ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16704, 8 April 1922, Page 10

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

THE MACIC CUP. (Special to the ” Star.”') LONDON. February 23. All the old scenes marked the third round ties in the great football crup competition. There is a good deal of distress consequent on unemployment, but this did not prevent the club suimporter from seeing his favourite team, even if he lived a hundred miles away from the venue of the match. For instance two Nottingham men actually walked to Cardiff in order to see Notts Forest play Cardiff City, and crowded excursion trains ran through the night to the centres where the eight ties were decided. Altogether, over 354.000 people attended the matches, and in eluding the entertainment tax they paid nearly £23,000. It is truly a magic cup. The biggest crowd was at Tottenham. North London, where the famous Hotspurs met and beat -Manchester City. Here there were 53,000 spectators, and they were provided with one of the finest displays of football that even the old player could remember. The home side struck a brilliant streak in the first half and practically won the match before the interval, scoring two superb goals. The play of the forwards, and, indeed, the whole side, was so good that there were many who jumped to the conclusion that Hotspurs will win the cup for the second time in succession. They are undoubtedly a wonderful team, but as luck will have it they have been set an exceedingly hard task in the next round. This is to go to ( ardiff and tackle, the Welsh club, who have been invincible since Christmas. I Ids is the latter’s first season in the First J league, and they did not begin ’■re 11 : indeed, in the opening month, they were twice defeated by Tottenham. In the meantime, however, they have discovered a young centre forward named Davis, and he lias pulled the team together in a remarkable way. He is a frail looking lacl whom one would hardly think fitted for the hurly burly of tin- game', but lie is so clever that his luck ni stamina is no handicap. This will be the great match in the fourth round on March I, when the next ties are to be played. (The match was drawn, the score being one goal each). Two other London teamj, the Arsenal and Millwall, still survive, and it is several years since the Metropolis was so well represented at such a late stage of the tournament. Indeed there is« a verv good chance of the Arsenal entering the semi-final, as they have been drawn at home again. Their opponents will be either Preston North End or Barnsley. These two clubs played a draw at their first meeting at Barnsley, and the replay at Preston has not yet been decided. Three other games have to lie replayed, for Aston Villa and Stoke failed to get a goal, and West Bromwich, Albion and Notts County, and Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield finished each with one to their credit.

Who is going to win the cup? There is just as much doubt as ever, but the best of the survivors are Tottenham Hotspurs, Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Huddersfield.