FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

TIMAHU CLUB.

Ilia annual meeting of the Tiniaru football Club was held last evening in the club's rooms, when Mr C. S. S'rascr (president) presided over an attendance of about bO members.

The report stated that some of the main sources of revenue showed a decrease as compared with last year's takings, especially that derived from the billiard tables. But although the receipts had dropped £l6O the club had bean enabled, with careful administration of finances, to carry 011 successfully. During the year 43 new members were elected, and after deducting rsignutions, etc., the present roll stood at 143. Tlio club entered tlirco teams for the South Canterbury Rugby Football Union's Competitions, but the committee had to chronicle non-success, although the facilities offered in tho way of training rooms and export instruction were in advance of previous years. The club was exceedingly fortunate in securing the, services of Mr T. Jordan as honorary coach, and the improvement noticeable in the seniors as the result of his tuition, was most marked. L. Hardio gained senior and K. Mayo junior representative honours during the season . Four billiard tournaments, were held during the year and were won by H. Kennedy, J. McMillan, E. Harold, and D. Sinclair. All the games were evenly contested and productive of much interest.

The President said that looking casually at the balance-sheet it seemed as it the club had barely kept its head above water during the year. However, he supposed the receipts could not always be large, and certainly the income from billiards had fallen off. He had been told that the younger members were playing billiards more than the seniors, and he suggested that the now committee should restrain the juniors from playing too much. Billiards perhaps kept them away from hotels and the like, but there was always a limit. He made complimentary reference to the services and personalities of departed members, and advised all. players to train consistently during the season. He moved the adoption of the _ report and balance sheet. The motion was seconded by Mr E. J. Penrose.

Mr H. Anderson said that tlie billiard receipts had not come mostly from the younger members' pockets, and the president replied that this matter had onlv been mentioned to him.

The mo Lion was carried unanimously,

The balance ;>hont sliowad that the ussote amounted to £205 4s lid, including billiard tobies £125, furniture £2B, piano £2O, outstanding subscriptions £lO, gas' fittings £9. The only liabilities wore debentures 10s, and outstanding accounts £25 s?' 3d. leaving an excess of nssats over liabilities of £l-79 0s Bd. Subscriptions amounted to £45 3s, nnd biLh'erd receipts to £l-79 j 7s*Gd. The chief items of expenditure ) wore rooms account £203 ,17s. 2d, pre- j soiitatwvns and trophies' £10'" lOs, annua}? ball £ll 3s, and debentures redeemed! £24 I.os. j Office-bearers were elected as.follows: 1 President, Mr C. S. Frasef; vice-! presidents, Messrs E. J. Penrose, W. Raymond and A. A. Ware, and Dr.' V. E. Gibson; club caiyfcain, Mr K. B. j Bain: hon. seCretujj," Mr K. Mayo;! lion, treasurer, Mr H. Anderson; dele-! gates to S.C.R.TJ,, Messrs H. Ander-1 pnn and IC. Mayo; auditor, Mr H. H. 1 Frn.scr; selectors, Messrs E. ,T. Penrose! ond J. Knott: committee, Messrs F. | Gl&f.gow, E. -T. Syuith, J". O'Leary, i ■T. H. Horlov. H. Holdcraess. H. Dour- ] Ins, .T. TCnott, and W. Mteben. Mr j E. P. V. Soaly was elected a life member. It wa§. nnnonncied that a ma.tch -with' the Southern Club (Dunedin) had b&>n ju*rnngod to tnkc nlace at Timaru at Easter. Eight new members were elected. After votes of thanks to Mr T. JorMr B. P. V. Senly, and the chairman, the meeting closed. RTTGBY IN PERIL. "Amend the rules, make the game faster—and what fthon? You canTt

play it. It's the man who will step along and take his £3 a week who will be the football player then, and you or other iools will go on the bank and watch him.

Thus dia Mr D. Weir, captain-eiect of the "Wellington Football Club, proclaim his attitude towards present-day tendencies in the liugby world when addressing the annual meeting of the club Last week. There were many, he said, who thought the winning oi matches was the only thing to be desired. Surely there was something more to be desired than that! i«'ur

himself ho would soojaer they wom-1 never win a match than that they should resort to some of the tactics of their opponents. He would be very sorry to see the Wellington Club resort to such tactics. Tho plain truth was that many of those associated with football in Wellington wanted to play the game for the public and not for the play. Football was the best game on God's earth —there was no question about that—but to keep it so they must -play it as amateurs., If certain innovations that were being advocated by two unions at the present time' were brought about it would displace) it. The thing that would displace it' would be worse than a pony race. It; would not be without its allurements, j this new thing. Some of those he was addressing might be attracted by it.i Inducemeilts would be held out to them—they might see opportunity of making lots _of money out of it. But" to what end ? Let them sacrifice their honour; let them touch this jiew thing with a forty-foot pole, and then their football days were over and when they recalled the past they would regret it every remaining day of their lives. It was a fact that, minor alterations were required to the rules, but not of th?; sort asked for. It was not the rules that required altering—it was the 1 players. There were men in the clubs to-day who did not desire to play foot-' ball but some other game. These wero the men who needed to be dealt with. The one or two minor alterations that were required were not to alter the game but to enable a firm hajid to be kept on these. The football that was played on the Athletic Park last season was good to look upon—they wanted nothing faster. Football was la game—keep it as a game, play it as a game.

Mr Weir's remarks were warmly applauded.