FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144360, 26 March 1914, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

THE ROVERS’ CLUB. ANNUAL MEETING. There was a poor attendance of members at the annual meeting of the Rovers Football Club, hold in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. Mr. J. Terrv occupied the chair. REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. The annual report, a.s already printed, was adopted without discussion. The balance-sheet showed a small less on the year’s working, and left the club with a balance of Gd, The receipts, with the balance irom last year of £3 Os Del, totalled £39 8s od ; the items beinu; Insurance collected .£2 9s. donations i'o 12s, subscriptions £2 17s Gd. gate receipts £lO I7s 3d. and fares collected £l4 Us 9d. 'Hie expenditure came to within sixpence, mostly caused bv car fares to Okato and train fares in Inglewood £l7 11s. insurance of players £G Ms. rent of grounds and rooms £4 Os. Rugby Union fees and 10 per com. £2 9s 9d.

NEW MEMBERS. The following now playing members were elected Messrs. L. A. Tocker, C. I>. M'Allmn. G. K. Hawkins. E. Crisp. P. E. Stain-t-«n. A. M’Given. h. Turner. R. H. Quilliam. K. D. Snell. N. Abso.am, M. Marshall. A. Fowler. R. H. Espmer, it. Colson, S. Saffar. OFFICE-BEARERS.

Office-bearers were elected as follows; Pnsidmu, Mr. -I. 11. Quilliarn (reelected); vice-presidents. Messrs. A. M-Hardv. J, 'lorrv. IC. F. Hlunclcll. ti. H. Chaiicv, A. li. ritandfeh. W. F. Coghil!, J. IL Roy, J. C. Nicholson. N. K. MncDiarmid. J. Paton. Dm. F cokes, Waiknr and Hinckley (all rc-clectml): ho: secretary. -Mr. Erie Grant; lion, auditor. Mr.'ll. W. Stow (re-elected); chib captain. .Mr. A. C. Thompson (reelected) : managementcommittee. eapta;n. secretary, and Messrs. I). Mobster, R. P. Quilliam. and L. A. locker; .'.election committee, captain, .Messrs. Webster and (Juilliam (n-elected); delecate to Taranaki Rugby Union, Mr. J). Webster (re-elected), GENERAL. In view of the increased number of Saiurdav teams, the delegate to Lite Union was instructed to endeavour to pel more representation by the .Saturday ciuha on the management committee of the Union. , t , , An endeavour will also bo rtiacic t-o assist with the inauguration of a junior Saturday competition if .suiiicicnt tennis warrant it. Tlie opening day was fixed for Saturday. April 18. . . Tile matter of the insurance ot players was left in the hands of the management committee. , It was again agreed to admit ladies free to all matches. \ verv hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. .1. I lore, an ex-member of the. club, for Ids generosity in once more donating a gold medal for the most improved player. Votes of thankr, wore accorded the press, the referees’ Association, and the chairman.

ELTHAM NOTES.

FROM OUR OWN CORIIRS FONDEST

It was generally admitted here last winter that local'Rngby was at a low ebb, and now it has to be chronicled that after a life of twenty-one years the Eitliaui Football Club goes out of existence. It may be resuscitated iatei on, but the management committee have mot luid considered that the prospects ahead did not warrant calling a mta'iipg and vested ail property m two trustees, M'-fers. Nultall and Lording, president and treasurer respectively last year. The club possess a training shed costing £64, and ibis and oilier things will Iro available when the time comes to get the game going again. One cannot help lecling sorry that football has come to such a poos here, but there the matter stands. One reason advanced is that in the past tho players have been too well looked after by the committer', and later on when new committees relnscd to run round after tho players tho latlor sulked and dropped the game. The true sport rarely sulks and needs litelo coaxing to play, but it is useless to deny that there has been players like this in tho game. To my mind the real rnuio of Eltliam’s tailing oil was through its gecgraphieal position. A player in followiiig up the game lost, three full days in”tho matches at Wailara and New Plymouth when Stars and Tukapa wore playing. lie also lest pay, and sometimes nt groat inconvenience to his employer. No other town in the division was so placed. Tiro incidental expenses that accompany the game were heavier with our team than others and in tho case of juniors it came particularly hard. On the top of tliis the public began to lose interest in tho game, and in this connection the blame can be mainly attributable to the Rugby Union when it allowed visiting loams tho privilege of arriving by tiro 3.30 train. Many seasons back all matches hero commenced at 3 o’clock, and ihe public then rolled up in sufficient numbers that £l2 and £l3 gates were not unusual, although club membership was strong and entitled to free admission. Tho last two seasons saw matches starting nearer 4 than 3 o’clock and cither cut short in spells or played in .semidarkness. Now, it takes little reasoning to find out that no matter what game may be played a man doesn’t like kicking his heels on damn grass and "swopping yards” waiting for tho team to arrive, and he stays away and eventually drops attending the game for good. The same thing catches tiro player. Me couldn’t see the force of having to lose three full days and other clubs objecting to lose one day, and this spirit of hostility spread. Tho advent of tho Northern Union game also helped to deaden Rugby, and hero again a union official gave Eltham a blow. In this instance one has to travel hack a few years. A game against Wellington at Hawera I believe to lie the match, and Buckland, Eltham three-quarter, was picked and in Jersey on tiro ground, when he was told to stand down for another player. He stood down all right, but didn’t like the treatment, and was the first Eltham player to go to the? new game. Others in tho club sympathised with tho man and either wont over to tho new game or dropped out of playing Rugby. Last winter the Rugby officials mot tho Eltham Club and had a chat on what to do and what not to do, but it was plainly evident that Rugby was dead here, and now after the mooting last night it lies decently buried.

