FOOTBALL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6243, 16 June 1890, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

TEMUKA V. TIMA.au, A match was played between teams of former pupils of the Temuka High School, and past and present pupils of the Timaru High School, on the Amateur Athletic Club’s ground on Saturday. The game was a good one, and resulted in a win for the Temuka boys by 8 points to 6 points. Three tries were obtained by the visitors, one of which was converted by Qoldstone, who also potted a neat goal. From the try secured by Buchanan for Timaru Collins got a goal, but other attempts were futile. For Temuka Qoldstone, Anderson, and Findlay played well, and Collins, Bilton, and Chisholm did excellent work for Timaru.

WAIHI V. TIMARU. The cup match between the Timaru Football Club and the Waihi Football Club took place on the Amateur Athletic Club’s grounds on Saturday afternoon. The teams were as follow :—Waihi: W. Moore, Kalaugher, Hart (captain), McLeod, Morrison, Brinkmann, Wakely, Balaton, Stewart (3), Bell, A. Hart, Shallard, and H. F. Harte. Timaru : Loregrove, Macintosh, Perry (2), Rhodes, Jameson, G. Jones, Austin, Hassell, LeCren, Matheson (2), Oxby, Stokes and White. The weather was fine, and a goodly number of spectators, including many ladies, were present. At 3.15 Timaru kicked off, Waihi, defending the western goal. The ball was sent well into the visitors’ 25, and the teams had hardly settled down to their work when Qus Jones got over at the south-west corner; Macintosh was entrusted with the place from a difficult angle, but though his effort was a good one, he failed to record the major point. The early scoring of the home team woke the visitors up, and some really fine play was witnessed. At last the western lines were again threatened, and though Timaru let two or three fine opportunities for potting goals slip by, Oxby at last struggled over at the western corner, the try being hardly fought for. Macintosh was once more called on, and rewarded the confidence reposed in him by securing a grand goal amidst applause. Very fast play then ensued, during which Waihi wore for the greater part on their defence Occasionally they rallied, and played up well, only to be driven back again. At half time the ball was well within neutral territory, and the score stood—Timaru, Igoal and 1 try ; Waihi, nil. The early part of the second spell was

signalised by Oxby again getting over, but no goal resulted ; and 10 minutes' more play saw Perry pick up the ball smartly from heel-out from scrum, and get over rather comfortably. Rhodes gallantly added to the score. Even play followed, and Perry again got across, Rhodes once more kicking a sterling goal. Truly the score was advancing by “ leaps and bounds,” and the outlook for Waibi was very black when Macintosh got another try, and successful conversion by Rhodes followed. Thirty-five minutes’ play for three goals and one try was first-cless work, and still the Timaru men were forcing the pace. For a few minutes the play was very severe, and then the local skipper neatly passed to Jameson, who got in easily by the posts. But Rhodes’ fourth attempt failed. Waibi next got on the most determined rush, and swept Timaru back to their lines, which were in great danger when a Waibi man foolishly picked the ball up from out the scrum, and a penalty kick following, Timaru once more breathed freely. Directly after this Waibi got a mark, but nothing resulted, and at the close the ball was well inside Timaru’s 25. The game ended in an exceedingly easy win for Timaru by 4 goals and 3 tries (15 points) to Waihi’s no score. The visitors played pluckily at the close, and it was hard luck for them that they got a love boating. The next cup match is fixed for Saturday, when the Timaru men meet the Temuka club on their own ground. From the great improvement shown in football of late, it is anticipated that the South Canterbury Rugby Union team will be very much stronger next year, as North Canterbury will find out when they play this district. ('* Civis ” in the Otago Witness ) The Pall Mall Gazette has been totting up the “ butcher’s bill ’’ of the English football season, 1889 90. A ghastly record it is. Broken legs, arms, and collar hones are the smallest items in it. The list includes fracture of the skull, concussion of the brain, broken spine, internal rupture, and a miscellany of other injuries, ending in almost eveiy case with a coroner’s inquest. In one field day at Bolton “ Sitnmins, Jthe famous half back, retired with a limb broken; Barbour, the captain, had to leave the field hurt; Graham, the North-end hack, had his collarbone broken ; and Shepherd was severely injured.” At Torquay a forward named Hill had his log broken whilst playing in a match arranged for the benefit of another player who had suffered a similar casualty. And so on, and so on —through a list a column long, which might have been longer, says the compiler, “ had I gone out of my way to consult the sporting papers or the day books of the hospitals.” It is not stated that anybody was indicted for manslaughter, but in one solitary instance it is recorded that an exceptionally rough player after being “ twice cautioned ” was ordered off the field. For this small mercy let us be thankful. Colonial football is not exceptionally rough but it is quite rough enough. A very trifling development in this particular would bring it up to the English standard, with the accompanying “ butcher’s bill.” Worse than any roughness as yet to be seen on the field is the brutal blaguardism of the larrikin element amongst the spectators. Half an hour spent amongst the hooting, howling, swearing, smoking, expectorating young roughs who collect at a Saturday afternoon football match gives us a very unpleasant notion of the future of a community in which these are to be citizens and voters.