ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2144, 9 May 1914, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

■' ■ '■ f'Bx GENIIIB-ll,L'j,] THE REVISED SHIEi.il RULES, Naturo of tho Changes. The suh-coimniiteo appoihtod by tlve Now Zealand Football Association to roviso tiio Brown Shield rules j.ook ndVantago 01 tho recent iveu ".'eek-end with t'iie result t-liat it has submitted a fairly coniproiioiisive report of BuggettiaitS, the adoption of wli.ieii .i)y..'. : ,tjio N,Z,i".A< should meet with approval by alii'iil tod assaaiations. ' ' : iin> most important altnratio.iu are, of course:, those relating to the iiinmco of lirown Shield matches. At prosor.l tiro N.Z.F.A. takes 10 por ■cont. gross gate, and the iiet.t proceeds arc then ajiportioned two-tliircts to tho ing association and onerftirci. vt)x*6 honio .association. It lias been felt for sonio time .! ; (ant\ ofliciftis of tiio council liave re.cogiiiscd it) 111 at 1)1 per ccirt. gross has .been' somen hat too severe a tax upon the gate, and a recommendation has been made to tho effect that the amount to' bo taken by tho council in future ■.'■. shall be 0 per cent,, or equal to one-half of previous seasons. . Ili.e npt.t .«ro to ;b.o appor'iioned as follows-Three-fifths nett gato to, tlio challengers, and iwo-fift.hs il6.it to the holders. Tliis means a difference of 6 per cent, either way. To illustrate what this means, it may be well to quote what tlio Wellington Association actually received last seawu, and what they would havo received under tire proposecl alterations. Tho local association, in its' three Drown Shield matches last season, received as its siiare of tlio gato a .sum of £.36. linder tbo suggested amendments, this would havo amounted to £48 ; .-in i'nereaso of 33 l-3rd por cent, Home assoriatiom--, tlierefoie, will liavo little to cavil at w hat tho council intends to do.. Tho visiting associations would work out at much about' tire ,sS.m;e.._ For instance, last season Otago received £32., Under the proposed rules, however, they would havo got barely ■ a » pouncl less, so that there can really bo'little .discussion, on tiie matter, and the com-mittc-e ie to be congratulated upon _ suggesting such a satisfactory basis of alteration. What Shall bo Dono? - Aiiollier vexed 'qp.eß't'iqfl: affecting the Brown Shield has boon the lio'ld.ing over of challenges from onu season to another. Two or .more seasons of the pfcsc.nt iirrangeuieuts (by wbicli chailenges unplayed in any one season are held o.\ er until the. following year) have jihown that the. systein is iie-t a workable one, and .'it 'has. been more by good fortune tliaii otherwise' that the council has uot got itself into a tangle over tho matter. A present there are three challenges lield over from ias.t season, whicii have to be met this season before any new challenge games caii lip considered. Tliis moans that- the home association (assuming it wins all its games) can. closo down 0"n Shield matelics—surely an uii« fair r'ule.It may so happen, too, that tlio first four or five challenges may be from the smaller, and consequently lessci' known, .as'sOq.iatifluSi aijd it is only natural that tho homo association would wish,, to pliiy a fair proportion of the big associations for the. gake of their gate-drawing power. In this note it is not, of course, intended -to decry tho smaller associations, who must be cncoiiraged in every w.ay possibto,, but of course "gate'" must loom up a good deal. ■ Who shall Covorn? ' At tiio present time affiliated associations aro considering an important jiotico..vof., motion by Sir. B. L. j Salmon,. Wbicli w ; ill come lip for discussion at tiie annual meeting of tho council tliis monih. The motion 'iji question it; 0110 dealing with fno management of tho council, and it proposes to set up a niauageniOat eoi'nliiit.teo of five delegates, these to bo appointed at the aiinual general .meeting, • , I,t will bo readily understood' that iT : tho lnotion is carrithi it wiil mean a drastic ehango in the constitution oi tho council. Up till the preseii't tho council, of tho N.Z.F.A. has consisted : of delegates appointed by each affiliated association, and a chairman appoinjod ■ ay tho delegates. . During the past few ycafs, h,OW6.M : er, the .num.ljor of afiliiaici assorfatious has increased to such an extent that tlio council is- jefipmiug too big. . ■ There are some 16 or 17 delegates (fvitii a few more come), and if each delegate exorcised his right to speak on every motion and amendment tho :busfness of tiio council would bp subject to very heavy deiay.. There is 110 doubt that, the smialior .the coni.iiiittec the bettor the results. ' There are several , things to lie considered, however, l?eforo the proposed change is adopted. For instance, aS Mr. iV. Williams pointed out at . a recent meeting of the W.F.A., a committee might be clest.ed all tiio members of winch might bo representing country associations. lii: that enso, it was lichi that tho largo associations would probably bo loft out iii tlio cold. On tlio other hand, : tbe opposite state of affairs liugiit. coino into existence.. : li is ratlier early .vet for affiliated associations, to have made up • their [ minds as to how they intend to instinct their delegates to rote, and perhaps it is iust a's well, because the .question needs much consideration.. The Wellington F.A. threw the motion out w.itiiout milch ceremony, but perhaps they have not, even yet, .realised tiicir responsibilities in tliis matter. . Year's Shield Holdors. Commenting on tho recent 'represen- • iative match Caukrburv r. Of ago, ,H Leit Wing's" remarks m the "Otago Daiiv Tinics" are interesting, hugely because Canterbury are ; tho holders of tiio lirown Shield for this season. The writer states; — •'Defore Canterbury scored'on Saturday most pe.oplu had mado ftp iihfiW minds iliiit Ota£/i wore tp iini'sfi' victors. In the last toil ■njiimiesj however, the visitors .got shooting, accurately, and turned apparent defeat into a one-goal victory—three to two. • In the held the Canterbury forwards were undoubtedly tiio superior. It was a treat to watoh the precision and judgment with which tlio quintet advanced, each drawing his opponent, and at the moment tapping, to his nearest colleague, or with. a. sweeping movement, placing the ball to tho wing in such a way that the winger could take it on tho run. 111 the first spell tho play was. directed consistently to Tanner, who was always in his place, and almost invariably managed to shako off the qppO.s.ing. halfback. This was i.ho more surprising in that Harrison lias had a reputation as n difficult; mail, to pass at, any time:, ■and n'of'a.bly Quick to .recover..aivd taekfe again when once passed, lu the second spell Tanner was less effective/! many of his. efforts to centro or shoot having yeiy poo,r direction.- . For part of the spoil uo_ appeared to be playing ■h so if oi' li.vbrid game, part half-back and uarl forward.' Iu tliis spell Harrison. wlvo was better 011 attack than 011 defence in the earlier part of tho game, was effective on defence. "Fiom the enenmsta-icr that Canler» liliry were bilk'd as the. liolders of tlio Brown. Shield tho inference was drawn by many that tho match on Saturday represented aii attempt by . Oiago to wrest tho sine!,! from Canterbury. Vict.srv lor Otago, liowevcr, would not l\nv<> meant tlio shield. Challengers for tiie ft row 11. Sliield must play'in t!m ii.okTcrs.'' territory. D.t.ago. is ('luillongiiy;, r.ml at a later date . will ffeit Cliristcliurcli ii; quest oik the. shii'M. Tiie slinvim: ; of the Oi ago loom againstCt'ivievlvuvy oil Satuvdav cr.coii.r,igc.< tho ho»" t'nu our sfroiigest lepresciiiaiivft tram mav this year prove- succos.sful in 'hut quest," .;