Football Notes.

Southland Times, Issue 19857, 27 June 1906, Page 4

Football Notes.

By 4* Punter."

Premiership points I.F.C* 11. Pirates 10, Star 8, Wnlkiwi 6, Athletic 4, Britannia 3. The match I.F.C. v. Pirates is expected to bo the most exciting game oi the season. It seems almost certain that 'on its issue depend tho premiership honours.

The most perplexing team in tho senior competition is the Britannia- Take their last game against the Blues Here the Brits were buttling against the leading team in tho competition, and that team ploying admittedly at its best, yet it could not bo said that the Britannia were outplayed. They were bonteu by a point, but the five points scored by tho Brits, us a goal from a try, constitute on merits a better performance than the six Points Of tiro Blues scored by goal-kick-ing from tho field. However, it's all in 1 lie. game, and the Brits stick still at the foot of the poll with only a win and a. draw recorded in their favour for the season's play. It is reported from the north that Pete Ward will bo included in tne Taranaki team that tours as for south as Otago at tho close of the season. This player turns up in the most unexpected places, and outside of the '• All Blacks" he is, I fancy, the most cosmopolitan Rugby ri(p. in the colony. It would ho Worth a little to have the copyright of a true tale of his football experiences in Australasia and South Africa.

CJ, Burgess states that at present he sees no possibility of his being able to make the Northern tour. Should this bo the case when the lime comes round there will be four applicants with strong claims for rep. half-hack honours— B. .Stead, J, Forde, .7. Blackburn, and P. Fraser. '

According to a country correspondent the youth of an n>conntry township have been Seized with a belated attack of football frenzy, and having secured an annual tuul stacked all the straggling boulders in une corner of the Held, are prepared to meet all comers. Presumably. j[ they can't prevail on the field, or convince by the book, well, be labors, the boulder hcr»p won't come amiss.

By tlio way, this same township, Bipton, is not unconnected with lif.Ulsport fame. In the good old days, the late John Alorrison of Biplon Bush Estate, used to captain a local cricket cloven that a. combined Invercargill team deemed it an honour Co beat, and of more recent date Uio writer romembui's a Southland rep. tenon of wliom a third of the members were ox-Diptonitcs— Purdue R2). Whitaker (3). One of tho players recently dealt severely with by tho Canterbury Fnion is an eX-.Southlamlei', The protest from the Britannia Club with regard to an I.F.C. player levoaled a defect in the Union's by-laws. Once a member of a club a man is always a iMember of that club, according to present by-laws, even should he retire for a number of years. In most other centres a player officially severs ids connection with a club by at a nding down for a seiisuu, after which be may join another club without Hie formality oi a. transfer. It is Certain that a similar provision wiR hei'craftcr he mado in the .S.R.F.U. bylaws.

The dates oi matches for the Southlatai rep. team's northern lour have not v*-t been tally arranged, but from what ran at present he ascertained it is probable that, the data of departure from luv ercargill will he about Tth August. It i» not gene-rally known that the N./>, Union make a levy on the provincial union.-,; cl half a crown' lor avery lootbail team each such union has under its iur;-dieUen, I ruler this bead the Southland Union has to iorvvard about to, -.liei'e being somewhere ni the vicinity oi In .itiilkited lilt.-ens playing iu the prov be-V. Ilio N.Z. Ileiereeu' Association recently iv-i(U-.'3l ml the local body oi referees to ioiwarcl a guinea us their little share b'C'ai'cla a fund to provide rciory-a in repj 11 la ’*■ bus vvUh a badge oi honour. The .■e.p.iest raised in the local body uailher eiiUin-jiasiii nor tiio guinea. 1 he suggestion by Mr d. \V , Sieail- to -ail a combined town team to the bliisterii ~uci Mi.stern Ldstricts to meet, represent alive country teams should meet with the approval anti support of the innintry players, especially as the aelec- '"!■ v\ ill during the marches, if arranged, keep his eye open for players worthv oi r.-pr. seutaliv.. honours That, the scheme will receive the favour oi tovvu players goes wiijiout saying, fj»r it provides a vv.lcome change from the stereotyped trial matches. In order to keep tbo Union ground engaged while the favoured iiiie.-n are iu the country it is proposed * ’ put on games between the Wednesday aud Saturday players. IT” Vvvarua club which started iii the yinior ronipelition this season Mi oi promise has dropped practically out oi e-,mU‘iiCe- Having defaulted la three g■' in”-,, this club is ineligible to play inrlher competition matches It is report. -d that moA oi the members are now assiduously praotiring the Victorian ealllll. Kughy in Southland is threatened r. ith rival.-: for the favour oi the footha.U piibli.g iu the Association gaum and. the

Victorian game, the latter being confined for di" present to the Bluu'. Tie.' Introdie" ~M ~nd growth of these gaums here. ho«..ver they mj.v he received by tie' eeie-rru rue of Kugb.v enthusiasts, do ■eu form an unmitigated evil. Competi’ion e- tin- life of trade, and of football i"o. it hen we have the h'ad we are ini■ li:i■ > 1 to take tilings Loo easy, and the sme-t wav to make progress is to have .1 1 1 ve1\ sort of chap behind keeping us mming. The general public, of Course, don't mind a little hit. because when-e\,-r treiv is strong competition on the gem-ral public score by getting seiaed het'er. cheaper unci with more comfort. Ihe Association game has Secured a I Hger held in the schools than -ver belojo, and here is where the chief emeem of Ungbeians cor.ms in. The writer b, of opinion, however, that there need be no "<i-"ssi,ve Worry over Ihe matfer. In De.mdia nne'li tile seine filing- occurred.

