ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

(Bi, Oento*-HAL».)

The Wellington, Association agak haa; the satisfaction toame tie - for jJroimership honours ,in the senior league Href 'diwsioh '6a a result of last Satan-day's matohos, tllfeo of >Vhioh resulted m /draws and the 1 other being won fairly easily. The leadciti—'i'lM.OiAij ■ Diatanflds, and Swiftfr— a'.i\bktlWroyali for ? firktr pliute, : settle one side or tho 'other. Swifta are •Vofy confident, but.-JiersoliaJly, I.inchne-lo-waWs:; .aftot. {he' fine gamo tney i played last Saturday.; : •'• . _ . ■ ; 'fhero has rarely boon a bigger, crowd to I setf' a league match in "Wellington than the.l one that'gathered at the Baain Reserve on Baturday to witness tho game between IDiiv'monda and- Y.M.C'.A. A draw, although i I'iiots'a.satisfactbry, : .to a niatch ; as a. rule,..was' the bosrt. result that oonld i have 'been; ill~ 'the .'gathe.^tinder;-notice, aa" neither i side could claim j an' advantage. l"he play was fast and: interesting • from tho junip, and, 'towards the'Close'of the'contest,, the Spectators wero'JWoi'ked' up to, an unustfal of enthusiasmi;. YiMiC.A. played a i closer 1 gamothan their ; opponents, and gave a prettier display in tho first half, .but Dlalhonds put up a fine defence, ( and, 111 tho second term, -gave v a tasto of their attacking powers. 'They were.in excellent.oondh tion, , ( and ft - fow.minutes before time' appeared to hare taken all tho Bticg out of the Y.M.C.A. men.

; Iloilis; in goal > for YiM.C.A., played : a sterling' gamo. He was given plenty of Workji and. 'mueJi of' it oiffioult,' but oily f!ule<l';qß.one■ occasion, When_ S,. Reddy -got ; a warm 'ono~paaV him. ' Hollisgotoloar>6n' ; several ! occasions when. closely pressed, right :.rfriabfi'Ksr^Wi^igoil."'---t-If-. : ";h'e had had an'.ag-; gressive forward liko Hathaway to contehd \vith, '.ho ' might hot . have; jjOt dlear .as well lis Qioldid. '. I'ottitt. was easily ' ,tte best.. of' the Y.M.CiAi full-baoknj olid was in fact one of the betit'-men'on'theifleld.Dyko,; his assodiate, played well when ho haa a wide field to operate on, but was on the awkward side when -it camoto 'closo-quarters.. .Irvmo was. biio.'pldk of the'half-bacKS. ' ••• : / : vl'ho '■ '- partacular. ; stars :• of theYiM.OiA. '.forwards ' wero ..Timperley and MttPeU ■on.Tthe Mt'-wihg, thfEe two men ■'ftlayoftg frith great dash and oMibination.. •\V. Gibson, coiltro-ft)Tward ( did Boilie clover 'individual';work, 'but 'spoiled somo of his best etforta by hanging on to the. ball too

'- l°itzgerald tlio. ex-New Zealand tipresGJffcative goal'keepor,; was pressed into sorVico by Diamonds, and'ho played an exoelient:VgaffiO,bfiiigihc: off.. numerous' brilliant saves, 'fho shot Wlich Timporly beat hun was an oxcopfclfthally Warm Cno, which ho know nothing about'. ■: • ■■ In Taylor and P. ltoberts wm centred the strength of tho Diamondi dofonco, tho former player doing tho work of two men. His 'heading Svas a feature bf tho ' Bar&ctt Started off: rather "disappointingly, but 'improved vastly as tho gafflfl. advanced. 1 Tlio brothors Biddy botlr plaved well, S. Iteddy . doing soitto particularly fine; work in tho sccond half.. Neither of tho I/owo's w'pre as oonspicubus as ustial, and Thorloy Was only avonieo. , (i , • Petono wont under to Swrfto mfchcr cirnily, tlio tally bding Tho Suburban tacn i Worked - strenuously, but the superior combination-: of-, thoir oppononts all their efforts" futilo. . Swifts aro stated to J havo i unearthed a promising man from the Old Co'intry m Vassoy, who scored ono of their goals. ■ Old-titnca- Loil, Whito out again,: and onco ttOrt holpod his Bide onto Talking with; tho tcfwto (Mr. B. L. Salmon) after lABt: week's j game, tliit' 6ffl6lttl :■ lllfotriled: the Writer that, ho-considered that every player on tho field l had put 'OVOry ounce lllto his play, and, I ill addition, had played the gamo m a Bp&rtsmanliko and friendly spirit; 'throughout.. ,Talcing all "things.: into ! consideration,, it .was uh easy and 4 very pleasant match to oontroljl'l und a few more: such gamos, would do "soccer" in Wollingtoii a wbrid" of good. Towards tho end 'of tho gamo tho light became very bad, and wlienover the ball was , anywhere near ■ the spectators If was dlffleult to follow the play. ~ . . , ■ Ono thingi howovoT, •which tho referee commented on was tho, constant appealing for "olffildo," "fouls," etc. In tho: case of offside attd foul throws, etc., a refereo has no option, but must ponaliso the: offending side, but all other cases, sileli lis handling, tripping; etc.j may so happen (is to lie oon'sidered utiintontionnl; and.ns such i:o.pcnalty Must be innwsod.: A case in point oceurrtd in the-penalty area last week. Pettitt, the YMCA.'- full-blltk, loeked hard at the ball land inislcickcd it hard on to Ins Brm which Was oxtendod .at'tlio. time, Result : .Übammous ftppoal far "hands" by plamonda. Hifiitly, Ml. E&lmaa tool* d the

