos moutons— -last Saturday's matches. As I expected, the Montecillo team had their work cut out with the Union Second, and the match, after a very warm fight, was drawn. Montecillo certainly had the best of the game as a whole, but the Union looked very dangerous towards the end of the first spell and during the greater part of the second. One of those unpleasant things known as a maul took place in the second spell, and after ten minutes' rolling in, the mud, Shappere got the best of Jewett. A maul is a foature in Rugby rules which most players would like to see done away with ; happily, it is not often we witness one like the above-mentioned. Comparing the play of the two teams, I must say that the Union play was much superior to that of Montecillo ; the Montecillo forwards did rather too muoh ' bullocking,' and one or two of the team played ' offside ' most deliberately throughout the match. I greatly admired the play of the Montecillo half-backs, C. Leith and Heffernan, who were exceedingly active, and played with great judgment ; I may say the same of Scott and Aifcken, who have proved themselves thoroughly reliable players. Shappere is improving fast, but might exercise a little more discretion at times in kicking ; I would also remind him that a back should keep back.

" Contrary to my expectation, the D.F.C. Second Fifteen have sustained another defeat, this time at 'the hands of the Zingari Club. The match between these two teams was played at Montecillo, and the D.F.C. were defeated by a goal and a try. The Zingari team had the services of their worthy president, James Allen, Esq., who is a president amongst a I thousand ; but missed Hamer,- who has so often done battle for them. The D.F.C. metamorphosed Austin into a Second Fifteen man, and he .gave his opponents no little trouble in the second spell. The Zingari team gained a try in the first spell, which Smith converted isfco a goal ; in the same spell Jeffcoat got over the Zingari line, but, like many a better man, failed to score. In the second spell Allen obtained a try, but nothing further resulted, the game ending as above. Fulton again distinguished hirriself, stopping charge after charge, and Cargill also showed up splendidly. Allen evidently knows the dribbling game, as on one occasion he took the ball nearly the whole length of the field. I was glad to notice that the umpires' decisions were accepted without demur.

Nearly all the other Otago clubs played scratch matches on Saturday. The Invercargill Club, owing to a bad muster, had to abandon the Scotch v. English match and play a scratch match, sides being chosen by Messrs Galbraith and Brodrick. At Timaru the same thing was done. Dark v. Fair was the match arranged, but a scratch match had to be substituted. I notice the .Timaru Club are offering every facility to the older pupils of the High and Public Schools to become members. This is a step in tho right direction, and is bound to lead to good reThe East Christchurch Club could only muster 25 players last Saturday for the match First Fifteen v. Club. Thero was some talk about Christ College giving up the Rugby game and playing association rules. The statement may be correct, but I see that the Collegians mot the Ohristchurch Club last Saturday, and after a very tough match were beaten by three tries to one. The Ohristchurch Club have gained four Dunedinites this season, viz : Hanierton, O'Donnell, Haskell, and Chapman, according to the Press. North Canterbury beat Sydcnham by three goals, several tries, and two or three touch-downs to nothing. Can anyone explain the score ? The Oamaru Football Club are in communication with their Timaru brethren' with a view of sending a combined team to Dunedin during August. It is.to be hoped that the negotiations will be successful, and that we shall have a visit from our Northern friends. A -first-class team, and one that will take a lot of beating, ought to be picked from tho two clubs. It must be somewhere about six years ago that I saw the Yellow and Black doing their best to stave off defeat at the hands of the D.F.C. on the Caledonian grounds. Oamaru itself could produc.6 a capital team then. I suppose the present purpose is to challenge one or other of the Dunedin clubs, as I fancy a combined Dunedin team would be rather too strong even for Oamaru and Timaru.

I suppose the Challenge Cup scheme has died a natural death, as I have heard no more about it, Time enough for a Challenge Cup when tha interest in football begins to flag,

Apvpos of Interprovincial and Intercolonial matches, where are they to be played this season ? It's about time something was done in this matter. I am told that neither the Caledonian grounds nor the new Carisbrook ground will be available, and if this is correct a suitable ground should be looked for without delay. What does the O.R.F.U. expect to do without gate-money? From a capital paper on English Football, in the Sydney Mail of 17th June, I cull the following item:— There are over 150 clubs within a radius of 30 miles from Leeds, and over 1000 matches aro played every week under Rugby Union laws.