THE COUNTRY v. INVERCARGILL.

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

THE COUNTRY v. INVERCARGILL.

The following letter is from the pen of a Riverton player formerly a member of the* Union Club, Dunedin :—": — " I have been speaking to most of the leading footballers about here on the subject of getting up a team of footballers from the country to play an Inverc&rgili or town team, and they all seem to approve of it. I write you this, therefore, to see whether you will do something in the matter. I can get seven or eight good men from Riverton and Orepuki, and would be much pleased if you can get a similar number from your district (Gore and Mataura). I think that,. from the places .mentioned we could get a team sufficiently strong to play any Fifteen Invercargill ,can produce. The men, J believe, I can get from this district (if required) are :— Hirst (Orepuki) : Plays well in any place ; has chiefly played ' full back. Fortune (Orepuki) j A fine, fast, dashing forward. Cuff (Riverton) : A good forward. Stewart (Riverton): A hard - working' forward; plays on the ball all through the game. ' Arnett (Rivertou) : Until lately has played forward; now plays a, good defensive' game at three-quarter back. , Golding : Flays either three quarter or half. Mills: "At half, kicks, collars, passes, and runs well; is ratber light. Robertson : Half back ; collars well, and is not to be beaten at stopping a rush. I send you these names to give you some idea of what we can send, so that you can see whether it would be worth while playing or not, and that you might pick men accordingly. If you have good strong backs we will send ouy,, best forwards ; or if your forwards are strong we will send backs. We will endeavour to send our men to suit the team you may propose sending." I have no doubt that should the proposition become reality, the country players would.give a i good account of themselves. The want of combination would tell against them ; individually they would be quite up to the mar)f. I think the best way would "be for Gore and Mataura to supply ths three-quarters — say, Thomson,, F. Wallis, and Macpherson ; the full back, either A, Wallis or Hirst ; forwards, from our district, to be chosen from, say, Eadie (2), Pryde, Sayers, | Dagger, M'Arthur, Millard, Hiddleston, or Bews.' The matter has already been under consideration by the Gore Football Club, as they wrote some time since to the union suggesting a match at 'Gore, bub , no answer has been received yet. J. , think that the Gore committee should consider the proposal which has emenated at Riverton, , It may be as well to remark that should, the proposition be entertained the arrangements should be left, in the hands of one recognised head ; don't let three or four clubs have the joint management, ox else there is almost sure to be a lot of<cbnfusion and disappointment just before the convincing day.