ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 2

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FOOTBALL. ATHLETIC CLUB'S ItKPOIIT. The annual report of the Athletic Football Club stales:—"The honours carried oil' during this period were the Senior Championship, the Fifth Class Championship, the Senior and Fifth Class seven-a-side tournaments, and the Charity Cu-p. The Senior Championship, which (he club had not won since 1801, was probably the most interesting and keenly-contested that has ever been decided in Wellington, and in securing the premiership, the senior team recorded a very meritorious performance. In some of the matches of the second round, the team put up some remarkable games, and in the final match the forwards gave an exhibition of liugby that has seldom been excelled here. It is a very gratifying feature/ that the team was composed almost entirely of players who had graduated from the club's lower teams. The junior ' team, although probably the lightest combination in its grade, put up some sterling fights against the strongest trams, and played gcod football. Some of the members should be an acquisition to the senior grade as soon as they 'put on weight.' The third grade team was unfortunately handicapped by a shortage of players, and often played without its full complement. The team also suffered through the members not training consistently. A word of praise is due to those of its members who both trained and played regularly. The Fifth Class team again achieved the distinction of capturing the honours in this grade, and. in doing so created a club record by going through all their matches without a loss. This team was credited with being the b;st exponents of the game under the Rugby Union, and the boys are to be congratulated on playing such clean football. They scored ever 51) points in each of three of their matches, nnd finished the season with an aggregate of fti!) points as against their opponents' 26. Owing to flic 'Star'Wednesday Club disbanding and most of its members joining this club, n Wednesday team was put in the field for the first time. The team, although it did not win the. championship, had a very successful season, and had it not been for a shortage of players in some its matches, would undoubtedly have finished higher up in the competition. The club was represented in the senior representative team bv W. Bell. .T. Cuniiinghaine, A. Evensen, If. Irvine, W. Heady, and A. Wilson. A. Wilson also played with the North Island team. G. Luoni gained a .place in the junior, representative team, and H. Brown, 11. Genimell, W. O. Jfills, D. Jlouat, H. Osborne, and L. Williamson played with the Wednesday representatives. The best thanks of the club are duo to Messrs. W. .f. Heenan and W. Spencer for the services they rendered in training the senior team, and the form the team displayed in the final matches was in no small measure due to the efforts of these gentlemen. For the com-.| ing Easter, arrangements have bsen made for the .Fifth Class players to play at Wanganui, and the Junior ami Third (.'hiss members will again visit Woodville. Jtr. I-I. W. Kelly, one of the club's delegates to Ilia Wellington Kngby Union,' has been transferred to Wangamii. In him, the club loses one of its most valued officials. The committee notes with sat■'sfaction the progress that is being made by the Athletic Football Sports Club, which caters for members during the summer months. It is now one of the* strongest clubs in Wellington, and its members have met with ninny successes during■ the season now closing. Owing to the illness of the honorary treasurer, Sir. J. A. Glasgow, with scarlet fever, the committee is unable to present herewith the annual statement of the club's accounts. These, however, will he prepared as .soon as 31r. Glasgow is convalescent."