ON THE HOCKEY FIELD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2193, 4 July 1914, Page 12

ON THE HOCKEY FIELD.

IBs Spectator.] SATURDAY'S GREAT CAME. Tho Troubls WUh "Mets." Tlic great bittlc betneen TJnitcd and Metropolitan, at Karori on Saturday, q.i-to ii'.ed dp to expcctanoi-.s. It ivaa ti.:ll a firoat ficht, porhnps, only for tlio fact that Metropolitan, undoubted]} tho better tcara, lost. Yet :n a measure Mct-opolitan OiiiV themsel v es *o blame. So eager ttoie the', in tnclr race after the ball that halves and fcaards intermingled in ono ivild scramble, at times ovn ito I former led *no forwards. Tnu faet 1 nas undoubtedly one of tne ma:a factors m their defeat. What was thci* skipper doing? Perhaps, like his men, i I.e. ".00, lost his head during the excitement, and failed to direct his men to their proper places. AVhai was the result' Tucir Ror-1 was Wt all but defenceless. At times, United had but to break away, and a goal was an easy mstter. Urited. with a pitched-up tcanij rcai1\ piii up a creditable performance, "Spectator" consido*? that v.ith the eleven they ravo played ui-h in their r onrer Ramcs this season they would ha--6 found Metropolitan easy uctims. Srlfiht Projects. Tho pesition cf the championship ladder at present is most Interesting Ihero is no doubt lhat the second round iviil s"o tho keenest cf struggles for top portion Tlnirorsiti are coming en, while Karori arc not &t all out of tho picture. Of course, sone*bing e-stra-flrdinary will have to h?ppen to give cither Wellington, Insiiraivo, or M.Y M.I, a lift jet one nc>-er knows.. What nith tho cliampionship fxames to leok forward to, the inter-ishnd fixture, •ind tho English lad ; .>s'_ visi:, things should bo most interesting in hocks} circles loca'l.> for th.p next few months. Auckland Repress. An intortsting stage his been reached in the life of tho Auckland Hockey Uefe.ccs' Association, tho Auckh:id "Herald " , A letter was recently ret cii ed from the Auckland Hoclcer As*,oi'iat!nn, asking nhethcr the Hefcroc', Association l.ad considered th) question nf crading Tcferees, an! after due cliscusion it was unanimously agreed t'nt the tnno had'n r ri\cd rhen the referes iihonld Le graded, and with that object j In \iew a committee- was net \ip to ' draft a scheme for submission to ar early meeting of tho association. During tho discussion it nas contended tlvt the idoption of such a ocliemc would undoubtedly tend tow aids iin'i'mprovemcnc in the methods of p'a%, i oud niso cre.-.tT more iutcrct anicnp i the referees, leid to mbre competent i "ontroi of iiiatches, and fnr.iish an 'Vccmivc for t''«» vonngcr or junior rcfrrees to niactcr the art. It is piobablv ' tro late «o intioduce tho refoim this I season, hut fr is anticipated that overyllntiß will h" ready tc start the ?ow irlaiuemcnt ncyt \ear. Th« Shield. The Auc' land Hockev Association's soninr ,cc.npetitio.i hr,s been suspeivJed until .Ti:l\ 11 to provide for the iirst | No« Zerlaiii! challenge shield match of tin. I)\\i S itr.-day-the Auckland representatives «i!l he called upon io defend the troph, against