EASTERN DISTRICT NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 20172, 7 May 1927, Page 18 (Supplement)

EASTERN DISTRICT NOTES

(From Our Correspondent.) One does not usually expect to see good football at the opening of the season. The Albion v Edendale game upheld this contention. There was little or no concerted back play, the game being a forward scramble most of the time. Albion lacked cohesion, but should gain this once they settle down ' to work properly. Individuals showed promise. McGill displayed patches of his old i form, and Kirby was generally in the hunt ! somewhere. I Edendale mqde a good showing, but | should do better. McDonald’s try was a good • one. There were “bellows to mend” rather ! early in the game. | Wyndham fully extended Pioneer, and - this game should serve to give the southern j boys confidence. Unfortunately the Wynd- | ham Club now finds itself unable to enter , a second grade team. 1 The Seaward Downs Club was prepared to | enter a second grade team if a number of j senior players could be regraded. In view j of the fact that Wyndham is unable to raise I a second grade team, there would appear to be a good chance for sportsmanlike cooperation at the southern end of the district. Apparently the Western District is to join in the chase for the S.P.L. Banner. This will intensify the trouble regarding tho ‘ lengthy programme of representative matches, referred to in these notes last week. Incidentally, the Western Sub-Union’s claim for the first match appears to be out of order. They have been “left at the post.” NEW ZEALAND ’VARSITIES’ TOUR The following are the fixtures for the New Zealand University Rugby team during I its tour of New South Wales— Wednesday, May 18—Manly, at Manly. Saturday, May 21—New Zealand and Sydney University v. New South Wales. Wednesday, May 25—v. Sydney University, at University Oval. Saturday, May 28—v. Sydney University, at University Oval. Wednesday, June I—v. Sydney University at University Oval. “JOCKEY” FORD RETIRES CRACK CANTERBURY THREEQUARTER. A SPLENDID RECORD. All old footballers, and a great majority of present-day ones, know of “Jockey” Ford, the Merivale, Canterbury and All Black flyer. He has decided to retire from active participation in the game, a decision which has been received with regrets in i many quarters. “Jockey,” who played in Invercargill for Canterbury against Southland in 1920 and 1924, has a splendid record, one of which any footballer might be proud. The following, culled from the pen of a Christchurch writer, is a worthy tribute to a fine and gentlemanly player - “Few more popular players have donned the jersey than “Jockey” as he is familiarly known. He has been popular with players and spectators alike, and deservedly so, for both on and off the field he has proved himself a sportsman in the best sense of the word. In every way he has “played the game” and his long and honourable career as a footballer is one of which any man might be proud. “Ford has been a shining example of the fact that football is not a game of mere brute strength. To some extent his fleetness of foot has compensated for his lack of inches and weight, but a far greater compensating factor has been his possession of “football brains.” Above everything else Ford was a brainy player. He knew all the finer points of the game, and, what was more important, he was able to put this knowledge to good use. A quick thinker, he was able to size up a position in an instant and this combined with his speed and elusive running, helped him to score many a try before his opponents were properly aware what had happened. “A few seasons ago he snatched victory from Otago for Canterbury right on the call of time. An opening occurred at tho end of the game, Ford seized the opportunity and was over the line for a try in a flash.

“In his time “Jockey” has filled wing three-quarter, centre threequarter, fiveeighths, and full back positions with success, but probably he was at his best on the wing, though he was also a very clever five-eighths. He joined up with the Merivale club in 1913, but it was with the New Zealand Army team that, he first came to the forefront as a footballer. Ford first played for Canterbury in 1920 and he gained his provincial cap every season since then up to and including last season. His last match for Canterbury was against Hawke’s Bay last season when he played five-eighths. He has taken part in many memorable struggles for his province, including the famous match when Canterbury defeated the Springboks. "In 1921 Ford played for the second New Zealand team against lhe New South Wales team which visited the Dominion that year, and the following season he was a member of the New Zealand team which visited Sydney. He also played in the second test against the New South Wales team that came over here in 1923. He won his South Island cap in 1921.” ONE OF THE BEST 808 WHITESIDE CROSSES THE BORDER. The death occurred last week of Bob Whiteside, one of the greatest Rugby players New Zealand has produced. Bob Whiteside was a member of the Ponsonby Club, and an Auckland representative from 1882 to 1888, dropping out of the game when still at the height of his powers. He was the contemporary of Arneil, Lecky, O'Connor, Madigan, Ryan. Elliott, Warbrick and other famous Aucklanders of the ’eighties. Whiteside was a member of the Auckland team that went south in 1883 under the captaincy of the late Tom Henderson, and against both Canterbury and Otago he scored the winning try for the Aucklanders. In 1886 he again got the winning try in the historic match played against Wellington at Potter’s Paddock (now Alexandra Park), Epsom. Next season, after injury in the game against Stoddart’s British fifteen, Whiteside went across to Australia. Jack Arneil, president of the Auckland Rugby Union, who was Ponsonby’s captain in Whiteside’s day, said that Whiteside was the champion player of his day. He was a very intelligent player, with a fend from elbow to shoulder, great pace, and a swerve. He was a good all-round athlete, being also a cricketer, runner, oarsman and boxer. The New Zealand Ladies’ Hockey Association has received an invitation for the All South African and Rhodesian Women's Hockey Association to send a team for the purpose of competing in the Empire tournament in South Africa in 1930. The expenses will be heavy but the African Association has guaranteed expenses incurred by the team while in that country. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Association, when the matter was discussed, one delegate suggested that, since an Australian team will most likely be touring New Zealand next year, the team chosen to visit Africa should tour Australia on the way to the Empire tournament, thus returning the visit of Australia. It was finally decided to write to the South African Association stating that the delegatee at present consider that there is every possibility of a team visiting Africa in 1930. A champion South African woman runner, Miss Bennett, ran against a whippet over 100 yards, and, on the assumption that Miss Bennett’s time would be a fraction over 12 seconds to the whippet’s 6} seconds, she was allowed 48 yards start. Miss Bennett won the race by inches in