appeal. He was alongside thoplaycrat the . time, and B&vf that thing waa ft pure accident. I'robablytha pliyor m qaostion could wrt do stash a thing again 2 ba tried.Finally, the referee eta ted that some referees seem, to think that any oontact of arm or hand with the ball a breach of Jaw. and thus, to his lnihd, players get spoiled, and at® naturally sdtnewhat Upset when a coramoa-somK) official happdM to come along. ' ........ ■ . ■ . Mr. 0. J. Ward seems to tako great objection to tile' retnarki! made at the last meeting of tho relative to the local team's treatment by the F.A. jjcaving aside the question of Wellington owing Canterbury a visit, Mr. Ward forgots that when Canterbury were here last, tho local authorities paid their oxpenses to .the ground and entertained, them at tea. ttttet' the match. , This is tho vory least the homo association'ooiild have done. In Ghristohurch there is only a twenty-minute service to Sydenham Park, and this, combined with the fact that tho spectators present would crowd out the trams after the match, would seem, to have boon sufficient reason for the Canterbury F,A. to have-used a littlo fon>* thought in tho matter. ' The following table , shows tliO ( positions of the respective; teams engaged' in' the First Grade contest at Dunedin:—

; ■ . ' ,0 '' 60 ,'qj ':■ V ' "'' '' 't! a ' * sifl S j ; Kaitangata ... 5 .2 1 2 8, 11 6 Roslyn « Wakari 6 2 3 1 0 5 5 Southern ... G |2 3 1 0 14 5 Afaori Hill ...4 1 2 1 8 0 3 Mornington ... 5 1 i 0 0 lo 2

' • Won by 2 goals to nil, but forfeited to Southern owing to breach of, ttllGi. KaitiMgata.won by default against Sd&lynWakari, . " Accidental death " was tho verdict returned >&t MarGko, Cleveland (ling.), on Henry Ohccraitnan (10), minor, who died ul April. Tho' ovidonoo ehowed that the do* ceaied playfeil forward in a isup-fcio fdrMarSko agatnet Kcdticar Wesleyans on April. 5, aiid m charging tho onstodian ho , fell and injurcd lnfi ' Wlii&li:.fivo fingers'-' and a thumb. Tho two smaller fingers :wefe split opofl, Ghfe<?feoffitth ottll6d to. w» Dr. Holroytl, and tho lattof strongly advised hinv to haVO' the littlt> finger amputated. Decoasedj hbwevef, rtfu&fd to fellow this to be done, and ho kept all right \i]p till Tuesday night, Then tctanilß, sat in,! bfid caused death twelve hours liter.

