LEAGUE GAME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12067, 24 July 1917, Page 3

LEAGUE GAME.

Saturday saw tho end of tho season, so far as the competitions for I'll" are, concerned, Hornby Seniors securing premier honours as the- result of their gam© with Fedoral. Jn addition, this clubs third grade, team won tho President's Cup. 'fho Junior Hag was captured by Addington aflter a series of matches!, in which the team did not meet with a singlo reverse. In common with other sports the League has suffered severely by reason of tho continual drain of enlistments, younger players joining tho ranks as soon as (they reached military age. Nevertheless, the season has been one upon which players, officials and supporters will he able to look back with tho greatest .satisfaction, a*s it/ must bo regarded, under the circumstances as the 1110.% successful experienced since the thirtoon-aside game was established in Ohristehuroh. Not only lias the standard of play been [high and every game,, without exception, clean, fast, and interesit/ing, but the code has grown in public favour to nn extent beyond the expectations of tho most optimistic enthusiast. Each ftenior game saw an ever increasing crowa of spectators; each week saw tho membership lists of overy club become longer and longer. As time goes on, tho season of 1917 will coino to be regarded as marking the turning point in ifne League's tidt of popularity and progress.

Br-foi' e any further review of the past season is made, Saturday's principal mau'Tiea may bo briefly touched ivpou. The chief interest was centred in the FederaJ-Horaby match, which attracted to Sit Albans Park over a thousand spectators, both teams bringing with thorn contingents of leather-lunged supporters. Played in four spells of twenty minutes each, the game was all that one of such importance should be—evenly and stubbornly contested and fast and exciting throughout. Hornby won by the narrow margin of two points, the final scores being 10— S. but »:. cannot be gainsaid that Federal were unlucky to loso as two kicks right in i'ront of the posts rebounded from tho upright iuto the field. Except in tho first quarter, when Hornby had much tho besJti of the 1 play, and in tho last ten minute? of the game, when Feneral set up a series of fierce assaults on their opponents' lines, neither side could bo son down as showing superiority and, as the play wont, tbere was little to choose between tho teams. Hornby's scorea were obtained in the second quarter and within a minute or so of each other. Shortly after Fletcher had placed a ponalty for Federal J. Sanders (recently an Addington Junior) gathered a difficult ball in his stride just outside the Federal twenty-live. Lie was weakly tackled and drew the defence to the lino, down which ho raced with much dash. A cross-kick, sent almost at right angles, was smartly snapped up by Cox, who dashed over 'midst wiid cheering from the Hornbyitos. The ball was just set in play after this try had been converted when fast following up gave S. Smith a chanco to snap up and score. F. Sanders kicked another goal and placed his side eight points to the good before half-time) sounded.

The third quarter had justopenod when Porter (Federal) whipped a clean-ly-heeled ball to W. .Mitchell, who heaved out a, long lob to C. Kruso. Tho leather was not cleanly gathered, b*at Kruso went on and scored in a good position. At thi.s .stage the Hornby forwards appeared to tire and Federal set up a hot attack. Picking up under tho posts, .Mitchell bounded over, injuring his knee slightly through coming into .contact with the post. Another very easy kick was missed bv Fletcher, tho ball again striking a, post. Federal kept up the pressure, but although they gave their opponents an anxious ten minutes the tackling of Hornby was equal to the occasion. Tho final flutter was most exeking, the baU travelling up and down the, held to tho delight of the crowd. Ail sorts of wily tactics were introduced by both sides, each ruse being met by another. Thc| passing and lidding \yci\\ excellent, though every promising movement was checked by the deadliness of the tackling. The pace was a cracker throughout tho spell, the ball going over tho touchlino on very U'w occasions. It was freely asserted by impartial spectators that Federal could not keep up) with their lighter opponents, but the opposite proved the. ease, as in the concluding stages of the battle Hornby became obviouslv tired and were continually defending. Here again, however, their tackling stood them in good .stead, and they kepi- their line intacfU until tho whistle brought them final relief. Thus Hornby obtained the season's premiership. Th" game was ably controlled by Mr .1. Stevens. "When Sydenham went out to face Linwood on the bitter's ground they possibly had in mind the hot game put up by tho Easterners on the last occasion upon which the teams mot. This recollection must have been accentuated by tho way Linwood took up an? immediate offensive and scorod in the opening stagas of the game. So aggressive wero the Eastern forwards that their side had established a three points lead when half-time arrived. It was not until right on tho call of time that Sydenham were enabled to got into >i winning position, Hill scoring a try from a well-carried-out passing rush, the game ending: Sydenham 13, Linwood 0. The game Was not uninteresting and was illumined by occasional Mashes of brilliancy; still the display, taken all round, was not equal to those previously given by both teams. The biggest surprise of the Junior ■matches was the defeat of Addington by Sydenham by o points to 3. These teams have completed their flag matches and are now engaged in a icrvtwkoiit series. Addingtoii came through tho .competitions without a Joss, having piled up a great array of points at the oxpcn.se of their opponents. Recently several of this team's leading phiVQi-s have been transferred to fill the ranks of Senior teams, a circ'anih stance which probably accounts for Saturday's defeat. The sccreuirv of the Federal club has lodged a protest agaiiwt Hornby's being awarded last Saturday's Senior match, the grounds of the protest being that the game was short-played by five minutes. As the Committee of Management considered that there was a principle involved, it injudiciously referred the matter to the New Zealand council. The facts, as submitted to the Committee of Management, were that the referee appointed a timekeeper, and that tho closing of the game by the referee came five minutes before I the said iimekeoper «;avo his signal for the. termination of hostilities. It is a well-known am! well understood football law that the referee sliall be tho sole judge of all matters of fact. So far as this writer's memory goes, that law has been incorporated in the rules of the Canterbury league. The only basis upon which an appeal can be made to the New Zealand council is that of law. Time is not a quest-ion of law: it is purely and simply one of fact. If the referee thinks fit to blow his wlu'stle, even though only ten minutes of a prearranged forty minutes spell havo been played, no case for an appeal on lawcan be stated. No referee's decision can be revoked or amended after the whistle has gone. He is the solo judge ou matters of fact. If the referee in Saturday's match blew his whistle for full time, even though he might have been labouring under a delusion, his decision must stand. The rules speak very plainly on this subject, and there can bo no difference of opinion when it is asserted that the Committee of Management overrode the rules in sending to the New Zealand council an appoal based not on law, but on fact. A.t the risk of inviting official criticism, it must be candidly stated that this decision of the Committee of Management savours of a desire to bring Sydenham and Hornby into a big clash for the premiership a fortnight

