FOOTBALL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 351, 15 April 1897, Page 3

FOOTBALL

[By

Vigilant.)

The whole of our football clubs have held their annual meetings, and in some instances practice has already been commenced. Play will be started in real earnest on Saturday week, when Potter’s Paddock will be available. The Auckland Rugby Union is establishing a competition for the public schoolboys, and will give a trophy, j „It is a wonder the necessity for this was not seen long ago, but better late than never. New Zealand Rugby Union’s annual meeting on the 24th inst. I hear that Uru, the well-known Canterbury Native footballer, will go to England with the Maori contingent to take part in Her Majesty’s record reign celebration. The Waikato boys expect to be able to raise five or six teams up that way this season, and a lively interest is being taken in the game. I hear the Grafton club will not be so strong as usual this season, while Suburbs does not look like putting a team in the field. If the Pay of Plenty Times is correct, it would appear that the Parnell club has been found guilty of something very much like professionalism. That paper states that the club has invited Albert Asher, of Tauranga, to come to Auckland and join them, offering to find him a situation. If this is correct we shall hear more of it anon. The general opinion amongst Rugbyites even at this early stage is that Parnell will take more beating than anything in the senior district contest this year. The Napier Pirates Football Club held their annual genera] meeting in the Clarendon Hotel on Saturday evening, Mr H. Swan presiding. The report and balance sheet showed that the club had been highly successful last season, and had again secured the championship. The following office-bearers were elected : — President, Mr C. M. Whittington; vice-presidents, Messrs Crowther, Eagleton, Arnold, G. Swan, W. S. Taylor, F. Moeller, and J. Sinclair ; club captain, Mr H. Malcolm ; field captain, Mr W. O’Connell; deputy-captain, Mr T. Caldwell ; committee, Messrs Swan, Tuckwell, Cowell, J. O’Connell, and Firth; delegates, Messrs Swan and Firth; secretary, Mr W. McCarthy; delegate to Sports’ Protection Society, Mr McCarthy. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the retiring secretary, Mr Firth, for his past services. Southern kickists have been assiduously practising for some weeks past.