SOCCER CORNER

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17906, 23 July 1926, Page 12

SOCCER CORNER

anticipations, comments, and general news. [By “ FULL-BACK.”]

THE COMPETITION. To-morrow sees the competition once again into its swing, after the Chatham Cup trials. Of paramount interest will be the final of the Chatham Cup locally, between Sunnvside and Western. These, teams meet at English Park, and a good game is assured. Sunny side, with their clever forward line up to full strength, will prove difficult for Western, whose defence is, .after all, only medium in calibre; on the other hand, the swift, thrusting methods of the Black offensive party have always made them a source of anxiety to any opposition. In defence, the Institute team is strong: the halves are well balanced, and Wales, right half, is a host in himself. The. two backs are rather more shaky, and if Western manage to beat the intermediates with an)' frequency, as by long passing tactics they should be able to do, aided by the swift wingers, then scoring chances should eventuate. If the ball comes anywhere near the Sunnvside halves, however, it is more than likely to be seized and returned. Therefore the advocacy of long passing movements from the wings to the centre. As far as Sunnvside go, pressure on the wing halves, and use of the clever line play for which the team is noted, should let through attacks at either side, but the centre will be well watched, and the backs are a sound pair. Once past the backs, however, passes from the wings to the centre should form likely chances, for the custodian is one of the weakest links of the Western team. The result will be in doubt right up to the time that the teams take the field; then it will be seen if Western intend to play with the dash and vigour which they usually unearth in important fixtures; Sunnvside do not vary much, so that bn Western’s form hangs any prediction of the result. They have a good chance of winning if they -put all the speed and ginger possible into their play. Nomads are down to meet Technical Old Boys at Sunnvside. Technical have been visibly going off for weeks past, but Nomads are in constant difficulties over players. The splendid defence remains more or less intact from week to week, but in the front line the variations are considerable and militate against good displays. Nomads are trying hard to keep their heads above water, and turn out regularly each week. But the front line is undeniably poor and generally inefficient, On what kind of a front line the Blues manage to turn out to-morrow depend the Technical chances; if it is weak, Old Boys ought to win. Otherwise, it is hard to tell. Villa and Thistle are the other contestants in the senior division. This match promises to be a close go. Thistle are now' a well-balanced team, with clever enough, forwards, ready to snap up any opportunity that comes along; the halves are reliable and not lacking in pace, and feed the front line judiciously and accurately. Moreover, the man between the sticks is usually sound, and the backs are useful. Nor is Villa, an improving team, to be taken lightly. The forwards are keen and quite fast, and though the half line is not the best in the competition, it is largely compensated by a sound rearguard. However, on general chances, Thistle should prove winners by a goal or two. CANTERBURY’S TOURISTS. The Canterbury team which has been selected to go north to play Auckland and Wellington in the English Trophy matches on the 7th and 14th of August respectively, is a good, all-round combination of players. Although the selection has had to be confined to players available for a ten clays’ tour, the team is much stronger than that which was defeated by Buffer last week and only four Canterbury players on that occasion have found a place in the touring team. James M’Dougall, the goalkeeper and captain of the team, is no stranger to Auckland football fans, 11 is brilliant exhibition between the uprights in Canterbury’s last match with the northern province will be well remembered. Canterbury will be prepared to back , the ex-Scottish junior international against the Auckland champion, Lucas, every time. The right full-back, Ritchie (Buffer) has earned his place in the team on his display in the Peter Dawson Cup match. He is a great tackier and his placing of the ball marks him a tactician of the highest order. 33 33 33 F. Chappie, Western’s left full-back, also visited Auckland with the Canterbury team two years ago. Chappie’s

