SOCCER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19818, 18 April 1927, Page 11

SOCCER

VISITORS FROM WELLINGTON ► THISTLE DEFEAT EASTBROOKE Wellington Thistle paid their annual \ i.sit to Wanganui on Saturday and again tried conclusions with Eastbrooke. As in the past the visitors proved too strong for the locals, and ran oat easy winners by three goals to one. A large attendance for Victoria Park welcomed the foDowing teams:— Thistle.—Burbush, Fahey, Jack, Rolfe, Dainty, Sutherland, Meiklejohn, McKenzie, Swinburne Honeyman, Logan. Eastbrooke. —Barker, Webster, McMillan, L. Clapham. Glover, McKechnie, Upton, Langslow, Killeen, V. Clapham, Thomson. Commencement of Play. Thistle had the best of matters in the initial stages, Logan being early prominent with a smart run and cross which Webster cleared. McKechnie staved off an attack on the visitors ’ right and let Thomson away, Burbush clearing the winger’s parting effort. Forcing play by Dainty allowed Wheyman and Logan to make ground jn Thistle’s left and from the winger’s •rotis Swinburne sent past. The sun proved very •troublesome to the players on Eastbrooke’s right, Upton and La null ow making many mistakes when well placed. A Score for Thistle. Good play by Meiklejohn and McKenzie ended in the latter driving a cross shot towards Barker. The threequarter foozled and Logan, lying . handy, drove the ball into the net. Bb-s The jags were soon back for more " but Webster and McKechnie repulsed their attack and by good play allowed Eastbrooke forwards within striking distance of Burbush. Thistle backs >rere none too safe and a weak clearance by Jack saw Killeen completely deceive Burbush and equalise the score. The half time score was: Thistle 1, Eastbrooke 1. On resuming the visitors were early prominent and Eastbrooke defence was being hard pressed and weak finishing by Swinburne lost many opportunities to increase the visitors’ score. Logan, who had been very conspicuous on the left, changed to centre-for-ward and, receiving the ball from McKenzie. beat Barker with a fast oblique ahot. »Soon after the same player ran through and placed the issue beyond doubt. Nothing of further note occurred and the game ended. Thistle 3; Eastbrooke I. The day was much against fast combined football. Thistle were always the more likely lot ant] were full value for their convincing victory. Best for Thistle were Dainty, McKenzie, Sutherland and Logan (best on the field ). Eastbrooke were well served by Barker, Webster, McKechnie and McMillan. Mr S. Stewart was referee.

A BIG CROWD SEVENTY THOUSAND AT CUP FINAL Received April 17, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, April 16. At Glasgow in the Scottish Associa- : tion final, in the presence of 70,000 : spectators Celtic beat East Fife by • three goals to one. CUP GLAMOUR INTEREST IN ENGLAND. The Football Association Challenge Cup has an extraordinary fascination for millions of people in all parts of the world, states London il Sporting Life.” Three of the four ties in the sixth round on Saturday (March 5) were in London, and they attracted upwards of 160,000 spectators, who paid nearly £ll,OOO in admission money. There is no other outdoor athletic sport that commands such huge gates, and the reason is simple. Association football is easy to understand. Its salient features can be learned in a few minutes. The only thing that counts is goals, and even when one side is overwhelmingly superior to the other there is no difficulty in mentally keeping an accurate record of the state of the game. The pastime qua pastime has firmly established itself in every part of the habit- ; able globe, and the fame of the F.A. Cup, always called by the man in the street “The English Cup,” is worldwide. It is the greatest knock-out competition of any ball game. When its sponsors launched it in so modest a fashion nearly sixty years ago they could not have foreseen to what tremendous proportions their child would grow. From an undistinguished beginning it has become a national concern, and the Final 1 Tie is a great event in the lives of scores of thousands of followers of the game. It is well that this open air pastime should have grown so enormously, that so many hundreds of thousands should every week throughout the long playing season obtain and : preserve a healthy vigour by taking part in it, and that millions of others should find enjoyment in the fresh air in watching others play. Cup Statistics. The following are the official figures of the attendance and receipts at the F.A. Cup-ties on Saturday:—

The leaders in the First Division i table wore:—Newcastle United 41 points, Huddersfield Town 39, Burnley j 37, Sunderland 37, Aston Villa 35, . Liverpool 34, Leicester City 34.

Attendance. Receipts. The Arsenal v. Wolves .. 52,821 £3774 Swansea T. v. Reading .. 20,000 £2100 Chelsea v. Cardiff City 70,184 £4835 Millwall v. Southampton 37,928 £3220