FIXTURES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 346, 25 July 1885, Page 22

FIXTURES.

XOOTBJILIi. — SENIOB CUP MATCHES. July 25. — Auckland v Albert, Newton v Ponsonby, Gordon v North Shore „, Wellington v. Christchurch, July 26th..' August I—Grafton1 — Grafton v- North Shore,' Ptihsonby v Gordon, Albert v Newtqn *- ,■;!' August 8. — Gordon j Auckland, Albert v North Shore, Grafton v Poni&jpy August 15. — Auckland, v CSJwton, Albert v Ponsonby, Newtoh v Nortfi Shore August 22.— C1u1? Ties. : v' : INTEBPKOVINCTAIf . EdOTBALL MATCHES- ' August 29. — Otago y. Canterbiftar, Si Christchurch. ;J' < m July 25. — Wellington v. .Canterbury, a Christchurch. *■'*"' f^,'JUNIOR CTTP MATCHES. July 25. — Auckland v. Ponsonjjy, Athletic v. Albert, : Jffome Bay v. Manu&au, Newton r. Arawa, Grafton v. Gordon, Victoria v. Waifeemata. „. THE TRACK . Hancock v. Scott, July 27th ; three distances. Ryan, the prominent back of the Grafton club, has again bid adieu to the carpet. William Burns, the light-weight pugilist, intends joining the Benedicts next week. Donovan goes South in company of Matthews to meet the Southern ring. The Gisborne footballers won their match with Napier by nine points to love. The Wellington Representative Team, were hospitably received by the Dunedin people. The English footballers will be glad to play Otago Football Club if they can raise a team. There should be a game struggle this (Saturday) afternoon between the Newton and Ponsonby. The Albert Second were beaten by the Manukau, at Onehunga on Saturday, by four points. The Napier footballers defeated the representatives of Gisborne on Saturday by nine points to nil. The Grafton and Victoria clubs meet again at the close of the season the Domain Ground. A dinner on the tapis. The Mayor of Dunedin declined to grant a holiday on the occasion of the Interprovincial Match. Rude fellow. There is a rumour current that several of the recent glove fights in Wellington and down South were not ' on the square.' The wrestling match between Reany and Maher resulted in a easy victory for the former by three falls to one. The Church of England Grammar School won their match with the St. Stephen's Maori School by two points to nil. The Arawas defeated the Ponsonby Juniors on Saturday by four points to nil. The match throughout was evenly contested. The return match between the Athletic and Gordon Second fifteen resulted in a victory . for the former by fifteen points to nil. North Shore Regatta on the 9th November, war canoe, whaleboat, and novel hurdle race will be amongst the items on the programme. The result of the Interprovincial Football Match (Wellington v. Otago), played at Christchurch on Wednesday, appears under «Late Sport." It seems Williamson has not taken over the 7-ton yacht built for him by Logan some weeks ago. She is at present on the North Shore advertised for sale. The Auckland Second had a walk over on Saturday, the Home Bay Juniors refusing to play. This is the sixth match in succession , the Auckland have won. A meeting of the North Shore Regatta • Club was held at Devonport, on Monday evening, at which it was resolved to hold a regatta on or about the 9th November. Why shouldn't the Grafton have won their match with the Victoria? The members took nightly spins to Onehunga, and placed the fragrant ' weed ' on one side for a whole week! A six-day competition on roller skates concluded at Madison-square Gardens on May 16. Fifteen men took part in it, and the winner „ covered the enormous distance of 1166 i'miles. ■■■-V,** ■ \ ..,_, The Victoria received a rather unexpected JprHsbing from the Grafton Secoud, the having matters all their own way, K- and eventually "winning by seven points to love. The No;th Shore beat the Auckland by six ? points to love. This, was, indeed, a surprise. The blues were , beaten in every match they plaj ed this season, and no one thought they would have drawn the line here. A sculling match recently came off on the Tarramatta River between Harrington, late of

