NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1861, 22 July 1887, Page 26

NOTES BY FORWARD.

There was a good deal of excitement over some of the matches on Saturday, especially in the contest between the Montecillo and Zinggri teams. The Zingari men came within an ace bf winning, and ifc was not till the very .last moment that their opponents were able to equalise matters.

The Montecillo men are, of course, proud of their season's performance, and they have just cause to be so, bufc I am' sorry to say some of them have not been comporting themselves in'a very gentlemanly manner since their late, successes. lam sorry to have to say this of the champion club for 1877, bufc I do ifc solely in the interests of the game. In, these days of club jealousy and bookmakers we need to be on our best behaviour. ' ' '

Poor Dunedin Club ! they have been in trouble again,' and though they played well on Saturday on the Carisbfook ground, the Pirates once mote 1 managed to turn the.tables on them. They can »ow' consider themselves at the foot of the tree.' I was glad to ace Charles Butter worth in his old place among the Blues. He played remarkably well considering his want of condition. The club just want a few more men of his stamp to set it oa its legs again.- lam sorry to say, however, that Butterworth's leg is still tob bad to allow of his appearing regularly jn the ranks of the Dark Bl

lies. ; The D. F. C. will, through the disablement of Ross, loose the services of their best threequarter back, which will, come rather hard on them at the present juncture. It is, I believe, a doubtful matter whether Ross will ever don the jersey, again. He is now laid up in bed as the resolt'of a severe kick received at the commencement of the match between the Dunedin and Union Clubs on the 9th instant. The wound turned out to be rather a serious one, and an operation was found necessary. I am giad to say that under the careful treatment of Dr Coughtry he is making good progress towards recovery. There was some talk of Ross having falling off in his play this season, but I believe he was rather unfortunate in getting more than the usual share of hard knocks, and it must be remembered that he has played behind a loosing team all through the season. In the trial matches, with more equal teams, I have no doubt he would again have distinguished himself. The same remarks apply to Martin and Menelaus, who have generally had more than their fair share of work to do in the matches this season. As it is, there will be ereat diffif culfey in getting two good wing three-quarter backs for the Northern trip. I understand the committee intend to give Keogh and Lynch a trial. !

There was a big row at the Princess Theatre on Saturday evening. It appears that the minstrel troupe performing there had decided upon giving a silver cup to the Monfcecillo team as the champion fifteen of the season. When Shepard, the captain, stepped on to the stage to receive it there was a perfest storm of indigna? tion, and the audience, among whom were 1 several footballers, hooted and yelled at such a rate that the performance had to be stopped. The oonduct of the Montecillo team, above re* f erred to, has evidently made them anything but popular with the public. <