FOOTBALL NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 96, 16 April 1914, Page 6

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By “Touchline.”) The prospects for the coming football season as far as the Strat f ord Football Club is concerned, are very rosy. The senior team will be probably better than last year. The forwards are much the same, with the exception of R. Boon, who is away. Road and Whittington are two new forward men, although the latter played for Stratford two years ago. The weakness of the team lies in the absence of a good half back. If ith a really good man in that position, Stratford would be hard to beat. Ihe back lines will be somewhat different from last year, as I understand that L. Tocker, Don Cameron, and J. Dobson will not be playing this year. Dud Cameron and C. Stewart are back again, and there are also three new backs in C. Young, A. Rickleben and N. Higginson. The junior teams should be fairly strong, as there are a number of very promising juniors in the district just now. These teams should get together more often than they, have bee’i in the habit of doing, and .the respective captains should insist upon each member turning out when the team has to travel. In past seasons, plenty of men would roll up for the home matches, hut when it came to the travelling matches, the teams usually left short handed. It is to he regretted that all the teams do not go in more for systematic forward play.. Especially is this the base in the senior team. The forwards are a good lot, and should get together oh every possible occasion, and practice concerted forward play with the hall at their feet. The need for this will be apparent when the team is up against some or the other teams in the competition that have, to all intents and purposes, a representative back team. This style of play is particularly suited to the Stratford forwards. As a pack they are fasx, put plenty of vim into their, play, and would be very hard to stop if they possessed a systematised plan of attack such as is advocated. The art of dribbling, and keeping command of the hall at the same time is very nearly extinct, hut why it should ho so is not clear. A good forward team will, in nearly every case, defeat a good hack team. The Stratford forwards can usually more than hold their ' own. How formidable would they be if they adopted this plan.

The Club is opening , the season next Thursday, 23rd April, with a seven-a-side tournament at the Showgrounds. Considerable interest is being aroused in football circles. Teams will be present from most of too leading clubs, and most of the Stratford players are already in training. A pleasant afternoon’s sport should result, and some keen games may be anticipated..