ASSOCIATION NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 12

ASSOCIATION NOTES.

(Br Centhr-HAU.) Senior Championship Concluded. There was just enough wind blowing on Saturday afternoon to make things sufficiently. difficult to bo interesting to tho spectators at the Association football matches. Added to that was the fact that Ramblers stood to. soore an easy run home for tho senior championship, that is, judging on their season's form.. They had a two-point lead to begin with, and a win or a draw .with Rovers would havo made 110 1 difference to-the result. Had, they lost, and Diamonds defeated , their opponents on the same day, an. exciting tie would have been witnessed between the two crack teams. As a matter of fact, Ramblers ought to have lost their match with Rovers, for the general character of their .play was very far from being up to semor first division form. It' was painfully, apparent that thev did not particularly care what happened so long as Rovers did not brat them'. "The match was one of the poorest exhibitions of the season. When the curtain rang down on the senior championship competition of 1910, the position of the competing teams was as follows:—

Team. J !' B'£ I f % p 4 g <j fn Ramblers. ... 6 2 2 21 12 14 Diamonds ... 6 1 3 21 15 ,13 Swifts,. G '0' 4 18. 18 12 Rovers 2 i • .4 11. 13 ; 8 Thistle ......... 3 2 5 7 13 8 Y.M.C.A, 2 1. 7 15 25 5

Diamonds v. Y.M.C.A. . Wind ,greatly interfered with _ any attempt at good play in the DiamondsY.51.C.A. match, although the cleverness of Roberts and Barnett. for. Diamonds, when' taking corner-kicks' in the second half was responsible _ for three goals at least. The score just about, indicated the relative positions of v the teams as they - stood on - Saturday, :and Inking a clear-sighted view of the game, one must admit that the winners of the "wooden spoon" deserved their place. Diamonds have improved out of sight these last two or three _ Saturdays, and although they did not win the champion, ship they' oarne within a point of the coveted - trophy. " It would be hard to partioularise on the Diamond's side, because all played well, and with perfect combination. "Praise is undoubtedly due to Roberts, their skipper, for the able manner, in which ho direots operations from his position at fnll-back. Coming to the T.M.C.A. side one is sorry to see last year's "runners-up" at the bottom of the list. The excuse, apparently, is a lack of concerted action in the play of the whole team. Tiinperley is undoubtedly the bright particular star of the ' combination, practically the only man who keeps the teamup to the poor standard they have attained. Without his services it is certain that the wearers of the many-coloured shirts would be iii a very sorry plight indeed. The Charity Cup competition may furnish the opportunity for-a better showing before the close of the season. The Championship Winners. ■ As Ramblers have, for the first tipie since their inception, won the senior first division championship, a short history of the ' club may not be out of place. In the year 1903 a dumber of members of Mr. Harrison's Gymnasium decided to form a "soccer" club, and it was duly christened "Ramblers." Of the originators, only three are now connected w\tli the club—Jackson, Paget, and M'Lean, the latter having occupied the position of hon. secretary since the beginning. The club entered _ two junior and one third-olass team in its initial venture, but was unable to mako much headway. In their second year, however, their prospects improved, and they were runners-up for tiio junior championship. In their third year they managed to annex the coveted trophy, which they had missed by a very narrow margin in the previous season. Inspired by their 'success and by the addition of several members of St. John's senior team, which had decided to limit its energies to the junior championship, the Ramblers, after many heated arguments, decided to try for senior honours. Although they were only fairly successful in .their first attempt, they put up some very creditable performances, and.managed to upset calculations by defeating the leading teams. Last season, was a very disastrous one for the club, as far as the. winning of matches was concerned, and they_ found themselves very much in tho running'for the wooden spoon. By careful and hard work on the part of the secretary and his energetio committee, the olub was held together, and 'at the beginning of the present season the team's prospeots looked very. rosy, but alas, the result of their two first matches came as a wet blanket, Ramblers suffering defeat at the' hands of Diamonds and Thistles. After these reverses the team pulled ittogether, and since then have not been beaten. This record is all thu more creditable as the club has no iunior team, and throughout the season has only had thirteen men tc draw "itamblers' winning of tho championship has been very popular amongst all players, and the team has been congratulated on all sides. The general remark being, "Next to our team, we would sooner sec you chaps win. ' Stray Notes. During the senior league contest just ended, 96 goals were scored. One senior team (Thistle) defaulted on one occasion. Crouch, centre-forward for Unions, played a good game against Iloarts A on Wednesday last. He would be seen to better advantage in better company. Ramblers are celebrating their win at a dinnor and smoke conccrt on Monday n "smilo which Mr. "Bob'' Mackay was wearing last week has broadened into a Tin—Ramblers' win has done it. It is rumoured that Manawatu is going to affiliate with the New Zealand Football Association at an early date.. . The Johnstone appeal, referred by tho Wellington' Football Association to the N.Z.F.A., was considered by tho 'council of'tiio latter-body on Monday last, when it was rosolvcd that the former resolution be"adhered to, - that is, that the sus-

pensions of four playing Saturdays for Hall, and the rest of the season for Johnstone were again confirmed. There was very little discussion on the subjeot, tho opinion evidently being that no appeal should be considered from one player against any other disqualification other than his own. Johnstone is, of course, now allowed to appeal to the council regarding his own suspension, should he uj desire. Reference to tho Appeal Board's decision was rather over-ruled by the council's chairman on Monday on account of the setting up of an Appeal Board by local associations not being in order according to tho N.Z.F.A. by-laws, bnt with this contention the writer cannot agree. The W.F.A., under its own bylaws, has tlie power to set up an appeal board, and whatever decision the board comes to 011 a matter reforred to it the. W.F.A. is in duty bound to confirm. It thus bccomes a decision of tho W.F.A., and as such may bo confirmed or reversed by the N.Z.F.A. according to bylaw.

The Y.M.C.A. Club appealed to the boys' sub-comnlittee this week not to play any more matches on the Island Bay ground, and also asking that the PoriruaY.M.C.A. match (sixth division) be played in town. These requests wero not entertained as it was considered that the Y.M.C.A. team should be treated in exactly the same way as tho other teams. Regarding the Porirua game,. however, it was decided that the match must be played on. the Toa ground or else in town.