FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 600, 31 August 1909, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

WELUNGTON TOURING TEAM

' SELECTORS AGAIN DISAGREE. As was reported in yester.day'-s issue, the selection of tho ■Wellington "A" team to go on tour in the South Island was commenced on. Saturday evening. -It was ultimately decided, owing , to' the selectors again failing to agree, that a majority reooinmondation should be made to the :Mnnagement Committee of the union.At, a-,special meeting .of the. Manager ment Committee yesterday morning, it was decided to .confirm the recommendations of Messrs. Meredith, an<J -PudneV—tho other two selectors,' VJChe team 'to go on tour comprises eighteen players, -and the list (which is practically the - same as was 'unofficially-'given ;-'in yesterday's Dominion), is as follows:— '

• Backs: Cunningham, Mitchinspn, : Walsh, Evenson; F. M'Kenzie, Green, M'Leod. Forwards: Irvine, Dennehy, A. C. Wilson, "Rnnji" ■ Wilson, Bruce, Tannahill, M'Kellar, Alexander, Perry, and Avery. It is . under; stood, that James Ryan and Ready were not available for selection.

' - The : team, which leaves Wellington on Thursday night, plays Canterbury "at . Christchurch on September i, Southland at Invercar-gill\on-.the Bth,andOtago at Dunedin on the 11th. Mr. W. Perry,: treasurer 'of the union, will- bo manager. '. : : With' respect. to tho " want of ,' unanimity among the selectors, Mr.: H. Roberts, one of them, has-written as follows to the. Management Committee:— .! : ,' ■ • "Dear Sirs,—.... • "

"At the request of the Management Committee, I agreed with Messrs. Pudnoy and Meredith to select a team to go' south. "It was'agreed at the previous 1 meeting of the 'Selection Committee that the team to play against Auckland, - with' emergen-: cies,' should: constitute 'the team for. the southern: tour.. Should' any of said team be unable to go south, the vacancies to be filled up at, the discretion of the selectors. VOn .lhis undcrfetanding, some, of the members applied for leave, and stated that they could feet away., , : ; "As Messrs. Pudney-arid -Meredith have departed from- the terms,/of the original ; agreement, ,1 wish to state that: the\: teau as selected is not sanctioned, by me.- FurUhermorei I .wish to state that the teams' : hitherto chosen "have not beeii\ 'selected,' but 'elected,' on ,the principle of two 1 against one—Messrs. Meredith and Pudney ! constituting the majority, myself tho -'minority.- ■' •"I feel I must enter an emphatio protest at the unfair methods adopted by Messrs. Pudney and Meredith, all through. 'Fair play is bonnie play, bit'this unfortunately does not- seem to entered into the minds of the tifo other selectors."'

i ■■■■■■■ i- ■ ■■. "Yours, etc., . "H. ROBERTS." ; Messrs' V. R. Meredith and J. Pudney, the other selectors, Von' '.Being interviewed, v were somewhat reticent. It should be-stated that it .is common talk that tho various meetings: of tha i committee have resolved themselves into a series: of curtain'Noctures'by one of; the members on the merits of certain players. What is more,it is- quite hs openly;'-stated that the players in question are not far removed by ties ,6f "blood from this seleotor.; ,Report is also to the effect that it was only after long and patient hearings that tho other members, exercised. their .right - As,a majority..'/ Messrs. Pudney hud Meredith assert that the only certainties for the southern | tour were the fifteen players selectedito play against Auckland., It' was 'agreed, (they say) that no more men were" to bo decided upon until it was ascertainedwhether any members of this team were unable to travel. It was only reasonable that the new. men;t6 be selected should necessarily depend' upon the -particular \elass ! of player to be replaced.- ' According : to Messrs. Pudney an'd Meredith, if any outside players arranged for leave they did so on their own initiative. It is a moot point -whether- a committee of : three selectors is*preferable to a single selector, but, where, the,' Selection', is left to three, the majority usually'- rule in case of any difference of opinion, arising, on anypoint. By many it is held that, Mr; Roberts has not accepted the position in ,as;gracious; a manner as. he'might : havo done. On- twitting i the selectors regarding Mr. Roberts's remark that they were strangers to' the rules of' fair, play, the only-reply that could be. evoked from them'was that they had to consider the . football . reputation, of- the'?pro■vince, and • .'notif the-, feeling# 'ofi their-fellow-selector, and ;that they would continuo 60 to do until; they-, were ■' relieved of their thankless and unpleasant. position, j

