ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 793, 25 August 1916, Page 2

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

CLUB LOYALTY WANTED

Only two first grade Association football matches were played in Christchurch on Saturday last. St. Bede's, having forfeited two matches in succession, automatically drop out of the competition. It has been through no fault of its own that the college team has been impelled to withdraw from the competition, numerous enlistments being the main factor in the gradual weakening of the team. It is unfortunate that there is no law in the constitution of the Canterbury Football Association whereby influence can be brought to bear on any new player wishing to participate in matches after the conclusion of the first round, with a view to his assisting one of the weaker clubs. Present indications go to prove that the attraction is always towards the strongest teams, and the result is decidedly discouraging to the clubs struggling at the bottom of the ladder. United's Deserters. The counter-attraction at Riccarton produced the usual crop of deserters, no senior team fielding a full complement of players. United, in its engagement with Rangers at English Park, suffered the most in this respect, only seven men turning up to do duty. Considering United's well-merited position at the head of the championship table, and that Rangers were United's nearest attendants, the attitude of the absentees towards their club is hard to define. Certain it is that United's grasp of championship honours has now been weakened seriouslv, and, with engagements with both Nomads and Linwood still to fulfil, its prospects are likely to be further challenged. Every man in the team which took the field endeavoured to do the work of two, and the fact that Rangers were held down to one goal in the first half proves the success of their efforts. It was impossible, however, to maintain the pace throughout the second half, and Rangers quickly increased their lead and put the issue beyond doubt. The inclusion of four fourth grade plavers did not increase the pjrospects of St. Albans in its match with Boys' Gordon Hall at North Park, and it was early apparent that its opponents held an overwhelming advantage. The St. Albans team has never looked likely to develop anything like a combination of attack, and its clinching efforts near geal have been marked with a crudity outside the term of bad luck. With Marker on the injured list and Burgess in camp, the "Saints" bid fair to appropriate "wooden spoon" honours in their first season's venture in first grade football. The draw for the semi-final of the English Cup and other trophy competitions will be made by the Match Committee to-dry. The unfortunate withdrawal of the St. Bede's team will occasion a win by default, and only one match will, be played in this round.. Sailors at Play.

An excellent "soccer" contest was witnessed at Lyttelton on Saturday between teams representing the engineroom and the deck departments of the R.M.S. Corinthic. The match drew a considerable number of spectators, and practically the whole of the ship's company came ashore to "lend a hand" to their respective sides, and assist in vocal encouragement their champions to victory. With the seaman's usual liberality, odds were laid indiscriminately and the personal remarks which were let loose might have provided material for an all-night sitting of a committee of virtuous critics. The match was played with the utmost good humour, in spite of the muddy state of the ground, and the engine-room team romped home winners by seven goals to nil. Our intercolonial liners can usually produce a team of excellent soccer players, and the Canterbury Football Association could do worse than endeavour to arrange a match between such a team and, say, Boys' Gordon Hall, at English Park, before the season closes. The game would be bound to create interest, and prove a bigger draw than merely local efforts. Other Matters. The St. Bede's School team entrained for Duuedin to-day to fulfil its annual engagement with the Christian Brothers' Club to-morrow. The Dunedin club will doubtless give a better account of itself than it did at English Park last year. Seldom have the concluding stages of the senior grade competition in Christchurch shown such a remarkable position as at present. A glance at the table indicates that the winners of the championship, may be looked for in any of the five leading teams. The final matches are bound to produce keen struggles, and with that remarkable uncertainty which is a feature of our game, the positions are liable to undergo a marked change at any time. A comparison of last season's table may be of interest at this juncture, the four leaders only being quoted:— 1915 CHAMPIONSHIP. Matches. Goals. , * x , ' , Clip. P. W. L. D. for. afist. pts. United .. .. 13 "10 2 1 :!9 14 21 Nomads .. 13 10 2 1 41 18 21 Linwood .. 13 7 5 1 28 21 15 Hangers ..13 3 8 2 11 31 8 The following are the 1916 competition tables up to date: — FIRST GRADE. Matches. Goals. r- » , ,— * —vChp. P. W. L. D. for. asst. pts. Bangers .. 1t 8 2 1 48 13 17 United .... 10 7 1 2 33 14 16 Nomads ..10 7 3 lfl 13 14 Linwood ..10 (i 3 1 11 19 13 8.G.11 10 (i 4 St. Bede's ..11 2 8 1 12 29 5 St. Albans .. 11 THIRD GRADE. Nomads ..10 7 3 St. Albans ..10 G 4 Sumner .. 10 fi 4 Western ..10 1 9 FOURTH GRADE. Technical A 11 11 Nomads A .. 9 7 1 1 39 11 15 Linwood .. 9 7 2 St. Rede's ..11 0 5 St. Albans ..11 ."i 5 3 )(i 27 9 Ii.G.H 8 2 5 1 9 30 5 Cadets A .. 4 22 Technical B 10 18 1 6 51 3 Nomads IJ .. 9 1 8 0 34 2 Cadets B .. 3 Fourth grade replays: Linwood v. 8.G.H.; Nomads A v. Nomads B; Cadets U v. 8.G.H.; Linwood v. Nomads A; Ii.G.H. v. Technical B. 'Die following is the first grade draw for to-morrow:—United v. St. Albans, English Park, 1.45; Nomads v. Linwood, English Park, 3 p.m.; Rangers v. 8.G.11., North Park, 3 p.m. FORWARD.