THE PLAYGROUND.

Southland Times, Issue 18927, 28 April 1923, Page 12

THE PLAYGROUND.

The shooting season opens at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Anglers will have their final half-holiday “flutter” this afternoon. Queenstown has resuscitated its golf club and the links at Frankton are being patched Up.

The record fish for Waitaki River was landed by Mr D. Y. Gibson, of Glenavy, the other day when he caught a magnificent 38$ pounder, 3ft Gins in length and 2ft in girth. He also landed a 20-pounder. Brian McCleary will fight E. Parker,N.Z.. amateur light heavy-weight champion, for the professional title in the same class at Tiinaru on May 3. In 20 fights, Parker has lost only two, and it is reported that his chances of beating McCleary are being freely canvassed in the north. One evening last week the members ©f the Southland Bowling Centre Executive were the guests of their President, Mr J. S. Brass, at a dinner in the Federal Tearooms, the occasion being to farewell Mr A. E. Willett, a past president of the Centre, who is leaving to-day on a nine months’ trip to the Old Country. The President proposed the toast of the guest of honour, and on behalf of the Centre presented him with a pocket wallet and wished him and his wife bon voyage. Other members also added their best wishes for a pleasant trip. During the evening Mr J. H. Loudon responded to the toast of the N.Z. Bowling Council. The Riverton Bowling Club, of which Mr Willett has been a member for many years, also made him a presentation of a handsome gentleman’s companion.

John Roberts once strolled into a billiards hall, and the marker suggested a game. Roberts declined. “Come on,” said the marker, ‘Til give you 40.” “My good man,” •aid the champion haughtily, “you couldn’t give me 40. Do you know whom I am?” “No, I don’t,” said the marker. “Well, I’m John Roberts.” ‘Well,” said the other, unabashed, ‘Til give you 30.” Ten goals by one player in a soccer match is a bit out of the ordinary. It was in a match at Crystal Palace in February between Corinthians and the Army. Corinthians, who had cleaned up Ipswich Town at Christmas by 15 goals to one, registered the same total against the Army and had two scored against them. F. N. S. Creek was the player who shot ten ©f them.

Wellington girls having taken up running, the young ladies of Canterbury have gone one better. Cycle road-racing is their idea of a suitable sport and in and about Christchurch -it is very popular amongst the fair sex. The N.Z. ladies five mile championship held at Mairehau a fortnight ago and resulted in a win for Miss M. Clegg, who with 20 sec start covered the journey in 16 min 17sec. ' A game gaining favour in the Old Country is Five-Ten —a word compounded, like the game, of fives and tennis. It is jplayed by the Duke of. York at Buckingham Palace and in more than 500 homes and clubs. Mr Reade, the Queen’s Club racquets champion, and Mr Heiron, the club coach, have played exhibition matches. Each player endeavours with a tennis racquet to drive a tennis ball into a 24-inch pocket on a line drawn at the height of a f tennis net on a board. Expert tennis players declare that it improves their play on the court. No player has yet succeeded . ; in making the game easy and yet two inQiifferent piayere can take great pleasure a set.

The Prince of Wales has some good golf stories in his repertoire, and one of them is (against himself. One day in France he >-ent to play a round at Le Touquet Approaching an officer who was pointed out to him as the secretary, he said: “I believe you are the secretary. Can I play golf?” The officer replied: “I don’t know whether or not you can play golf, but there’s the ©curse.”

There was recently held in the Waverley Jfarket, Edinburgh, a two-day sports festival, which was the first of its kind in 'Great Britain, and which may well prove the forerunner of a great many similar enterprises (says a Sporting Chronicle .-writer 1 . Anybody who observes the world’s ©porting activities knows the great hold which indoor sport, in its appropriate season, has upon America, and elemental as well as elementary conditions make the present enterprise, so far as Great Britain is concerned, a belated one. There are very many reasons why indoor catering for athleticism and kindred sports could profitably— to the sport, active participants and promoters alike—have been established in the British Isles for long enough, but it has been left for Mr James Stewart to make the first step, in Scotland, in what really are joint professional and amateur interests. A specially-prepared track of wood, sprayed with resin and sprinkled with cork dust, was laid down, the pedestrians being required to use rubbers instead of the usual spiked ehoes.

Sports and Pastimes.

tifully compiled century to his credit. In his own opinion hp ha«: improved his batting in Southland, because for one thing he hrs had more time to devote to the game, and one feels sure that he has still some gc.od innings left to compile when he goes back to his old towp, Melbourne. As a coach of schoolboys, he is held in high regard by those well versed in this department of the game, his tactful and sympathetic handling of young players, as well as his sound knowledge of the game, being no small factor in his success. In any social function connected with the game he has been always willing to give his services, and his activities in the musical world are too well-known to need any further mention here. It is sufficient to say Southland is very much the poorer by the departure of Mr Gleeson, who made a host of friends here, and with these the writer joins in wishing him every success in the days to come.

A POPULAR CRICKETER.

MR H. A. GLEESON’S DEPARTURE. By the departure of Mr H. A. Gleeson to take up an appointment with a well-known musical firm in Melbourne, Southland loses one of its most prominent cricketers, and one who has done much for the game since he arrived here some nine year? ago. When the game was taken up again after the war. Mr Gleeson took a prominent part in the movement end he was elected to the Cricket Association. The splendid work that Association did in the face of difficulties is not generally realised, because of necessity they had to seriously curtail anything involving financial responsibility, the funds of the Association being exceedingly low. But there were some sound practical men at the head of affairs, notably Messrs A. Poole, V. Raines and Mr Gleeson, and they had laid a solid foundation for the development of the game as the financial position improved. By almost superhuman efforts, it was found possible to receive a visit from an Australian team and in this Mr Gleeson did magnificent work, securing rhe necessary guarantees “off his own bat.” Owing to rain only one day’s piay was possible in this game, and consequently it was not a financial success, but the guarantors of the visit were so impressed by the efforts of the Association that tney donated their guarantees to carry on the work. As a member of the Association reminded a gathering of cricketers the other evening, it was these guarantees secured by Mr Gleeson that enabled the Association to build up a fund for the holding of a carnival, which faily set the Association on its feet again. Unfortunately with the accession of wealth came a change in the government of cricket, and not one of the three gentlemen referred to were members of the new executive. The policy laid down by the old executive in the development of young and promising cricketers and in respect to the country districts was g.adually forgotten and at the present time it must be admitted that the position of cricket in Southland is a far from satisfactory one. the only encouraging sign being the number of young players that have come up from the schools, where the Schools’ Sports Association has been doing splendid Work.

As a player, Mr Gleeson came to us from » country renowned for its cricketers, and he has proved himself a worthy representative. Particularly in batting he has shown us how the game of cricket can be made attractive in the highest degree, and few who saw are likely to forget his brilliant innings at Queen’s Park during the present season, when he was unbeaten with a beau-