FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13598, 19 May 1908, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

THK ANGLO WELSH TEAM. RECEPTION AT WELLINGTON. P«r Prsiss Association. WELLINGTON, May 18. Tha British team of footballers arrived W the Athenic from London. Tbey are a* fine looking lot of men. They are heavier than the last team, and are noticeable for their yontbfulneas. There are eight Welshmen. The remainder are Englishmen. The captain, Harding, says, the men are in tivst-rate trim, and their chief strength is in the forwards. A tremendous crowd gathered at the , Town Hall this afternoon to be-present at the official reception of the British footballers to New Zealand. Long before the hour appointed for the function the building was; packed to the doors. The Mayor, the Hon. T. Y. Hislop, in welcoming" the team to the Dominion, said that such a visit was of very great benefit in drawing closer the ties of kinship between the people of the Old Country and those of this Dominion. Ho hoped that the visitors would find that tlnere had been no deterioration of the British race in this young country. He extended a very cordial welcome on behalf of the citizens of Wellington. Sir Jcseph Ward, the Premier, assured the team that wherever they went in New Zealand they would be received with the greatest cordiality, and there was no doubt whatever that tbey would meet with ul> lohrte fair play in all their matches. New Zealauders remembered, with pleasure the v«y cordial reception that was given to the All Blacks during' their visit to England and desired to have this opportunity to in some way reciprocate. Whatever the Government could do to make the tour of the team pleasant, they'would be most happy to do. The captain and manager both returned thanks. The latter stated that had tne Irish and Scotch Unions co-operated in sending the team there' was no doubt » stronger team would have arrived. Nevertheless it was- m sound team that had come and he hoped the visit would be ot beaeiit to the cause of amateur Rugby football in New Zealand. The captain (Harding* remarked that he had some pleasant recollection* of his visit to New Zealand a* a member of Bedilt Sievwrights team in 1904. and did not require any assurance that the present team would receive the most scrupulous fair play in its matches. His previous, experience was such as t» make him know that that was a certainty. They could hardly hope to go back_ to England with such a record as the New Zealand team of 1906 had made in England, Because all England footballers knew that that combination was the very finest team of Rugby players that ever went on tour. Stilt they hoped to srive a very good account of themselves- They were good men and had youth in their favour. If they did nofc win a majority of the test matches, it would do them no harm and if they did it might have a good effect on amateur Rugby tootbaii in New Zealand; The cordiality* oi their Teception in Wellington would be something for them always to remember. One thing he had a distinct recoßection of during the visit of Bedili Sievwright'* team was tha.- though the Englishmen had "been soundly whacked on the Athletic Park at Wellington they were cheered by the public during the whole of their journey 1 back to the city. Thefunctton was concluded with hearty cheers for the visitors. North Otago being unable to send a team to Timaru on Thursday, the competition games announced on Saturday last will be proceeded with. Pirates meet for practice at the Stone Stables at 7.30 p.m. to-night; juniors, aud president's please note. * The High School seven-a-side teams will be picked from the following : —King. Cuthbert, Malthas. Gillies. Valentine. Simmers. Mitchell,-O'Donoghue (third grade), and Donnithorne. Cotter. Hamilton. Eraser, Bowfcer, Cuthbert. 'Eaton.' Tcimant. McKihbin (fourth grade). The above ar>* particularly requested to attend practice this week at the rector}-, on Tc»sday and Friday at 3 p.m. Any one unable to pisy on the 25th should notify th.? s-eivt.i.ry nct later than Thursday. The referees appointed for Thursday's fixtures are as follows: —Seniors-Tetmika v. Pirate.-', Mr A. Shirtelitfe; Star v. Timaru, Mr E. H. 'Bennett. Junior Temufca v. Celtic, Mr I>. Rodgers; 'timaru* v. Star, Mr H. Walker: Pirates 'v. Pleasant Point. Mr T. Jordan: Zingari v. fJeraldine, Mr O. Glover. President's.— Temuka v. Star. Mr J. Thompson: Ceraidine v. Pirates. Mr H. Fra.v r: Celtic v. High School, Mr J. Pearse: Old' Uovs v. ZingarC Mr Walton. Fourths. -Tima-ru v. Temuka. Mr W. Newton; Znurnri v. Celtic, Mr A. Dnnn. To tine Editor of the "Timaru ILi.dd " Sir.—Being a member of th- Pleasant Point football ream and also a c*ni>tant render of your '* football I war-, to say the least of it. very much .surpri.-.-d to see a. reflection »:ast »m player.-, at G*raldizw last) Thuisday re it-iu-r bad language. I wns present" at Gc-raldinv and saw two matches ptityed and I certaiuly fward no bad language used by any tram on the grounds, not that tfu'r:- wa> no occasion for players to iswear. Nun- >A the decisions of the lefen-e in th- junior match were mnist erratic. I do not rhinfc it is at ail fair for players liaviriu' to travel 20 mit«s and then have- to wait for at feast 40 minuUt. for the third grade match to bt- played. The paper disfmrtlv said that the junior match was to .-tair