hence. While it is beyond question that bucli a game would be worth the while of all lovers of the best .and the brightest that is to bo seen in Christchurch to-day, no official can get bohind his own rules in pursuit of even the most noble endeavour. It's not " tho way they Jiavw on the football field." Jf the referee- in the HornbyFederal match did blow his whistle live minutes before time, Federal have no redress. They may kick the referee or speak jit of him, as all good referees must at some timo be made the subject of uncharitable- usages, but they cannot rob Hornby of the match—not, at least, if tho rules of the Canterbury Football League are worth the paper tliey are printed on. If it is a general desire that Sydenham and Hornby should be matched before the warm days come in, let tho Committee of Management bring thorn together legitimately and without resort to subterfuge. Both clubs are sports enough to hnvo another go for the purpose of deciding which has tho better Senior team. A game thus arranged would do more for League than all the matches of a century replayed under protests forbidden by tho rules. ■ At tile outset of theSo noftos it was intended to review in detail tho factors that contributed to this season's success. Tho developments following on tho illconsidered reference of (the Federal Club's protest to tho New Zealand Council, however, render it inadvisable to discuss these this week. As the Addington Club has annexed the.Junior flag without having to run the gaunltlet of any protest based on spectators' j statements, it might not be out. of place to give a, brief outline of this club's fortunes since it was established.

It was in February, 1913, so far as memory servos, that three League converts:—o. 13. Hardingham, J. T. Stevens and C. J. Poareo sot out, in the faco of considerable opposition, to form a club in Christchuroh. The inaugural meeting took place in the Dickens Street Hall, Addington. In that year tho Addington Club entered a Senior and a Junior it'eam in tho competitions. Tho former, under tho leadership of C. J. Pearce, played eleven matches. Of these they won 5 and lost 6, scoring 120 points, with 107 against. Tho Juniors, under W. Gray, won all their matches and captured the Junior flag, presented by Mr Barnes. In 1914 ithreo teams wero entered, bub players Went away to the war before, tho season was through, and interest in the game sagged. Jn such straits was tho club at the beginning of the 1915 season that only livo third grado players remained—tibo others on tho membership list had all gone into khaki. New boys were recruited and teams were entered for tho third and fourth grade games. It was upon these boys thait: the stand-bys of the club lavished their attentions, and laid the foundation of future success. Though tho material was young and raw and no championships wero won, a thorough training and education in the, code was given, with tho result that in the, 1916 sea-son. both teams wero in the forefront of all matches, the (thirds running into second place. This year the Junior team, fortified with lessons Well taught, captured tho Junior flag with tho following record :—Matches played, 9; won, 9; point's for, 155; points against, 14. Their knowledge of tho game, coupled with training, enabled tho players to overwhelm their opponents and to draw a concourse of spectators to each ground they played on. Tho feature of their play has. been the absence* of individualism and the absolute lack of those selfish tendencies to which many older players show a disposition. Another attribute, which cannot bo let pass, is tho restraint which tho Addington boys put on their tongue. They merer talk or question decisions. When things siro going bad they say nothing. That's tho sort of conduct that makes for success.

This year's team, which was captained by J. Sanders included: —R. M'Gibbon, R. Hill, V. Locke, F. Kerr, J. Weston, J. Lawry, B. Brown, S. Smith, D. Lagan, S. Richardson, E. Cox, J. M'Clorky, L. Burgess, Johnston, J. Clark .and Watson.