Football.

Southland Times, Issue 19502, 29 April 1922, Page 9

Football.

(By Onlooker). First matches to-day. W.P. Teams getting on their toes. Interesting games expected at opening. Congratulations to Mr A. Geddes on his presidency. The country circuit should make for the improvement of junior football. It is reported that the Marist team which visited Heddon Bush had an eventful trip. Side-lights are still being discussed. It is to be hoped that Waikiwi and Bluff will be able to put stronger teams in the field than last year. With E. Budd as coach the Bluff team should pull together better, while “ Son ” White can be relied upon to do the best for his club. The Central Sub-Union is up against the referee problem and is finding difficulty in getting men to control games. The Referees’ Association has more members than required for the weekly matches, and it would be a great boon to the Central SubUnion if some of the Invercargill referees were to volunteer for country matches. Ihis would also have the effect of improving the country players as well as educating any local referees in the finer points of the game. The players in the Central district are very anxious that something in this direction should be done for this season, In the telegraphed report of the N.Z.RF.U. meeting the name of W. Glenor was sent as being elected to the management committee. This should have been Mr W. Glenn, one of the famous All Black team which toured Britain, and now an M.P. This is his first appointment on the N.Z. R.F.U.

Two of last year’s management committee, Messrs R. T. Bailey and H. P. Paton, are not on the new committee, their places having been taken by Messrs A. C. Kitto and W. Glenn, M.P. In their annual report, which was presented at the N.Z.R.F.U. meeting on Thursday, the N.Z. Selectors, Messrs D. Stuart, A. J. Griffiths and G. W. Nicholson, stated ; that several of the players choseu were not I physically fit to don the Al! Black jersey—- ;• particularly was this the case m the first and second tests. It is surpmuig to see I that admission from the selectors, as they ; are actually admitting, that they selected I men to represent the Dominion who were ! unfit for the task. While a mistake of this ’ kind could easily be accounted for in the first j test and excused, there .is no excuse for such a happening in the selection i:f players for the second test. By I heir admterion the selectors condemn themselves and show that they did not act in the best interests on N.Z. football when they allowed such a thing to happen. With the admission c.f the country teams a strict watch will have to be kept on pityera for re-grading, and those members of the Union who accept office on that committee will have a strenuous tusk if they are going to carry out the ciuties assigned to them in a satisfactory manner. If the regrading is carried out properly there is little doubt that the senior clubs will be strengthened, and this is really what the Union is striving after. Among the country clubs playing junior football there are some promising forwards, who will probably go far if they are encouraged and promoted to senior rank. The resolution of the Referees ’ Association that the wing-forward be abolished, reminds one of the little boy who endeavoured to mend his watch. Being unable to accomplish the feat he secured a hammer and eliminated the watch. It is the same with the Referees’ Association. Its members cannot cope with the wing-forward, and they asked that he be aboiisned. In past years, when referees were more conversant with his game and did not adhere so closely to the rules, the wing-forward caused little trouble, anil good back play w«.s to be seen, but, recently, the referees ha\e lost control, and the result is that they now want the wing-forward abolished. Let the referees control the wing-forward properly and the talk of abolishing him from the game will soon be forgotten. There are rumours that at least one senior club will have difficulties in putting the required number of fifteens in the field owing to the lack of juniors. N.Z.R.F.U. PRESIDENT. DETAILS OF MR GEDDES’S CAREER. (By Onlooker). The election of Mr A. J. Geddes to the presidency of the N.Z.R.F.U. is an honour which is well deserved, as he has a long and meritorious career as a supporter of rugby. It is also a compliment to Southland, and he is the second Southlander to be elected to that position, the greatest honorary office open for a worker for the advancement of New Zealand’s national sport. Mr Geddes commenced his football career in 1894, when was one of the founders of the now defunct Britannia club. He was a playing member of that club until he relinquished the jersey for the whistle in 1902. He never attained to the honour of representing his province, the nearest he ever came to that being in 19Q1, when he was selected as emergency for the team. He attained considerable success as a referee, and was appointed to act for several big representative fixtures outside tiis home province. He filled the position of president of the Referees ’ Association on two occasions. He was first elected to the management committee of the S.R.F.U. in 1898, and has continued to hold a position on that body since that date. He was a selector for the province the year it defeated Auckland in the memorable game on the old Union ground, and acted in that capacity on several occasions. He was first elected to the presidency of the S.R.F.U. in 1912, and again in 1914. From 1914 to 1921 he occupied the presidential chair, and guided the Union