WELLINGTON B RUGBY TEAM. . .'Last , night was'appointed as . the . time. for the .selectors to chose the. B~ : team to meet Horowhenua at' Levin on Saturday.- Only two of the 'selectors—Messrs/ Pudney • and Meredith — attended the meeting, and. selected the' follow-; iiig : team:—Full-back,-Thomas. -(St. v James); three-quarters,: Duncan (Victoria College), Kinrig (Oriental),', Marshall (Melrose); five-eighths, Flanagan (Poneke), H. .Roberts. (St. James); half,- Tilyard (Poneke); 'wing-forward, Gardiner (Poneke); : forwards, Shardlow (Petone), 1 Hills (St: James)j-Kivell (Athletic), Rapson (Athletic)." M'Farlano (Petone), De la Mare (Victoria College), Leahy (Southern)..' Emergency, Osborne (Athletic). The team will meet for prac-tice-at the r Athletic Gymnasium this.eyening. ':-'

' : REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. The Rugby Referees' Association mot last n'ighti ;Mr. ,C}., 8., IjUsk presiding over an attendance of eleven. . Tho chairman, intimated that he hadreceived. a letter from a player named: Welch, of the ICia Ora Football Club, apologising for anything, ihe .might , haye said derogatory to the referee. in : the Kia' Ora-Athletic match. In consideration' of .this letter, it , was decided to : go :no,.further .in - , the-matfe. . '' ■ : WEDNESDAY' REPRESENTATIVES.:' •' The following team ; has been selected to represent tho Wednesday teams/against Horowheuua at Levin'<Sn/Wednesday:— > v Moliatt (Star), Sch'ultz,, Cording, F. Martin, Perkinson, Sandman, Bottomley, binclair, Watsoii, Davis,' StUnnard, Bowe, Mills, Hume, M'llraith, and Bramley... -.... NEW ZEALAND V. SYDNEY 'VARSITY.; : Regret is■ felt' that, three'of the ghost pro-' minent players who have been selected to assist the New Zealand Universities v. Sydney University, at Dunedin on .Saturday, will be. unable to take part^.in-the match. The players in question are: Wilkes, Robinson, and Wilson. It is understood that . the players,' to fill two of the vacancies will be Phillips, V.C., and Bamford, A.U. ■ . ': '■. HIGH' • SCHOOL TOURNAMENT. ' (By Telejraph—P) cbs ABSociatlon.) : Napier, August 30 v - The annual tournament between the Napier, Palmerston' North, and' New . Plymouth high schools was. concluded this I morning, , the 'final match being. that between New Plymouth and Napier.Nupier .scorcd- an easy:.win by -. 22 points to 8, and ( hold the shield for the year, having won their two games. . '

JNTEE-COLLEGE TOURNAMENT.' • -' ■ .- Wanganui; August 30. ' The: inter-college football, tournament concluded to-day, when Wellington College beat Wanganui College by 21 points to 9. : ASSOCIATION. THE BROWN SHIELD MATCH. TEAMS FOB THE CURTAIN-RAISER. Prior to tho BroWn Shield match' on Saturday next at the- Athletic Park, Old Country Pl'ayets "will meet Colonial Players; ; Following will/be the teams:— ■ : Old Country Players: Goal, Webster (Wanderers)right full-back, M'Laren, captain (Ramblers); left full-baok Pettit (Y.M.C.A.); right half-back, Coward (Ramblers); centro half-l>ack, Bradbury (Wanderers); left halfback, M'Lellan (Thistle); outside-right (Norman (I;M.C.A.); inside-right, Scott (Swifts); centre/ Anker (Ramblers); inside-left' (Ferguson (St. John's); outside-left,: Saunders (Swifts). Reserves:-Backs, Lindley (St. Johns), Gowan ■(Y.M.C.A.); forwards, J[ohnston (St.: John's), Dunoan (Rbvers). • •_ ' • , Colonial Players: Goal, M Lean (Ramblers); left-back, G. Martin (Rovers); right-back, Wilson (Swifts); left-half, D., Roberts (Diamonds); centre-half, Graves (Swifts); right-half, Bethell, captain : (Rovers); outside-left, Phillips (YM.C.A.); inside-left, A.' Lowe (Diamonds); centre, Schofield (St. John's); inside-right, B. Lowo (Diamonds); outside-right, S. Reddy (Diamonds). Reserves: Backs, Gmso (Swifts), Duignan (Rovers); forwards, Barry (Rovers), Cashman (Rovers). • ■'

Members of both teams aro requested, to bo ~t the Y.M.C.A., Willis Street, at 7.15 oil Wednesday evening. ■