FOOTBALL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 685, 23 April 1903, Page 6

FOOTBALL

(By

Scrutator.”)

The football season is to be opened on Saturday, May 9, when the District Cup competitions will be commenced.

A meeting of the Morrinsville Football Club was held recently. The president (Mr J. Clifford) was in the chair. The balance-sheet showed that the club had not been quite so successful as in former years. There was a small debit balance. Mr Massey, M.H.R., was elected patron?, and Mr J. M. Clifford was re-elected president, and a dozen vice-presidents were nominated. Mr Spargo was re-elected secretary, and Messrs Bickey, Barrett, Hedley, Campbell, and Smale on the committee. The election of captain and vicecaptain was deferred. * *

The artnual meeting of the Piako Rugby Union was held at Waihou the other day. The balance-sheet showed a credit of £1 11s 3d. The following officers were elected .—Patron?, Mr W. H. Berries, M.H.R. ; president, Mr T. Hinton ; vice-presidents, Messrs H. G. Clifford, F. Pilling, and T. Bellamy ; treasurer, Mr H. Rowland ; selector, Mr Lewis ; secretary, Mr J. W. Anderson ; delegates for Te Aroha, Messrs Wilson, Peters, Shaw, and Lewis ; for Morrinsville, Messrs Hedley, Hickey, and Barrett ; for Waihou, Messrs Johnson, Lennard, and J. W. Anderson. It was decided to affiliate with the Paeroa Rugby Union. This union should be much stronger this season, as Te Aroha has j oined.

The Parnell Football Club opened the new training hall last week with a smoke concert. Mr W. S. Whitley presided over a very large attendance. Messrs Chevis, Percival, Busby, MacCormick, and others contributed towards the programme, and things went very merrily throughout. An excellent supper was by no means the least enjoyable item of a very pleasant evening. With such excellent quarters to train in the club should do well this season.

There is a prospect of a team from th©combined New Zealand Universities paying a visit to Sydney during the winter, and playing matches against the University there. The latter guarantee all the expenses of the tour. Such a match,, or series of matches would prove extremely interesting for the Sydney University 1 team is- a very old-established one, and before the district scheme was adopted, was a veritable tower of strength to New South Wales football. In the days of “ Tonga ” Moulton, Percy Colquhoun, Woods, and others, it was the hardest Club to beat in Australia. * * * * The Grafton crack Thompson, having gone to Wellington, his place will be taken this year by P. King, a player who hails from Hawke’s Bay. riNXI'AL MEETING OF THE AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION. The annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union was held On Friday evening, at the Amateur Sports Rooms, His Majesty’s Arcade. There was a full attendance of delegates, and Mr A. E. T. Devore was in the chair. The annual report of the managing committee stated that last season was>, in all respects, as successful as any that has been experienced by the union. The represenftative team won each of its engagements by a substantial majority of points, the matches played being against Canterbury, Wellington, an?d Taranaki, all taking place in Auckland. The total points scored were 58, to 11 obtained by the opposing teams. Auckland has now remained unbeaten for six seasons, during which period 22 matches have been played, nineteen being won and three drawn, the points scored being 309 against 75. As usual, the affiliated country unions contributed several members to the selected teams. For the first time two matches were played during the season with the Thames Union, both being won by Auckland, the first at Auckland by 9 points to 6, and the second at the Thames by s points to nil. The annual match with Northern Wairoa was also won by 7 points to 3. The cup competitions produced keen contests in each grade. The senior championship was won by the City district, that for the Second Fifteens by Grafton district, after a close fight with North Shore; while Parnell ITT. B was successful in the Third Grade. The secondary schools’ championship re-

suited in a win for the Auckland College and Grammar School. In the public schools’ dompetitions the Onehunga School was again the winners in the A •Section, and Newmarket School in the B Section. * Financially, the season proved very satisfactory, especially when the difficulties of trartdt caused by the suspension of the trams throughout the whole season are considered. Very large numbers attended the representative matches, that against Wellington being easily a record for matches of the class, the total takings being £468. The profit for the season amounted to £571 9s 4d, which, afterpaying off the indebtedness at the commencement of the season £ll4 is lOd) and distributing £125 amongst the district clubs in aid of their training halls, leaves a balance in hand of £332 7s 6d. The bulk of this sum is required for the ~ -Southern tour, which it is Auckland’s turn to undertake during the forthcoming weaeon. The ground trust fund now stands at £2167 4s 4d, including all accrued interest to date. The thanks of the union were due to the Auckland Referees’ Association, Mr G. H. Dixon (the union’s delegate to the New Zealand Rubby Union, Mr F. S. Murray (the selector of the representative teams), Dr. Grant (the union’s medical and Messrs Thomas Macky and J. Arneil (hon. auditors) for their valuable services. The financial statement showed that the receipts included gross proceeds of Cup and practice matches, £344 2s 3d ; proceeds Auckland v. Thames rnktch, £135 9s ; proceeds Auckland v. Canterbury match, £315 I.ls ; proceeds Auckland v. Wellington match, £468 45,; proceeds Auckland v. Taranaki match, £259 13s. The expenditure included Tramways Company’s percentage, £B6 Os 2d ; accident fund, £BO 3s ; caps for Cup winners, £3O 12s ; and total expenditure on Auckland v. Thames, Canterbury, Wellington, and Taranaki matches l , £447 19s id. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : —President, Mr A. E. T. Devore ; vice-presidents. Messrs G. S. Kissling, J. M. Brigham, and C. Hesketh; (secretary, Mr C. E. MacCormick : treasurer, Mr V. Langsford ■, auditors, Messrs . Thos. Macky and P. R. Fraser. The Newton Club’s motion, “ That each club should have representation on the management committee,” was discussed before the election of the committee was proceeded with. The motion was lost. The election of the committee resulted as follows :—Messrs A. G. Pilkington,. F. Jervis, A. Braund, G. P. Murray, and M. Sheahan.