FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 26

FOOTBALL.

. NOTES BY FORWARD. There is a movement afoot to drain the Union ground. The Asylum ground is also likely to be put in good condition for next season ; while the Caledonian ground has been enlarged and a second ground provided at the southern end. All this looks like business for next winter. Some of the Australian footballers do not seem to act in a very gentlemanly manner at the dinners occasionally tendered to visiting teams. The Southern Tasmanian Football Association wrote to the Victorian Football Association stating that their committee were of opinion " that it is undesirable in future intercolonial ] visits either to give or receive dinners. Much as our committee deplore it, it remains a fact that our experience in the past with respect to dinners is, to say the least of ifc, painful. I need not dwell on the circumstances which induced us to adopt the resolution, as I feel you are only too well acquainted with them. We feel that that most pleasant way for opposing teams to meet at a dinner has been abused, and the after effects on individual players have been very bad ; and the resolution adopted by us has received the support and approval of all our patrons and. the press here." The communication was considered at a meefcingof the Victorian delegates, and provoked some discussion. Mr> i Morris (Melbourne) said : "The resolution was given xise to at a dinner tendered to our club in Hobar t. There are two rival clubs there, the City and Railway. They were associated for this event. The two clubs were at the dinner. They would not let Mr Finlay, the secretary of the association speak. We had to fiuish up at half-past 9 o'clock. Their conduct was most disgusting. Their fellows'got rolling drunk. Some were rolling on the floor and other fellows were trying to stuff saveloys fa& other things down the throats of those who were on the floor." It was resolved "That the S.T.F. A. be informed that' their letter Had been received, and the subject would be borne in mind," , Cap contests/ have come to be regarded as a nuisance at Home. ' The Athletic New; writing 1

' on the subject, flays :— " The football season will ; soon be upon us, and most secretaries are rapidly completing theic list of fixtures. In the majority of them will be found nearly half the dates reserved for cup ties of one sort and another, and each year brings forth a new local cup. Competitions for these trophies have reached a most unhealthy pitch, and it is quite time a limit was put to them. We do not object to the clubs fighting for supremacy in the English cup ties, nor do we see much harm in endeavouring to win the county championships, but we are of opinion that the competitions engaged in by clubs ought to be limited to these, except at the end of the season when playing in j the cause of charity, for which football has done; and we sincerely hope will continue to do, more than any of pur games. But, we would ask, is it conducive to the interest of football for one club to enter half a dozen or more of these cup competitions? We say most emphatically that it is not. To our mind the principal objection to these innumerable cup ties is the lack of interest they cause in ordinary matches. We quite admit, the necessity of the leading competitions, especially when the Association game was in its infaurtv, but the general effect of them has undoubtedly been to decrease the popularity of the home and home matches, chiefly ou account of their being cancelled week after week." The Gore Club during the past season won five matches, lost four, and drew oue. The Mataura Club won four matches and lost five. Pukerau won two and lost three. Wyndham won one and lost two. Blackpool St. John's have decided to dispense with the denominational part of their name, aud will henceforth be known as Blackpool. Tha Vicar of St. John's, who holds peculiar notions on tb.6 Sunday opening of exhibitions, is terribly annoyed thereat, and created a lively scene at the club meeting, but for all that the members, by an almost unanimous vote, resolved to have I a change. However, the Rev. Mr Jeffries would not allow them, and the wicked young men of his flock left him in the possession of the schoolroom aud adjourned to a hotel close by. Here they formed a now club, engaged a ground at Raikes Hall, and selected a new president* They have a prospect of a strong team, and will probably take over the fixtures of tho defunct St. John's. The Wnrrington True Blues F.C are not very great sportsmen. They played a matsh in April against the Bank Quay Free Wanderers for a stake, the said stake taking the shape of a potato pie. Then the losers refused to pay, and had to be dragged into the County Court, where Judge Foulkes gave them such a castigating that the True Blues are not likely to exist under it. The colours of the True Blues did not come out very well in the wash. The defence was that the said potato pie had not been at all satisfactory, but as another witness admitted proposing the health of the landlord, and that the company sang " For he's a jolly good fellow " quite in the " old, sweet way," this compliment appeared to traverse all the strictures on the meal, and the secretary of the True Blues will have to pay for the pie. The whole business was singularly discreditable. The most popular of all the victories at Bradford at a recent sports meeting was that of Fred Bonsor in the Open Sprint. There were nearly 15,000 spectators present, and they all cheered when his number was hoisted as the winner. It was indeed a proud moment for the famous Rugby international football player.