FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

SEVEN-ArSIDE TOUR-NAMENT. ." This afternoon, at the 'Athletic tPark: as a preliminary to tho more serious Cup matches, to be commenced on the 16th, nearly all the players will be engaged in a seven-a-side tournament. Sixteen senior Mams will .do battle for the top position, in that grade, and eight fifth-class teams for tho top in that grade. At 1.45 the fifth-class games. will • commence, being played through to the semi-final. At 2.30 p.m. the senior games will commence, play-, ing through to : the semi-final, after, which the fifth final' and then the senior final will take place. Players are reported to have done a considerable amount of training for this fixture, and the result should be an exhibition of brilliant, fast football, weir worth going to see.

THE SENIOR TEAMS. . St. James.—ll. Wighton, J. Moffit, G. Bodley, A. Thomas, F. Crewes, J. Dobson, and C. Hills; emergency,' .F. Samuels. I ';''.• ,' '.'.:'".."'. '. '.'... Poneke.—Chapman, Elliott, ' Ryan, Mp'watt,;' : and. J. Neil-' son. ' ; '•-■ •■; ;.';' .-,-. • '■ ■-;'■; ; .■■;; Melrose.—A': : . 'Twomby,"': .Trevor, Beavis, M'Erney, Dee, Eraser, H. Marshall. B: J. Marshall, 'Melhuish, Patterson, ' Richardson. Ppoley, Doyle, Reade. Fifth: Church, Knapp, Martin, Davis, Gray, Milton, M'Call. Hutt.—Turner, Tannahill, Allen, E. Hayes, E. Cudby, Stevens, and Hekita. Athletic—A: A. Evcnson, A. Cunningham, S. Wilson, D. Organ, A. Murray, A. Wilson, and E. Osborne. B: L. M'Donald,. Denkam, Madden, Bell, J. Cunningham, Johnson,' Bolt; emergency, J. Gosling. In the fifth-class contests, Athletic will be represented by: M. Poole, H. Adams, R. J. Adams, P. Donaldson,, Hugh Atkins, and Stevens. Emergency, Ford. ■ ■ ■ ' •

Southern.—Senior: 3. P. Harris, J. Flanagan, B. Galfaher, : H.'Mitchell' L. Campbell; M. Guthrie,' 'and. H.'-'Cun: ningham". ". 'V Fifth-class: Robinson, Murphy,' Standen, Tilyard, H. Hansen, Smith, and Tavendale.' ''.''.

ASSOCIATION GAME. _. On Saturday last the South Wellington Football Club playod their second annual match against Newtown Congregational, the latter winning by 5 goals to 1. Scorers for Congregational were: Liversage (2), Haycraft, Nelson, and Johnson. The South Wellington scorer was Grindrod. To-day South Wellington play Island Bay on their own ground. The South Wellington team will bo: Gell, Wilson, Crombie, Bland, Pringlo, Falder, Jones, . Twisty Bell, Grindrod, and Wilton, Emergencies: Dale, Bertling, and Phillips.. •■■.:.', ' ..... : Miraniar Rangers, 4th.division,:team v. Brooklyn, -at .Miramaiy. to-day:— Bailleo, Mair, ; Scarhbary, •: Lidiard, Heath, Mac Donald, Whittirigton;. Nobbitt, Wilmot, Griffiths, -Weaver,. BlenkinsOp, Griffiths. The.. following,_ will represent the Rangers, 6th. division, ajjamst. Seatoun, to-day, at Seatoun:—Petley, Bell, Mair, Jenkinson,. Duff, Cording. M'lnnis, Butler, Eade, Heloy, Sutherland.

SITUATION IN, AUCKLAND. CLUB SYSTEM READOPTED; (By Telegraph—Pre6B Association.) Auckland, April..B. The crisis in local Rugby football circles culminated this evening when a special meeting of delegates ; of clubs affiliated to the Auckland Rugby Union met at the" Amateur Sports Club room and decided to abolish the district scheme. There was'no discussion or argument about the matter. The president (Mr. A. E. Devore) read the petition from the clubs, and then Mr. M. J. Sheahan (chairman of the Management Committee) read a series of proposals having for their object the abolition of nil by-laws relating to district boundaries and residential qualifications. Theso were put to the meeting and carried on the voices. The union will thus return to the club system after a period of 18 years under the district- system. The latter was given a four months' trial in 1891, and was adopted wholly in 1892.. Last season the first dopartnro was made from the stringent rules,' the junior' clubs being allowed to form without residential qualifications. That was the thin end of the Wedge. The district : schemo was highly successful .during the first few seasons, but lattorly there has been very little strenuous competition.- 1 '