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Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 27

NOTES BY FORWARD.

Last Saturday there were floods instead of football, and the athletic portion of the community wandered about town in an aimless way all the afternoon. If ever there were people who did not know what to do with themselves they were the Dunedin footballers last Saturday afternoon. Tho University team returned from Christchurch after a most enjoyable trip. They were " stuck up" by the slip at the Purakanui cliff', and stayed at Waitati all night. They did not exactly paint the village jred — they were too tired after their Christchurch exertions — but they kept the company at the Saratoga alive for some time. Beds were scarce, and so they took turn about with what beds there were available. In the morning several of the team walked into town. They say they would have won the match but for their poor line play, which was very defective. The Englishmen scored a three-point victory over the Melbourne Rugby team, and the Maoris followed and did likewise. This would seem to prove that the Maoris are equal to Seddon's team. Keogh distinguished himself among the Natives, and I think thero is little doubt that he will now be taken to England. A Geraldine correspondent writes: — "Tho local club (the Waihi) is in a flourishing condition, and its first fifteen have every prospect of pulling off the premiership k for the South Canterbury Union. Many of the club's members are undoubtedly football enthusiasts, and ride mile 3 to attend the practices and matches. Six men of the club were in the team selected to play against the Natives in the recent match— a fact of which all the members are duly proud." The Athletic News of June 12 has the following:—'.'Pastime of last week announced] the fact that A. E. Stoddart had seriously injured his back in. a football match in New Zealand, and was on his way home to England. How are we to reconcile this statement with the Cablegram received on Saturday announcing the fact that Stoddart played grandly for England and scored two tries." The Apcrington Association F.C. , balance sheet is a modest one compared with that of Aston Villa, for their total gate receipts only amount to a little over £700. The players' wage 3 came to £432, and the protest against Blackburn Rovers cost £32. They have a reduced balance, the cash in hand being £158, but next year Mr Hartley hopes to be in a better position owing to the League matches. The Athletic News prints this as a curiosity. It is one : — " This is how the Melbourne Age describes the first match played in New Zealand by the English football team : — ••In the first spell, after a good half-hour's play, Morrison (Otago) potted a goal. Kent (Lancashire) got over the line, but Anderton (Lancashire) failed to kick au easy goal. In the second spell Speakman (Cheshire) potted two goals and Anderton had a try, the Otago gaining nil. The result of the match was that the English won by eight points to Otago's three. The Englishmen passed beautifully, but the forwards were weak.' " Fred. Bonsor, the noted half back, is now enjoying the bitters o) ! cycling. Some- weeks ago he was going down that bugbear of Yorkshire cyclists, Hollings Hill, when the break of the tandem which he was riding failed, and he had to attempt the feat of knocking over an approaching horse and cart or smashing a wall. He chose to run into the wall. The result is that he is now suffering from a severely damaged shin bone. On the Association ground at Sydney on Saturday, July 28, the Victorian Eleven beat New South Wales' representatives, under British Association rules, by 2 goals to 1. A Canadian team of Association footballers will visit Great Britain next season. They open with County Antrim or Ulster Club at Belfast, on September 1, meet Cliftonville on the following Monday. Distillery F.C. on Septemper 5, and will probably measure their strength against Queen's Park on September 8. Then in order they will play at Paisley, Ayr, Kilmarnock, and meet Heart of Midlothian on the 15th September. Then follow games at Perth and Dundee, and back again to Glasgow, to probably meej; the Rangers and Renton. On September 22 the visitors meet Sunderland, and perform at Newcastle, Stockton, and Middlesbro'. They play the Swifts in London on October 13 and Oxford University on the following Monday. Mr Gordon says he has seen most of the beat clubs of England and Scotland play, and thinks the Canadians will be able to give the best of them a good game. Here are a few more particulars about the Association game culled from tho AthletiojNews : — "What astudy is afforded by the balance sheets of our big professional football clubs. No matter how successful the season or how large the sum netted at the gate, the balance wants as much finding as. the needle in the bottle of hay. Here's Aston Villa fingering some £3500 during the season, aud yet the balance in hard cash is but £9 4s sgd. Prodigous ! If we take the estimated value of property and assets the balance is £394 16s lOgd, but the money in hand is less than £10. Something like £500 has been expended in grand stand, dressing and bath rooms, &c. The enormous expense of running a big football team is shown in the item of £908 11s 3d for players' services, besides £529 6s 3d for travelling, training, and hotel expenses. When we tack on to this the fact that out of 55 engagements only five were lost, the' executive may find consolation for their heavy and thankless labours. The Bootle Olub have managed to get through £1047 and finish up with a balance of £57, a position which must be deemed satisfactory, whatever a few carpers may say to the contrary. A pleasing side to the picture is the fact that not a single fixture was lost by either of the reserve teams the season through."