ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 20 (Supplement)

ASSOCIATION.

THE NEW SEASON NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Lex.”) With the annual meeting of the South Auckland Football Association, which is being held to-day, the last season's formal business will be disposed of, and the new season’s work commenced. The senior clubs’ competition in the district will have two or three new entrants, and the programme will be particularly interesting. Oden Massey, Pukcmiro Junction, and Claudelands Rovers, it is understood, will be newcomers, to senior ranks at any rate, and there is the possibility of others coming to light before the meeting closes. Last year’s annual report mentions that a Referees’ Association is about to be formed for the South Auckland district, and undoubtedly this is a step in the right direction. New arriVals will be seen out with the various clubs, and a few of our old players have already departed to other districts. Tours and Their Cost. The abandonment of the proposed tour of the Australian Eleven will not cause a great deal of heart-burning localiv, the club team players as a body not greatly favouring these representative matches, with loss of time and ihe general upset of club fixtures. The writer expects that there will be quite an animated discussion at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Football Association, which is to be held in Wellington next Friday, when the loss of £1450 on the Canadian visit has to be explained. It is no secret in local circles that the secretary of the South Auckland F.A. in November, 1926, when the tour was proposed, advised the New Zealand Council, and submitted figures, too, that the loss would be in the vicinity of £1750; and .acting on his estimate, the South Auckland F.A. voted against the tour, although when the decision to carry on was made by the powers that be South Auckland did their level best to secure success, and, with one exception, secured the best “gate” of the minor associations. It is very nice to be optimistic, but how the Council is going to explain the loss will be very interesting. The majority of the members of the committee who sat last year for the local Association will no doubt be found to be occupying the same positions at the close of t.o-day's annual meeting, and it is quite likely that a solution of the always onerous post of secretary will be made, so that more or less competition for the position will be in evidence in future years.

Seddon Park has again been secured in Hamilton for the coming season, and if it is maintained up to the same pitch as last year the players will have very little cause to grumble at their sphere of operations.

A SOUTHERN VIEW. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Football Association will take place on Friday, and if the delegates will devote their main efforts to future, development of the game it ought to be possible to profit by the mistakes which have been made (writes "Goalie" in the Dominion ). Too late came the, letter from South Africa which states that the. associations there were willing to send a team to New Zealand in 1928—at least too late for the present. New Zealand Council to deal with—but the, annual meeting of delegates may decide that it is not too late if the cables can be got busy. Judging from the performances of the South African team which visited England three or four years ago, the Capetown men are a stronger combination altogether than the Canadians. The All Blacks have gone to South

Africa, and the time would be opportune for a South African Soccer team to be away on tour. If the annual meeting were agreed upon it the whole thing could be arranged by the middle of June, the visitors could arrive here by the end of July, and play a six or seven weeks' tour. I think the Council might well communicate with every association on the subject at once, arming their respective delegates with power to commit the associations to the guarantees which may be required, if it is decided by, say, a two-thirds majority to entertain the proposal. Maybe the Council has some figures as to the cost of boat fares; they already have the cost of travelling i New Zealand, entertaining, etc. With the associations all pulling together, heart and soul in the enterprise, a watchful eye on expenditure, a tour by a South African team would be a real attraction, and a better proposition altogether than a visit from an Australian team. It is to be hoped that the associations throughout the Dominion will think this over between now and the annual meeting, and enable their delegates to come prepared for some, serious business for the good of the code.