SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 982, 27 May 1930, Page 14

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

PASSING NOTES

(Bj

PERSEUS.)

Brighter Soccer.—lt was a cheerful sign, and everyone was delighted with the good displays of Soccer on Saturday at Blandford Park. The Y.AI.C.A.Ponsonby curtain-raiser was a thriller from start to finish, with the issue in the balance for anybody’s game until the last whistle sounded. Had it been the 3 p.m. game it would probably have been even livelier, with all the fans present, but the Trams - Celtic clash was a good game, without quite as much dash and pace as the early go, and Celts were much nearer sharing the points than the score indicated. Allowance should be made for the fact that Trams played a man short for more than half the game, and the transporters’ victory was a hard-earned one.

Soccer Pioneers’ Association. —Although lie has retired this season from the position of the club's nominee on the judicial committee of Hie A.F.A., Air. Robt. Takle is still taking an active interest in the code as organiser and honorary secretary of the Soccer pioneers’ movement among the old-timers, which was initiated last season for bringing the old players together and helping the game along. The annual report and balance sheet shows a growing membership, and a useful balance in hand. In view of an early challenge for the F.A. Trophy, the members will be called together shortly, and it is hoped that the first representative match will be followed by an old Soccerites’ reunion, at which th© teams will be the guests of the old-time players.

Waikato Official Goes South.—-A welcome visitor to Blandford Park on Saturday was Air. George Cox, the popular secretary for many years of th© South Auckland Association, and one of the keenest workers for the code in the province George has played the round ball in many climes, and is now one of the most capable referees in the Dominion, while his executive work in the South Auckland Centre has been of great value in fostering the cod© there. It was with

general regret that news was received of Mr. Cox’s transfer from the office of J. J. Niven, Ltd., in Hamilton, to the firm’s Christchurch branch, and last week the retiring Soccer secretary was presented with a well-filled wallet as a small appreciation of his services, while he also takes South a handsome trophy for school competition in Canterbury. Auckland’s loss will be Canterbury’s gain, and Air. Cox has promised to do his bit to ginger up the game down there. He hopes to accompany a Canterbury side here duripg the season in quest of the English Trophy. * * * Wing-halves and Backs. —A common fault in defensive play appears to be the lack of plan or understanding between th© wing-halves and the fullbacks. Writing recently in the “Athletic News,” Dr. Tinsley Lind ley, the 'famous captain of Corinthians. and Notts Forest, strongly condemns the practice of the fullbacks marking the opposing wings, with the wing-halves watching the inside men, and strongly supports the wing v. wing theory. Otherwise the outside man is given a flying start, and allowed too much rope. .By the time the fullback gets to him, a timely centre puts the goal in peril, and the remaining back has to mark two or three men. A study of these little points in offensive and defensive work always means time well and profitably spent, and they form the foundation of that team work which is one of the charms of the code so often lacking.

Brilliant Wing Piay.—A feature of the first same was the sparkling wing play of the four outside forwards, and between Chalmers, Innes, Kay, and Simm there was but little to choose. Chalmers was about the most con- | spicuous, but Kay’s two goals were i useful, and Simm was at his best as j th© shining link in Ponies’ equalising | goal, which came from the finest bit I of accurate team work seen at head- | quarters for a long while. The dash--1 ing display of the line men made the j inside players appear weak in com- ; parison, and neither side seemed quite i certain whether it was playing the W formation, or the old style, “all in a row” method. Neither Humphreys, Stewart, nor Innes played the centreforward game as it should be practised with the modern offside rule, and they could take a leaf out of Harry Spencer’s book. The centre is no longer a scout, or fossicker, for the ball; his function is to browse around the offside limit, and be ready for a pass up the centre or cross from the wings to score goals, and the inside men should keep bock and play the part of feeders to their wings or centreforward.

On Mr. Neesham’s Selection.—Canterbury having rejected the suggestion to reinstate home-and-home matches in alternate years for possession of the provincial championship trophy, the New Zealand Council has decided to retain the challenge system, and any Southern province wishing for a glimpse of tho prize must come to Auckland for it. "Wellington promptly challenged, and Air. Phil Neesham, solo selector, has announced his elect for a strenuous try-out against the navy on King’s Birthday (Tuesday afternoon next). As anticipated, the Auckland selector is again relying on the tried and trusted players who have served tho province so well in maintaining Auckland’s unbeaten record in trophy games. Batty, in goal, is as safe and sound as ever, while in the senior B division both Reid and Gerrard are maintaining their representative form. Jock Alorrison has improved as a wing-half, and there is no one yet in sight to displace Christie and Dan Jones in the middle line, although Chapman, Grant, and Balloch are all running close to rep. form. Bob Innes is the doyen of the side, and hard to replace, while Spencer stands out in the Dominion as a real centre-forward. Although parted this season, Hislop and Kay will not have forgotten their effective interplay with Jones behind them, and the only doubt was the inside-right position, where Air. Neesham is trying out Forrester, a newcomer, who has partnered Innes this season, and plays a quiet but finished and effective game there.

More Knotty Problems.—A friendly correspondent considers the opinion given here, that a player who has left the field injured, and recovers to run on again, play the ball, and score a goal, is not a sound interpretation of the laws. A reference to the little Red Book only shows that a player may not go off the field without permission, although a player who is winded or knocked out rarely makes such a request. But there seems nothing to debar him coming on again and playing the ball at any time, providing he is not offside.

The following questions have also been sent in. and replies asked for, which will be given in this column next week. Club officials should remember that the Referees’ Association will always bo pleased to appoint a member to chat with their players about the laws of the game, and an authoritative ruling on any matters cropping up can always be obtained by submitting them to the association. Question.— (3) In shooting at goal, the ball hits the referee, and is deflected past the goalkeeper into the YV hat should the referee rule? (2) In taking a hard drive at the ball close in, a plaj-er bursts the ball, which flies into the net. Is it a goal? (3> In taking a goal kick, the goalie sends the ball hard against the referee, and it rebounds back to the goalkeejDer. In trying to save it, the goalie tips it into tho net. What should the referee rule? (4) A referee penalises a player, and whistles to clear the eighteen for a penalty kick, refusing to even listen to the player’s appeal and explanation. Is he right?