'ti] m still on. !*ut in followin'-; iiu- Moittc-r u:> U.U.I-.I . oificials discovthar thf majority of lb" school sockx-r playern. directly they leit f’-ie dominion ui tlm dominie, became tVw mr».st rui r cr'd of TVuirby players, throwing nlv'-'S'lo'S heartily into the national lt■ ■ r:i.» urxi ovrollin" because of •p.< ; r font-work. '•■fi-’icnne OS'S why th-- boys "take ou” 's oria'ion at school- ‘‘Puntm'" respecti -lly that the reason is " womoid franchise. 1 ' Rugby is essentially a mime* of falls : Indeed one of the great for thv difl'didinory mental e (V -c*H of the game Is that it teaches "how to take a fall." Now there is oitonir arcadian in the errassinesa of rao- sehool play-tfrounds, especially in the winter season, and a fall moans a, groat splodge of mud on the youngster's r*'i)t'*u-r-cTooinofl cloth ns. with Bometinios flu- addition of a ragged rip- To avoid tips the yoni!L r Hter ( with a lively sense of t l, e material reception at his homc-coin-uw in muddied and torn attire. gets rid o ? the ball rather hurriedly of refuses to c r o down to,, a rush, and up l" o*s q chnriN of ‘'funk." Imagine the ire-uish of that boy’s soul ! Yet all I ;fig n re more or less of “funks” when it timi'3 to facing "the old woman” fsoiTie retain the iear to long past marriatrenble aye i, and it is easily imagihed with what relief they view the introduction of Association us a game In which fulls play but little part. Here thev can indulge the natural British propensity to tick, without paying the penalty at homo of torn and muddy pants ami stockings. Truly the hand that spanks the youngster rules the football world. But nearly every New Zealand boy has his hero, who plays great parts In the interpro. Rugby games, who makes his club premier, who scores the winning try against Otutro. or Canterbury, Wellington or Auckland. And the grand ambition of the hoy is, when t!he apron strings are cut. to join the Rugby ranks, enter on the muddy way to glory and be the hero*of the following batch ol small boTs: That's why to many Wye ptny

socket - at school, and turn to Uughy when they earn enough to pay their own rag bill. TO-DAY'S MATCHES. Pirates—Thomas, Metzger, Whitaker, Hanna, Walker, Smith, Burgess, Butliie, Robinson, West. Hausen, Pettigrew, Oigan, Hamilton and Roberts.—-1!. in piny Star if. .Steans, Brown, Wesuey, Thompson. Smith, Forrester. WcM’ty, Lindsay, .Millar, Fraser, llolaus, Fraser, .Mason, Ailken and Elley.—Hl, in play High School; -Nixon, .McArthur, -McC'.regor, SuiilL. Anderson. Foster, Lillie, Brenville, 'Woollett, Ramsay, Johnston, I'icks, Hamilton, Walshleger, .NiXtn, Wilson. Turner, Kennedy, S«|.'Cney. I.F.F. 1. : Dunbar. Reynolds. Foster, Broad, Walker, tlunn. Ulackham, I'urh, Fraser, Marlin, McKay, lane, Stteie, .Moekridge, Burluw. — II. ('burton, Mortis, Knight . Henderson, Bro.vn, tL'l Tolhill, Harris. Martin. Miicludl. Fratt, Wills, Vickery, Barlow, V. i,'hrisi ophe,s. -111. Aldred, .McKenzie, Henderson, it. Brown, Flint. Bath, Henderson, Angus, Mend, Kirkland, (lilfunl, Treasure, Ashley, S, Brown, Findlay, F. Bath.

■Star L : Stead t'-J.i, Baird. .Mct.regor, Bain, Raines, Mackloy, Burley. Bateman, Jenkins, AlcCivalh. Perry, Martin. Rilhertson.—lL : Dunlop, .Murdoch. Hodgson McCJneen, Lindsay. -Murphy, Ihu-nl, Harper. Fraser, Stowarl, Riddv’,l. Tnupany, Thomson, Hay, Donaldson. — HL : Outz-

.■ii;/., l.illey, Boyd, Baird, Vb.j'.cc, Murch, Stokes, Stewarl. I>atitio. Stead. Matthews, Raines, MrNatty, T,,.y10r, itabcrlsoti, Luc,

Athletic f. : Crawford, I .-mm, l-.mo, Crawford, .Mill'-;. . < ■ i';h •■. H■ 11 i-, Mulvey, Sisc, Alii i cn>>rn. \(.ouau, McGrath. Mahor.-11. : !b>ran, U’ockroft, Stapleton, MeL'hesmy, Ailjh, dodgers, brace. Smith. Kirvvau. -Am-ii. f--!aphcid, i ockn.it., Crawford. ul«n. Sparks. Peace post-office ai, I o'clock, iiritanuia I. : I'erpi". Sh.-rbou"ue, Aitl,.„, .Dimkley, lleiu. Kramer, Vr.idoch, Hughes, Stewart, Milne, t'lurk, t<llt/.ewil.t, VToggatt. Ilorber! . l-ltjijU:t..li. Uaikiui 11, , IJockeriil, Shaud, L'arrun, i'\le, Fordo, Fulh-y, M itched, Keady, Traill, Waldron, 1-Tm.vr, ri'oU. Fraser, Whatson, Nelson- —HI, 1 KangsleJid, NeV?man, Flint, McNamara, McCurdy (2), P.road, Patterson, UivereLt, Pathcreil, Ko\. Lane, Fortune, Watts, i.illey, ASSOC [,VI 1 ON. I.A.f.C. against Underwood, ■ ~niu:cnciug at U p.m., on the ”ark : blow io, li.nis. Brown. I’nrker, darkdn. lliiync, ( ten, Macdonald, Adu.ni.-., ana:?b and