FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 26

FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

The Invercargill Football Club pay a visit to Danedin daring the ,Easter holidays, playing the Dunedin Club on Saturday, 20th April, on the Caledonian ground, when a good game may be expected. Members of the Dunedin Club are reminded that the Caledonian ground is available for practice at any time. A club match will be played every Wednesday evening at 5.15. Several of the Dunedin clubs commenced the season on Saturday. In the ZingariRichmond Club's match the President's aide (Brodrick, captain) defeated the Vice-presi-dent's side (Rallingshaw, captain) by three goals and one try to one goal and one try. In the Montecillo Club's match the President's side (Mr Isaacs) defeated the Vice-president's team (Mr Shepard) by two tries to nothing. Victory also rested with the President's side in the Port Chaloier's Club's opening match by two goals to nothing. The Wellington Rugby Union show a credit balance of £29. The coming season promises to be a busy one, as visits are due to Christchurch, Ofcago, Nelson, and Taranaki, in addition to which return visits might be looked for by teams from Auckland and : Hawke's Bay. A letter from the Canterbury Union, asking what steps had been taken regarding the movement to send a New Zealand team' to England, was referred to the Committee of Management. In a recent- match .in -Yorkshire the feeling manifested towards both the Halifax, players and the referee (Mr J. C. Whitehead, of Wakefield), especially by the spectators, after the match,- was very disgraceful, and it wonld not be surprising if the Crown Flatts people found themselves hauled before the County Committee. During the game there was a lot of jeering and hooting, and insulting remarks were addressed, not only to the players, but to the referee, and so threatening were some of the crowd afterwards that the referee deemed it judicious to stay in the pavilion until they had gone. As the Halifax men retired and went to the town, Dodd and three or four others were kicked and struck with bits of mud and stone. When the relations between two amateur clubs reach this pitch, perhaps the best course is to suspend their fixtures for a time at least. The matches in which the English and Scot* tish lubs opposed one another during the Christmas holidays were attended by, the customary result in favour, of England, In all, we

make out that 49 games were played, ending in ,the following manner :— English clubi won ... ... 23 Scottish clubs won ... ... 20 ; Drawn matches ... ... ... A Total... ... ... 49 The match which the Leeds Parish Church' played against the Maoris in December was characterised by some excellent play at times, but (says a Home writer) I 'see no reason why so much should be made of the " hard lines " which some people say the Churchmen had to put up with. Two of the tries they scored were certainly the outcome of fine play, but the third never ought to have been allowed them. Gage would moat likely have collared Northend if another of the New Zealanders had not deliberately charged into the black, and I must confess that I was never more surprised in my life than when Harry Wigglesworth gave Northend the try. A correspondent writes in a contemporary that, judging from tne*vigonr infused into their play, the Maoris seemed to have made up their minds to beat Bradford on New Year's Day at any price. The " roughing it " tactics did not, however, succeed, and only resulted in bringing out a storm of hooting from all parts of the field, and in making the sale of the Maori photographs at the end of the match very much at a discpunt. Some of the Maoris on the other hand created a very favourable impression amongst Park Avenuites by the brilliancy of their play. Eeogh is especially admired, his running being brilliant and his feinting very clever. On one occasion he eluded Bonsor's watchful eye and long arms in the cleverest possible manner. Dr Smith, who was referee at Deepdale re* cently, looks none the worse for his Australian tour, and is as big as ever. The doctor is a favourite at Preston. A rather curious incident occurred during the progress of the game at Swinton, quite a wrinkle in its way, Swinton were allowed a free' kick just on their own goal line, and, of course, the kicker retired a few paces. Then two of the burliest of the Swinton team planted themselves in front of Messrs Hepper and Moore, and effectually stopped their charging tactics. Of course, "no man can be off side in his own goal." This h' the way a Yankee paper talks about an American college football side :— " The Yale' team is rather severely crippled at present. Corbin has a carbuncle on his left arm, Wallace had an abscess on his lip, Stagg had his right eye and nose badly bunged up day before yesterday. James was at the same time cut about the head, Gill is on crutches, and has not been playing for over a week, Rhodes is all out of shape, and has been for nearly a month. Graves was playing Tuesday without a hat, and cut the top of his head rather severely. Pike's leg is so badly used up that he cannot do himself justice, and Bull has not been himself for some days, owing to a badly strained tendon in his leg." Results of the League Championship up to Saturday, December 29 :—

What a splendid average North End have in the League matches ! It is almost incredible that out of 18 matches against the best teams in the country they should have but 12 goals soored against them. There must have been quite 20,000 spectators at the Bradford and Halifax match on Boxing Day. The following is the official attendance report, as registered by the turnstiles : — £ i. d. : Top part ...10,649 at 6d... 266 4 6 Bottom part ... 4,930 at 3d,.. 61 12 6 Pavilion ... ... 25 16 0 15,579 £353 12 0 Of course, to Add to this number there is the members — there are 2400 on the list — ladies, and those who got over the wall, so that the estimate of 20,000 is not far off. A novel incident occurred in a match at the City. Up to half-time the Durham side comprised 16 players. When this was found out they were leading by two tries. In the second half, on level terms. Pontefract got one try, and the referee allowed them a second one, but changed his mind on appeal by the Durham captain, whose umpire had allowed the claim for the try to go by unchallenged. In these days of penalties, what penalty for playing 16 men— or for being found out doing it ? The annual report of the Southern Football Club, submitted at the meeting held laat week was of a congratulatory nature. It stated that not once did the team suffer defeat, their record being as follows : — Matches played, 6 ; won, 5 ; drawn, 1 ; lost, nil. I Goals kicked! For, 18; against, 4. Brydon was the i largest individual scorer with 6 goals to his credit. Eegret was expressed at the loss of such sterling players as Messrs Mevill, Brydon, Stewart, and WWteford. It waß mentioned that the clubs playing Association football in and around Dunedin last year were exactly quadrupled; also that there is a possibility of a team from Auckland visiting Dunedin this year. The following offioe - bearers were elected -.—President, Hon. George M'Lean, M.L.O. ; vice - presidents— Drs Brown and Colquhoun, Messrs L. O. Beal", F. J. Fox, GK Fenwick, M. J. S. Mackenzie, M.H E., J. M'Pherson, J. M. Hitehie, J. Eoberts, Q. G. Bussell, W. D. Stewart, M.H.E., W. Wills, and E. Wilson ; captain, A. E. Gibbs ; vice-captain, H. Oleland ; hon treasurer, W. C. M'Gregor ; hon. secretary, P. D. Leslie ; committee— Messrs H. Oleland, O. J. Payne, O. Grigg, and W. Carver.

rrj P to 2 f*| P" U D 4 CJbjU*'!' Preston North End ... 18 15 0 3 33 64 12 Aehfcon Villa *... 16 10 2 4 24 48 27 Blackburn Kovers ... 16 7 4 5 19 52 35 Whampton Wanderers 16 8 4 4 19 38 28 W Bromwich Albion ... 17 9 7 1 10 34 36 Aoorington... ... 17 6 5 7 17 41 39 Bverton ... ... 16 7 7 2 16 29 35 Bolton Wanderers ... 16 6 9 1 13 42 44 Burnley ... ... 17 5 10 2 12 33 65 Stoke ... ... 17 4 11 2 10 33 40 . Notts County ... 14 2 10 3 6 25 49 Derby County ... 14 2 11 1 5 25 49