indomitable spirit is a feature of his play. He is an exceptionally hard defender to beat and his splendid scope for recovery is an added asset. The Innes-Hislop-Dacre combination will recognise the worth of this player before the end of the match. Vice-captain of the learn is George Roberts the mighty atom from Yorkshire. He is one of the finest centrehalves who ever booted a ball for Canterbury. His splendid defence and brainy play in attack is likely to overshadow that of the renowned Aucklander, Kissock. 33 J. Wales, the right half, has been a certainty ever since nominations were received. No player in Canterbury has got quite the finesse and strategy of the popular “Jimmy.” In attack his working into position to serve the unmarked man is almost uncanny. 33 3-3 3*3 At left half is T. Howarth, who is the nearest approach to perpetual motion in football that the writer can call to mind. He has played the game in Auckland, where he gained representative honours. Since coming south his play has improved out of sight and the Aucklanders are likely-to re * cognise this fact to their cost. 35 35 3{ H. Johnstone, the Thistle centre forward, will lead the attack. He is a deadly marksman and if the Scot, when in possession, gets a sight of the goal it will be look-out for Lucas. He is a good combinationist, too. 33 35 j.j On his right is D. Sutherland, the “ironclad.” He is so named because although he is always to be found where the feet are flying thickest, he Loj2 r.avt'j Luxiu tnown k I

excels in making openings for his partners. lie will be somewhere handy when Canterbury’s goals are scored. 33 33 33 At outside right Bob M’Lachlan will demonstrate his ability as a winger. Some doubts Were expressed as to this player making the trip owing to a troublesome knee. That difficulty has been overcome and his deadly centres will be a source of trouble to the Aucklanders. Colin M’Dougall will have the inside right position. As a club-mate of the centre forward he is a great combinationist. As an exponent of tricky footwork he is in the first flight. His one fault is excessive unselfishness, but he is a powerful shot. J. Nelson will appear at outside left, lie is the baby of the team, but withall a veteran’s ability. It is his first appearance in big football but on his '-lub form he should make good in his department for keeps. 33 35 33 \\ . Trotter (Buffer) will find a place in the forwards. He was unable to accompany the West Coasters to Canterbury, but lie is spoken of as better than any local man. lie therefore has a reputation to uphold and nc doubt he will do so. « *-■» Mr W. Ramsay will accompany the team as manager and the choice is an excellent one. The last time Mr Ramsay made the trip to Auckland lie went for the Brown Shield—and got it. It is a good omen and Canterbury can prepare the first home for the English Trophy. 33 33 33 THE TROPHY.

/ THE LYTTELTON TROUBLE. The action of the executive of the Canterbury Football Association in suspending the entire Lyttelton Club until an explanation is received concerning a certain player in the junior team, is, when analysed, to be commended. 33 33 33 The .circumstances are these. Some time ago the referee in a LytteltonWestern junior game at Heathcote warned a Lyttelton player, whose name was given as Taylor, for the alleged use of obscene language, and told the man that he would be required to atterld the next meeting of the C.F.A. and explain his conduct. The player appeared to resent the telling, according to the referee, and he made no appearance at the meeting. So the secretary of the C.F.A. got into touch with the secretary of the . Lyttelton Club, and asked if he could convey any information regarding the elusive Taylor. No response coming from Lyttelton, last week Mr Bunt again communicated with the club secretary, but the letter has. not been answered. The position which confronted the executive last Monday night was this, Nothing definite was known of this Taylor, not even whether lie was a junior player or really a senior player. Inefficiency or something else; it was felt, was implied by the lack of information about the man from the Lyttelton secretary, in sjfite of the double request. 35 35 35 The first proposal mooted was to suspend the Lyttelton junior team until an explanation about Taylor was forthcoming. But the opinion was voiced in several quarters that, as the junior team had lost every match this season so far. the action of suspending them would be welcomed; the team would just drop out of existence without the trouble of withdrawing from the competition—and the Taylor inquiry would have gone no further.

So it, was ultimately decided to suspend the whole club, both senior and junior teams, as being the only course likely to bring the club to an abrupt and sudden realisation of the fact that this season more than ever before, the C.F.A. has taken up a strong attitude with regard to keeping the code clean. \\ hat results are forthconmig remain to be seen.

BOYS’ COMPETITIONS RESUME. Great is the enthusiasm and gladness among the youngsters of the boys’ grades now that the ’flu time has-pass-ed. Last Saturday their games had to be postponed, but the competitions start again to-morrow, and the youngsters everywhere are looking forward to it with the utmost keenness.

It is a fact that promises well for the iutiire that these boys should throw themselves so 'whole-heartedly and energetically into the code which they have adopted. It is from them that we have to look for the footballers the iuture; and with them rests the welfare of the game. On this account, they should be given every encouragement and facility for playing the game, so that it shall obtain too firm a hold on them to allow of their leaving