FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10625, 28 May 1896, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

■■ ■ ' • [By "Rover."] Both the Hawera papers fall into tho error of stating that Ha won played three men short in the match against Star on Monday last. As a matter of fact the Hawera team was oue short, tho fullback position being vacant, although it must bo admitted that one player less than their opponents meant a handicap to tho Hawera visitors. Refetring to the *ame match the Hawera Post says :— " The game throughout was very rough, and judging by the appearance of some of the Hawera men on their arrival here the " ironsand" players had given them more than 25 points to bring back." Tfie-liiwers Post of Tuesday states that "a luam of footballers on the return north, per train yesterday afternoon, indulged in very unseemly conduct at one (at least) of the stations,, cruelly jeering at an elderly settler. Footballers can surely behave themsolves' as well as ordinary pasengers." Football has its humorous as welt as its serious >ide. When thrcoof tho Tukapa 11. tiMtm "cracked up" within a period of five minute* in the match against Inglo wood on Monday lost a spectator remarked, "What a patched up lot they must be ; why, instead of • Tukapa' they ought to be called 'Twohoppers'." While sympathising with tho players who were unfortunate enough to get their knee and ankle joints ricked it must bo said that the sight of them limping round iv their endeavours to pl»y appealed humorously to the spectators. Once when the prospect of scoring a try for his side looked rosy one of tbeiu so far forget hit lameness as to put in a brilliant spurt in an effort to fall lovingly on the oval when it crested the line, and, but for a bit of bad luck, he might have attained his object. Again, tho same player had at one time to to be assisted off the gronnd after collidiDg with another player, accantuatng his injury, and he was deposited on a roller, thut was placed behind the goel post, to suffer a recovery. He was in this position nursing his injured knee when a determined rush for the line was made by the Inglewood forwards, and so con cerned was the player at the terrible idea (to a footballer), that a score was likely to be put up by his opponents when they were trying "to draw " the game, that he loft his seat on the roller iv the twinkling of an eye, and rushed swiftly forward to help iv tho repelling of the attack. When the danger wsi averted he limped wearily back to jus position of safety on the roller, but eventually} when his oppouenU wero making matters too lively, he took the field again, and kept it till thecall of time. Another of the injured trio managed to obtain possession of the oval when a score looked a certainty for Inglewood, and not being able to raise his foot to propel it, he did the next best thing under the circumstance—he tat on tho ball ; and the time gained gave his comrades time to get round to repel the rush. Hawken, of the Hawera team, was mistaken by many spectators on Mvnday last for A. Bayly, the well-known threequarter, and, at first sight, those who knew Bayly well admitted ttiere was a striking resemblance, not only in face but iv figure.

A Leap Year dance will be held at the Fitzroy Hall to-night. Tho piano and organ used at the production of " The Haymakers" on Wednesday night were kindly lent by Messrs Collier & Co. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 1.30 p.m. to-day :—": — " Strong north-west to west and south winds, and glasa rising ; tides increasing." The Hon. J. McKenzie, Minister of Lands, has promiied to deliver a political address in Hawera on his return from Auokland. The nett proceeds from the entertainment in tho Alexandra Hall on Wednesday night were £5 6a, and a donation of ten shillings from Mr F. A. Carrington made the total handed over to the Recreation Board £5 16s. For wholesale plagiarism tho Es;mont Settler probably " takes the cake. ' In its last issue the report of Mr E. M. Smith's doings in London, the report of the Mimi Races, besides some half dozen paragraphs were " cribbed " from our columns without a word of acknowledment. Messrs N. King, J. B. Connett (directors of the Taranaki Freezing Works), and R. Cock returned home this (Thursday) morning from a business trip to Christchurch and Wellington. We understand that the gentlemen were able to make, satisfactory arrangements for the shipping of produce from the breakwater by direct steamer*, and they were also successful in getting the Government to declare Now Plymouth a port of export under the Dairy Act. Tho grading of buttor, &c, will also be attended to.