FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 70

FOOTBALL.

NOTES BY FULL BACK. It is freely rumoured that the authorities pf the Northern Union game in Otago have Secured the lea^e of the Caledonian Ground for the coming season. In a. Northern Union match in No\ember, in which Wigan beat Leigh, a protost against the winners, on the ground that \V. Johnston, the ex-New Zealander, left tho field without permission of the referea, and subsequently returned, thus commuting a 1 reach of the rules, was upheld by the committee of the union, winch oidered the «ame to foa replayed. ''Osie'" Crawiurd. who died in Wellington la*t week, was, in his time, one of the most brilliant oi players. I first remember him (writes '"Quidnunc") as a member of the famous Alhambra Club (Dunedin), which at that time, about 1890, was undoubtedly the cleverest, football team in New Zealand. The executive officers of the club saw great possibihtie-s m adopting a garue attractive And fast, and since known ac the back geme, which, with a. few alterations, is in ■vogue to-daj. 'lhe club was fortunate in having in its team such players as Crawiurd, G. M'Laren, Douncs, Baker, Esquilsnt, Er'^gs, Johnston, Resueaux, and a captain of ability in M'Cleary ; and for some time they gave the l>unedm public attractive games. Crawfurd was one of the thief factors in the team's "uccese, and was ft great fa\ourite. He was the first half■back that worked the scrummage by himself. Previous to the system adopted by the Alhambra Club, two half-backs were at the base of the pack, but Crawfurd took Bole charge, and for the extra player n Jiace was found in the position now known as five-eighths. He was essentially an atte eking player, although I have been toW "t^at, before he became <-o prominent on th^ sj.-tt.iok, he was magnificent on defence, but injuries made him take more care of himself. I never saw anyone who was «o quick and brilliant behind the scrummage, and as a lightning passer from the pack he n-rver had an efjual. The manner in .which he got tLs bail away was marvellous, •nd to such a pitch of perfection did he hring this important poiut"of the game that behind beaten forwards I have seen him, i»y his quickness, easily defeat the opposing pack, and set his backs in motion. It was an impossibility for him to give a slow J ;p\lss, and it must have been curioiis to ■witness any player taking passes fiom him for the first time. Rc^tieaux and Johnston, the Alhambra backs, and '"Hen" Kelly, of the Athletio Club, Wellington, were associated with him in most of hie club games, md these players could -speak of his ability. With his specialty he combined skill and a •Trnbwledge of the game which is rarely Been in present-day players. It was my -good fortune to see him play many games, end he would always keep one on the alert an anticipation of doing something cle\er ttnd quickening the play. As an all-round 2>alf-back player he was, in my opinion, not •equal to our present champion, Roberts, or to Keogh, Humphries, or Kiernan, but as a. passer from the pact ho lias not had •an equal, and in a time when the passing game was in its infancy; in fact, the Alfiambra CJub was the originator of the now /well-known style of play, and Crawfurd'e 'work and ability will not soon be forgotten. 2 never heard o_f him playing for any other «lub than the Alhambra in Dunedm, and he represented Otago in 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, <1893, i.nd 1894. He then rermned to Wellington, joined the Athletic Club there, and represented Wellington in 1895 and 1£96. 1 tveard tliat he had boon pooily for some tfane before his death, although I saw him a, few months ago, when he appeared to be <fa. perfect health. He would be about 40 years of age. Tho largest football crowd ever known at Newhaven assembled to sec the match between Yale a-nd Harvard Universities jQLmerica), when Yale, after having de'TOated Harvard for six year? in 6uoce.«sio:i. iflrero beaten by four goals to nothing. A.s 4Sftuch as £3 was paid for a se^it, and " ihcJisaiwJ-' who went h\ special trains and | 2*-<-i'-r cais -vrere unable to get in io -. lo •^c i- It was cst.ima.ted tlu-t bets were £i*Ui-o to t 1 © extent of £50,0G0. ' Cto ex^e'-'ent authority it is stated that tfc« Mißg P «ted amendmen'^ discussed by ' %ho ~S.u r Zealand Rugby Union with Mr j Irfcorgt" iLirnett, mainager of the Anglo- j "vYelbh te^a v/nicfc toured New Zealand

T recently, and submitted to the Rugby Union, are as follows: — ■ Law 2. — (a) A tackle : That a player brought to the ground be allowed to pass the ball, even though h has touched the ground, provided it be don-e immediately. 1 (b) Scrummage: Add, "in eiery ca=o v hen the referee orders a scrummage, he shall himself put the ball ir.*o the scri'mmag«? "' (c) Ball in scrummage • A player cannot lift his leg- until the hall touches the ground, and uni-e^i the ball is put past the first man of tho scrummage that ha^ the shor + or front ii s l iqil pot be con=K 4^ied to ha.ye been put fairly into tS;3 scrummage, (d" Knocking on and throwing forward That it should not be considered a knock-on if th<? pla\er so doing recovers ],oss°*sion before the hal ha« touched the ground, (c) Fair catch : Add after "catch," m h.&b line of definition, "or by immediately calling out ' mark' "' Law 3. — (f) Section K. That the r-^fer^" be allowed ukcretlonarv power whether the- game shall bo stopped, (g) Section F : Delete the words " held or ' Law +. — (hi Scor'ng-.- (ioal from mark or a penalty kick to count two points. Law 6. — (i) Section C to he rleleied. Add after "goal line" in last iine of notes, "but when the ball is on the ground after the player has been tackled, it may be picked up by any player other than the man so tackled." Law 8. — (j) Add new •section (o), when he hag run behind one of his own side who ha= last played the ball. Law 12.— 1k) Section A to read. "Throwing it. out so as to alight a minimum distance of five yird3 from and at right-ang-les to the touch-line." As will be readily seen by players, some very important alterations would be I effected if these amendments were adopted.