Association.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18466, 18 May 1928, Page 15

Association.

the Charity cup. Tomorrow the annual competition for the Charity Cup will take R *“, , English Park between Nomads, last vears Hurley Shield winners and Villa, the winners of the English Cup last season. Arrangements have bee well made this year and it is anticipated that nearly all of the .ga go to charities of different kin - The game should be full of interest both teams being in particular y 11 form. Villa have not done particularlv well this season, partly on account of the large number of changes thev have made in their team. °rv ever, with such men as Berry, Howarth and Morlev in the team, and keen to win, thev should give Nomads a good run. Tohnston will play in the forward line for this game and should do well with his exceedingly powerful kick. The Nomads team will be substantially the same as it has been moct of the season and forms a very solid combination. Lack of combined play in the forwards has been in the Nomads team up till now, but tne line should have shaken down to a very solid attack. Trotter fills the centre position, and with him are Ellis, Hindson, Bryan and Wilson. _ M Leod, who has shown up so well this season, will again fill the position of centre half, and Jim M’Dougall will be in -goal. ' J t should be a good game, but the advantage is with Nomads. The full teams &re:—

Villa—Jackson; Streeter. Evans: Howarth. Walker, Mulachy; Purves, Watt, Morlev, Johnston, and Berry. Nomads—M'Dougall: Muscroft, Graham; Scragg, M’Leod, Bryan; Ellis, Hindson, Trotter, Bryan, and Wilson. As a curtain-raiser. United A and St Mary’s A will meet in a ladies’ basketball match tq start at 2 p.m.

The Deputy-Mayor, Mr D. G. Sulli van, will kick off in the Cup match, which starts at 3 p.m. SCHOOLS’ FOOTBALL. It is very difficult to understand the attitude towards Soccer which has been taken up by the headmaster of one of the biggest secondary schools in Christchurch. When approached by a deputation from the C.F.A., he gave them to understand that the boys had an absolutely free choice of their games, but paradoxically, also gave the deputation to understand that the boys, even though they wanted to, would not lie allowed to play Soccer. The school is a stronghold of Rugby, and so was the Technical College, which is now a very strong Soccer school. It seems absurd that this attitude should be taken up, and it has caused hardship in a number of cases. The excuse is offered that the boys are not forced to play Rugby. Thev have an alternative—and this is perliaps the most absurd part of the whole business. The alternative to Rugby is physical drill, and the man -who expects a healthy boy to indulge voluntarily in physical drill while hu. friends are playing a game is the world’s first optimist.

There are many Rugby players in first-grade football at the present time who were brought up. on the round ball game, and undoubtedly would have stuck to it if they had t? een given a chance. To mention one case. G. Scrimshaw, who now graces the All BlaQk team in Africa, was an ardent Soccerite in his early days. It is in early years generally that the love of a game is implanted, and it is the schools which have made the Rugby players of New Zealand famous. How many of the famous players of to-day are not remembered in some school or other as a juvenile champion? The schools are .the nttrserj'- of every field sport. In the case under review there is undoubtedly a very large number of boys who would play Soccer if they were allowed. It was their early choice, and by the time they have reached a secondary school they have a very fair knowledge of the game and have the enthusiasm for it. It is the same with any other game, cricket, tennis or Rugby, most boys dislike being compelled to play a strange game. Of the advantages of either Soccer or Rugby it is not safe to write, as it is exactly the same sort of argument as that between natives of the North and South Islands, unending and indecisive, but there should be no reason why bo3 r s who are Soccer players should not be allowed to play their game. In the West Christchurch High School, arrangements are nearly complete for those boys who desire to do so to play Soccer. The C.F.A. deputation which waited on the school committee was given a very good hearing, with the result that in both the primary and secondary departments Soccer will be played. The primary department will be under a master of the school, the committee stipulating that the C.F.A. provide for the coaching of the secondary boys. This will give the Western Club a tremendous additional strength in the future, as it is this club which will look after the school. NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 17. The first meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Football Association since the annual meeting, was held tonight. Mr F. Campbell was in the chair. The following committees were elected:—Finance Messrs F. Campbell, H. 11. Kenai. B. L. Salmon, U. 1,. Godher, A. J. Hyder. Competitions: Messrs F, Sanders, A. Varney, W. G. Bryce, B. L. Salmon. J. A. Mtiburn. It was decided to- make the Football Association trophy a challenge competition, to be played on the lines of the Brown Shield, the first match to be between Auckland and Canterbury at Canterbury or Auckland as may be agreed, otherwise as ordered by the Council. The matter of making a levy on players was- left to the Finance Committee, as also was the question of the associations devoting the gates of one day for the benefit of the New Zealand Council. , The payment of delegates’ expenses was also referred to the Finance Committee. The associations are to be circulated on the question of sending a schoolboys’ team to tour Australia. Messrs Campbell. Varney and Ilydcr were appointed to consider the question of combining the offices of secretary and treasurer. Permission was accorded to South Canterbury to play Canterbury on June 4 It is probable that the guarantees of the local associations, in connection with the Canadian tour, will be released in the course of a few days.