TARANAKI RUGBY UNION.

The following is the report to bo presented at the annual meeting of delegates to the Taranaki Rugby Union at

Stratford to-morrow evening:— Your committee, in presenting its annual report for the 1913 season, has pleasure in being able to record that for the first time wince the inception of the competition, Taranaki footballers have the honour of holding the Ranfurly Shield. This fact should have a beneficial effect on the game this season, the prospects for a successful year being bright and encouraging. A pleasing tcature at last season s football was the presence of two school teams in the Third Grade Competition, the New Plymouth High School eventually winning the Northern Championship. The encouragement of school football’ has received your committee’s attention, and a keen competition among the primary schools of the northern end of the province resulted in ihe Stratford school winning the Pitman Cup. Competitions in the southern and western parts of the province have yet to be organised.

Representative Football.—Nine representative games were played, viz., against Wellington (2), Wanganui (2), Auckland (2). Mnnawatu, Wairarapa, and Australia. Of those matches those against Auckland at Auckland, Manawatu at Palmerston North, Wanganui at Wanganui and Uawcra, were won, the others being lost. In addition to these, the B team played throe matches, viz., against Auckland at New Plymouth, Wanganui B at Wanganui, and Wairoa Sub-Union at Patea. The matches against Auckland and Wanganui were lost, the other match being won. Financial. The balance-sheet discloses a loss of about £;T) during the past season. The trip to Auckland, although it gave Taranaki the coveted Rnnfurly Shield, did not turn out so well financially a*» anticipated, tho profit on the trip being £4O. The inauguration of H team matches cost the union about £77. this fact accounting for the larger pari of tho loss sustained. Should our representatives manage to retain the shield, the gates, at the various home matches should be larger than usual, and our finances at the end of the year consequently in a much bettor position. Club Championships.—Tho Provincial Championship.-, were won as follows: First grade. Waimuto; second grade, Wnimntc: third grade, Okaiawa. Honorary Members. Suggestions have been mark* at various times that the union should open an honorary members* list, admitting old players and supporters of Rugby as honorary members of the union at £1 Is each annually, honorary members’ tickets admitting them to all inter-provincial matches. The suggestion is placed before the delegates for consideration. Alf. Bayly Scholarship.—The 1013 scholarship was won by Master G. Lawn, of the Stratford District High School. The thanks of the union are due to Mr. -Moves of the New Plymouth High School, for his kindness in entertaining visiting hoys at tho school. More interest is now be.ing taken by the Southern schools in the competition. four schools under the jurisdiction of the Wanganui Education Board competing for the 1013 scholarship. International Football.—Your committee have pleasure in recording that five Taranaki players, viz., J. Stohr, R. Roberts, C. Loveridge, M. Cain, and H. Dewar, earned international caps, these players representing Now Zealand against tho Californian teams, while C. Brown and H. Taylor had the honour of also earning Now Zealand by playing in tho test matches against Australia.

In conclusion, your committee wish to thank the press for its generous support of the game, the Referees’ Association for its assistance, and players for the worthy manner in which they upheld the good name of Taranaki football. BALANCE SHEET. The statement of receipts and expenditure shows a eredl balance of £l4l As (id. The lial.ililies exceed the assets by £7.4 11s (xi. outstanding accounts totalling £”00. The following credit balances were shown for the different matches; —Taranaki v, Auckland, at New Plymouth, £69 Os 6d; North v. South, £2l 4s 9d ; Hawora v. AVaimate (Ist Juniors), £2 5s fid; Taranaki v. Wellington, £57 5s Id ; Taranaki v. Wanganui, £6l 11s 6d: Waimale v. Stratford (Juniors), £49 12s; Star v. Inglewood (Saturday), £4 14s 6d ; Tukapa v. Inglewood, £5 17s. In the second Junior final, Okaiawa y. High School, both sides of the account balanced. In the match Auckland v. Taranaki B, a debit of £33 15s is shown.