Football.

Southland Times, Issue 19480, 1 April 1922, Page 10

Football.

(By Onlooker.) Interest quickening. Grounds in good order. Star opening successful. Annual meeting enthusiastic. Club matches start on April 22. Blues had a large muster last Saturday. Many players found the grounds hard on opening day. Congratulations to Mr T. Meredith on his election as President. One more nominee to come from the Referees Association before the management committee is complete. The three new members Messrs. Fortune, W. Robison and J. Mawson should be an acquisition to the management committee. All are young and should make keen workers. Ever since he took up the duties of treasurer, Mr A. Derbie has accomplished good work in the interests of the Union, and he kept a tight hold on the finances. He will be missed from meetings as he always brought forth sound arguments whenever anything was under consideration. Mr Derbie has the satisfaction of knowing, however, that he piloted the Union through perhaps its most dangerous time and he leaves the finances in a flourishing condition, which will assist the new management committee in its future work. ( When referring to coaching at the annual meeting of the Union Bro. Anastasius said that he attributed the success of the Middle school team greatly to the work done by Mr McDonald while he was a master there. That Mr McDonald did excellent work no one will deny, but the finishing of the team was entirely due to last season’s coach, who put in a large amount of time with the team and his work could be seen stamped all over it when it opened out on the field. Mr McDonald certainly laid a special foundation for the coach's wfck, but it was the coach that completed the work. Chatting with Mr Isaac Jenkins over some of the games he had played for Southland he said that he remembered that during his first rep. game in 1887 in Dunedin he could hear the crowd remark ‘Well played Isaac.” It puzzled him how anyone in Dunedin could know him by name and it was not until after the game that he discovered that one of his opponents was Mr R. M. Isaacs., The large turn-outs, both at the Star and Blues openings, show that the season should be a good one, as a number of juniors were in evidence on the grounds. Both clubs appear to have a surplus of senior players, and this is better still for the standard of play aa players will require to train for their places. This will ensure that the teams will take the field with fit members in the ranks, thus making for the general improvement of the game. All fans are looking forward with expectation for the opening games. Speaking of his long career in football Mr Isaac Jenkins said that on many occasions he was going to stop playing, but that some fresh inducement always made him reconsider. One time it would be a new' trophy, which the club was anxious to obtain, or a new ground, on which he was desirous of playing. These little things did more to keep him in the game than any other inducement.

On taking the chair at the meeting of delegates Mr T. Meredith in returning thanks said that he took the chair with a great deal of diffidence. They had a big season ahead which would entail a lot of work, but the principal reason was that he was following the finest chairman the Union had ever had, Mr A. H. Geddes. (Applause), Mr Geddes had been a member of committee for over 20 years and president for 10 years or longer. In his position of president he had always shown tact in dealing with the many intricate problems which came up for decision. He, the speaker, would endeavour to follow the same course as Mr Geddes, and he could assure the delegates that the clubs would get a fair deal upon any matters they brought before the Union. (BY “ONSIDE MAC”) All the senior town clubs will be busy to-day. Pirates and Marist open the season with practice games, Star go to Otautau and Waikiwi to Wyndham. Blue seconds go to Winton and the thirds to Kennington, the rest of the club playing practice matches at home. It is on the cards that the Pirate Club will have some new blood this season. Mr G. Nicholson, a member of the 1905 All Blacks and an All Black selector last year, was appointed sole selector for the Auckand R.U. at the annual meeting held last week. At an informal gathering of Pirate Club members on Thursday night, presided over by Mr J. C. Malfroy, president of the club, W. Langbein who is under transfer to Christchurch was farewelled by his clubmates. On behalf of those present Mr Malfroy presented him with a case of pipes and wished him the best of luck in his new sphere. Langbein will leave to-day for Christchurch. The Invercargill Club had about 75 players engaged at practice last Saturday, a fact which augurs well for the coming season. Incidentally, this club has a total membership of about 140. In commemoration of the great footballer, the late David Gallaher, captain of the 1905 All Biacks, the delegates to the annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union last week, sanctioned a proposal to provide a cup, to be known as “The Gallaher Memorial Cup/” for competition among senior clubs. One notices with satisfaction the election to the Rugby Union of a number of young i men with considerable football experience. The new-comers are Mr J. Mawson, coach to the High School first XV and an exOtago representative; Mr G. Fortune, exOtago and Southland representative; Mr W. Robison, president of the Invercargill Club and an old Club player; and the Rev. Bro. Anastasius. Marist School coach, who has been closely connected with various sports here and in Auckland. At the annual meeting of the Wanganui Rugby Union there was a good deal of adverse comment concerning the alleged interference with sport oy compulsory territorial cadet parades, which it was said, always fell on. Saturday afternoons. It was maintained that territori d training should not be earned on after the age of 21 had been reached, and a resolution to that effect was carried. Rumour hath it that Steele, the All Black three-quarter from ;.ie West Coast, will be playing for the Merivale Club in Christchurch this year. According to reports, Steeio who is in the railway service at Greymouth is to be transferred to the Canterbury capital. According to “Miles” in the N.Z. Referee, present indications are that there is likely to be a sole selector in Canterbury thi. yea;.

“New Zealand will find that their chief requisite is the discovery of an inspiring genius to lead her team and bring out the great ability their individuals, particularly their forwards, possess. Teddy Roberts, though he is the idol of Wellington, failed to do this against the Springboks.”—Sydney Sun.’ It is the opinion of the Wellington Rugby Union’s retiring Management Committee that the war-time practice of playing home-and-home matches with various unions, which involves two tours in one season, should be reviewed, nad a recommendation is made that the - pre-war practice of northern and southern tours in alternate years be reverted to. The largest “gate” on the Australian Leaguers’ tour of England last season was £3891 at the first test, next was £2924 at the second test and the third largest was £2530 at the third test. Apart from Brainley (£136), the two smallest were just over £3OO, at the second match (Keighley) and the last game (Oldham), The meagre details that have filtered through by telegraph concerning the cancellation of the French Rugby tour seem to indicate that the New Zealand Rugby Union has been trying to djetate to the French authorities, and instead of “ putting it over the Frenchies,” has met with a well-deserv-ed rebuff. When a curtailed tour was mentioned first most people thought the proposed revised itinerary would consist of ten, or at the most twelve matches. Yet, we are told this morning that the new programme would contain fourteen ! One would very much like to know all the N.Z.R.F.U. demanded at the start, but the management committee in Wellington apparently has no desire to make public the details of the negotiations. The itinerary approved by South Africa last year consisted of 17 matches, and presumably it was about the same number, if not more, that the management committee in Wellington asked a country that would have to travel twice as far to play. That was stretching matters pretty far, but evidently the management committee persisted to the end in demanding its pound of flesh, and like Shylock “fell in.” The public has not forgotten some of the disagreeable happenings in connection with the Springbok tour last season, and it is safe to say that if the French tour fails to eventuate the New Zealand public will want the fullest possible enquiry before it is satisfied that the New Zealand Union’s management committee has conducted its negotiations in a sporting manner, and not pursued a policy of “ grab.”