at 3 p.m., and onr team was there up to time .tnd yet the paper says in .the reports of Tbunsday'j. matches that the third grade match was delayed on account of our team arriving; late. Tlie third grade match was timed t<» start at 2 p.m. and yon can see «■(» were tip to time. Trusting you will publish this and m> give us back the confidence r.ur supjiorttrs had in us before this incident occurred. —I am etc.. [Better rtad the note.-* again. Our contributor made no retlecion on th>- players at Oeraldine.—Editor T.K/| FAIR PLAY. THK PROFESSIONAL PE<IIL. In a discussion on amateur v. professional football, Hamisli Stuart, in a recent issue of the London "Daily Chronicle " writes ;k Hollows: The irony of the situation, is this. If the New Zealand and Suu:h Atrican tours had been tinaiicial failures; if the financial success of these, touift had not suggested to tlw. - Northern Uni n that in simitar tours lay their salvation, and the b.>st mearu. of "-preadiug pretVssionalism, the Northern Union would now be nearly dead ir.„it*?ad of enjoying a new and vigorous lease of life. In other words, professionalism in Rugby foot (Kill would have been a diminishing danger instead of a growing and increasingly threatening peril. Prior to the adoption ot the '' Colonial tour" plan by the* N.U:. the tendency was towards professional Soccer clubs taking the places of the N.U. clubs in Bradford, Leeds, and other districts. This tendency has been checked. Tlu». N.U., with its coffers retired and a new attraction, as well a.i a fresh source of revenue, in Colonial sides touring under their auspices. is displaying remarkable activity, and is almost certain sooner »r later to capture three-fourth?* of the working-men ciubs now plaving uiidt»r the auspices of the R.U.

At pneent the policy of the R.U. is to temporise with the sins of its working men clubs in the matter of proh&sionalism. while its Colonial policy is homoepathic. It is answering tour with tour, while admitting that two of the Colonial tours in this country weTe> the indirect (why indirect when "direct" is the correct word?) cause i,l the recrudescence of professionalism. Mr. Fry writes of the Scottish Union as if he were referring to tl»e Football Association. The Scottish Union at* not dictating to their players. They are merely carrying out the wi>lie.< of a great majority of thei;- jilayeie. ' while their powers under the- Union by-laws are suppreme. though there'is a right of appeal to the general meeting of the Union. How strongly Scottish players are in favt-ur of the policy of their Lnion may be gathered from an incident at the Edinburgh Academical dinner. A reference to the Colonial policy of the Union was hailed with a fierce outburst of clieering, by far the longest and loudest of the evening, 'i'be gathering was very representative. Moreover. I knew my Scottish Rugby wortd pretty intimately. I have not met a member thereof who does not approve of the Union's policy. The Scottish Rubgy world can atifcrd to lie self-sup-porting. Most of the players are the sons of fathers who can afford to" treat Rugby footbail as they treat shot-ting, fishing, yachting and other sports. At th» name time there is no lack of sympathy for England and Wales, and it is fully recognised that for thtin the professional peril is a real and pressing danger. That is why I regret the temporising policy of the Rugby Lnion, and the lack of practical sympathy from the Scottish and Irish Unions for which. I believe, that policeis largely responsible.

I hope that af::r all th.- English and Welsh Unions are right in taking the more daring and active cource in the matter of the Colonies. The tour mav confirm the loyalty of the loyal section;"it might even win over the wavering section, but my judgement rum; counter to my hopes, and h?nix- I cannot regard the" tour as likely to do more than give the members of the Anglo-Wekh team a pleasant time, and much good football in a delightful country. Good luck, a good time, and a safe return to them all. One irony remains. Sevr Zealand is almrat ,-t Scotch settlement. It is. at least, a Scoto-Irish cotonv-!