The St. Johtt's-Thistle tnatoh At Kewtown Park last Saturday was quite an attractive exhibition til "stoder."' There Were. of amnio, seme glaring ftrmra, both iii style of play and in judgment, but Ott'the Whojothe game generally distributed well Over the field, the wings of.oach team were kept busYj and tM leather pissed from' one end of tho ground to tho other ifl a way that; demonstrated good football oh the part'.'of both baek dlvlBiOUS. It Wis' 4 fiat, opeli gdm<), Vcsilltlng in a win for St.. John s by two goals to one. Had tho respective strengths of each been more oppositely placed, it is: quite probable that a drawn game would have resulted, iill •for each. Bt.-John's loft wine was superior to -Thistle's right," mdcfr superior,' but: the left wiilg of the lattef team Wis bettor than the right of their opponents j ee that, Iving for wing, each team waa stronger than l'the other, with a slight advantage, over ail; In favour of St. John's, who possessed a Vorv smart- mai' in the .centre of their for-, ward division, Pontington, Thistle's custom diaSi waa kept fairly busyduringa portion of the play, and did conßeletttleue. work. In St. John's territory .the admirable defeat* o! the half-back aw fuMiok divisions kft their goalkeeper little to da. Both teams suffered to .seme e*t«it by ,Hall (Thistles. and Ferguson (St.- 'John «)., Johnston and TravethMt, of to' $«t} «i toairt, did very clever work, thedfibbllng Of the former being partlcttlarW On Uio Thistles' side MTtenyle and. MLeuaii, in tho forward line, played a sound e&m®. Ramblers drew with Wanders at; Mira« fi>ar, with;.a jscore, of.ona ,all v : Nothing in th© play' of : either Bids calls 4 for particular mention. Ramblers were good on the e(fen« iivo, but weak:'in MdWte up, 6css6Bi Tho conversion; of a :6U6ob«6ful; ad* van<* up the field to a definite yletory in tho ehapt} of the discomfiture of the igeaj" keopof is an art in iteelf. lt .ia the aohtent, the psychological moment", , when the coolest judgment, most. alert Initiative,' and prompt; est decision must bo displayed.. ;; {; During the progress of a Charity (Cup. final at Rye (England).the trophy,:•;. wliioh was to have been presehted to, the Winners bv the Mayer of tho'town, w&a taken.fwin a tent on: the The diseovery caused Some ooxstomationj and the presentation, had to be abandoned. . . , 1 -■ At the 1 meeting edl the Referees Aasoeia« tionott Wednesday ev«tih&' itere was Some speaking- Mtl V?/Wood, a wcent m», rival fMto South Afnoa and a, Wttdeniab the Y.M.OiA. rooms, wrote sbating that iho was. of tho opinion that the Appointment (Sam tali* ; tee not in;way. .games .where 6on<*rtwa beeauso he lived at the Y.M.OiA., and as Ko was neta a .^.$S Y.M.OiA. Y.M.O.A. Oltib hflh^ i d«sld«i not to officiate ih future gan«« until l Uid eoniinittee todkv & dittoHmt viow .of Uje wtito. Mr. 11.'Ii.,Salmon moved tiat hi the epinion ef the ittfernes' Assoeiation Mr.'-Weed'waa eligible gan».! luMlotioft/ot'.tlii ;aMf addid .that ho could net nee why fsueh n6tten: had b««i taken bv 1 tho' Appooitinttlt l OonlinitteS, al' though he cast no roflecticrri on' them: Mr. H. G. Mayer seconded Mr.; Salmon's motion, whidh was. earned. "V ' '■ .y. • ' Mr. Wood brought forward the dworsity of Opinioin amonlgst, referees, regarding the laws 6t the game, f and thought':that it Would _bo well if some evenings could be Bot, aside ( for a th&mugh discussion on the rilles.' .Una Is a Capital suggestion. , So many different hrotatlona are plabed npoh the. l&Wi' oftlie galie by . that' it. li time that Uniformity ii the matter waa arhvtsd at. Mdst members ef the Rpferoes 1 :toneidef tliemsolves capable 0{ c6fite)lling Mpiei gafileS.' T(> be quite candid, however; th6re are, Olily. 'about < Stsvfen. or eight ,refei«iß - Who tro ei .t!h6rotlgbly veiled in the fUles "SB w nnderatiuld how tnej sliould hi) allied to the game, and .they are : np' the; the tfndo , ; ' :: . ■ 1 T'he mail if eat ofplaclilg m ehatgi of senior or. 6thef important matched &uc£h referees, who pedaliSG a payor »f throwing in the ball With his feet apart, who Will not (jJlow a playor tfl'oome on tha field a few minutea late, who pcsialiso' a player for lefloeking owf another one on his own side, who will not' oSplain : thoii* dccisions .on the hold whcJi': asked, who giro 4 fiwHck. tot aa im'pwpfer luok-aff, Is eo manifest.as:to,need no dLsetiasltjn. ' ■ ■ ■/, " ' Finally, to writer would say that ttw prattioe: of eertifei ftrfwoos ootfting. ( to !me meeting and dkoussing tie rolkiga gtW4l by ether referees (as' seen fiwfi the line) is an extremely .unwise pdioy,. imd caa opay lead, to bad fwliiigi B afay refoteo la in doabt about any point, ,snch officials ,as Messrs. Wood, /Mayerj Waters, of Salmon, .will only bo too glad to explain. .. ■ ■ V. Optiuott has been freely expfeS|6d, as i to the. pros and <»ns■ of the: case bf'. (J. Irvine, Who applied f<yr - transfer from Wanderers to Swifts. . Rightly, I. tliink, tno transfet was refusbd. Irvine 1 s evidenco before the M<ui» agotaent (Wiwittce was unsatdsractorj', and this.': combined with his Own Statement that he had signed a form for bnth oluba was quite ■ suffieleAt s ghiimds; fw th 6 .oommittee's notion The . only , reason why . the . playel; sliiwld be transferred .was that Swifts Wore' ivitnOUt a' gbalkecper and Wanderers Were riot, but,tho Swifts of the Manage ihent Conimittw did not advaiiijo tliis as a reason for'the transfer, -It. was deoided tllat the Wnnderofn Club must prove their alleca-' tlons agalnst ; Swifts by next moe-ting or witihdrftw them, . _ i