Riverton, who was defeated by Hearn last January, and a Sydney oarsman. Harrington won easily. The match was for £20 a-side, and the course was the same as that over which the Hanlan-Beach races were rowed. Graydon has decided to call his thirteenfooter the " Bell." Taranaki footballers, says a contemporary, are endeavouring to form a Taranaki Football Union, and should such an institution be established, a Taranaki football team will be sent to play Wellington. A private wrestling match has been arranged between a local man and J. lleany. Ihe affair is booked for Monday night at Hazel's Riding School. The stakes are £25 aside, and only a limited number of persons will be admitted. Gordon won their match with the Albert by four points to love, a goal from the field kicked by Lusk. "W. Meldrum also secured a try in the last term, but the umpires disallowed it on the grounds of the ball being taken while off side. Graf ton succeeded in winning the return match, with Newton by 11 points to 2. Joughin and Veale secured tries for the maroons, and Gardner (from a try) and Brown kicked goals. W. Hobson obtained a try for the Newton, but Sexton made an unsuccessful attempt to increase the score. It is likely that Sam Dove will build several open sailing boats for the first regatta. He is in town at present, and intends laying the keel of a sixteen-footer at once. Dove will bring the splendid cedar 20-footer, Peare, built by E. Irivin, who died only a few weeks ago, up from the Bay, and take charge of her in the North Shore Regatta. The Canadian Argonaut Rowing Club sent a four-oared crew over to England to compete at the Henley and Metropolitan regattas this month. The four is the exact crew which rowed at Warkins last year, and won the four-oared champion race at the regatta of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, covering the mile and a half in the fastest time on record in dead water — namely, Binin. 22f sec. The Otago Rugby Union have received a letter from the Rovers' Football Club (England) stating that they intend touring the Australasian colonies during the winter of 1886. They will leave London in February, and after 'doing' Sydney, Melbourne, etc., will head for Dunedin, which port they hope to make in July. Murphy's challenge, in last week's Bell, to knock any man under 9st out of time in four three-minute rounds, for a medium stake, has not as yet been accepted. His- challenge to Eugene Donovan to nieet him in a ring on the turf cannot possibly be accepted at present, as Donovan is in Wellington, and it is not likely he would break off his engagements to acceptit. The Christchurch team, according to a scribe, enter the field heavily handicapped. The Selection Committee have amongst the selected a man utterly unfit for an interprovincial match, and one who was never assigned a position behind the scrum in his own club matches. He is to occupy a prominent position in the ' back ' department in the big match. D. Godwin (says a London paper) hearing that Thomas Clifford intends visiting this country, will row a race on the Thames for £100 or £200 a-side. George Perkins has issued a challenge to C. Messenger (Beach's ; trainer) for £200 a-side, from Putney to Mortlake. Perkins is likewise open to row Largan level, or give any resident in Great Britain a start of two lengths over the Thames course, barring Largan and Godwin. Either of the above matches can be made by a reply through the columns of the Australian or the English sporting newspapers. In reply to an English paper which stated that the celebrated Yankee pugilist, John C. Heenan, was lying in a nameless grave, the Neiv York Clipper comes out with the statement that John C. Heenan does not lie in a nameless grave, but has a very handsome monument, which was erected by his sister out of the fortune left by her brother. With regard to Heenan's fight with King, Jack Macdonald, who acted as Heenan's second, some six years ago broke out into print with an unsupported and rambling accusation to the effect that Heenan sold the fight with King, in which connection a London writer sa y S : — < That it was by no means a ' true-run race ' which resulted at Wadhurst that dull ; and drear December morning, I firmly believe; I for all that, I do not think Heenan was guilty — he was the sold rather than the seller.' And, further on, the writer says : — ' One of i these days, when there is nothing else to do, i and something happens to make the public ripe for a revelation, I may spin the yarn in full, and perhaps throw some light on what is still enshrouded in mystery.' The letter which, has been received by the Secretary of the Otago Union anent the proposed visit of an English team to the colonies is as follows : — c l have much pleasure in informing you that the London Rovers Football Club has decided upon a tour in Australia and New Zealand during the summer of 1886. We purpose leaving England about the end of February, so that after playing in Australia we should visit your district about the first or second week in July. Our committee would be deeply grateful if the Otogo Football Union would be kind enough to arrange matches for us with the best clubs and unions for that date, say third week in July, and following weeks (we should be glad to play the O.F.C. if they

can raise a team). The committes of the London Rovers would like to mention that all matches played will be under the agreement that we receive half of our opponents' gate fees, and also that any expense incurred in arranging matches will be gladly defrayed by us. Our team plays under the rules of the English Rugby Football Union. If you know of any unions in Australia, I would be obliged if you will let them know that we shall be over about April. — G-. Paesons, Hon. Secretary.' The following table should prove interesting to footballers, showing, as it does, how the clubs competing for the Association Cup stand : —

SENIOR CLUBS. Name of Club Wou. Lost. Drawn. Points. Ponsonby ... 7 1 0 51 Graf ton ... 5 1 2 34 Gordon ... 5 1 2 19 Newton ... 3 3 3 10 Auckland ... 2 5 2 10 Albert 16 1 4 North Shore... 1 7 0 10 JUNIOR CLUBS. Victoria ... 10 2 0 — Arawa ... 7 2 1 — Athletic ... 7 1 4 — Auckland ... 7 4 1 — Grafton ... 6 5 1 — Newton ... 5 4 3 — Waitemata ... 4 2 3 — Ponsonby ... & & 3 ~ Home Bay ... 4 8 0 — Albert ... 3 7 2 — Manakau ... 3 9 0 — Gordon ... 0 12 0 —