ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2411, 17 March 1915, Page 8

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FOOrBALL • - THE'ATHLETIG CLUB. The thirty-seventh annual report <>f ! tho Athletic Football Club congratulates members -on having again experif eiiced a- Successful . The senior [: team was bracketed with Wellington as i; winners of .the,' Senior •Champioi'iship./A t.senior*seven-a-sido team competed'at ; the annual tournament promoted by the iManawatu Ruyby Union,, and succeeded !. in winning the competition ; thg club at ; present holds the Thompson aud Payno i Cup for this achievement. .Teams from ': the club competed in .all the lower | grades'.compotitions, and although none : was successful, in; annexing championI ship honours,; all-finished close to the ! "winning teams'. The fifth-class. team ; was rumier-up- in its. grade. The folt lowmg..l!is a' summary of the season's .-piatches:—• ••• • ■ • • f - IT&.* ■ -■/" . pi . o' ■ : - £ »- . •. ; ■ ; ' s;-e -.•.{* -CO > W OT . •' W . v ,- . Gj E> iJ Q Qj' . CJ Senior 12 10 2 - 187 55 !) 5 • 3-1' 68' 83 lliiid ..7 4 3 —• ■•34 "38 H'Fourth" .. " 7 4 3 —•• 64 -42: (Fifth .... 8 6 / 2 — 105, 52 -Sixth . 6 ' 3 . 3,,. 75 . 62: Total '49 ~32 ' 16 ' 1 ' 533' '332; i ; . . Nearly "forty *cf"the •. club's players- '• have 'Joined ' the Expeditionary. Forcos • -■or are-on home defence duty. 'A fur-, tlier hiimb'er, have. registered and are Awaiting orders to proceed to camp, f- The names of 'all-who enlist'.'are being v recorded and an honours 'list will bo j compiled in, due .course. . ■ -. --. Tho'', Jlerivalo dub returned 'the j ■ club'.sV.nsit.;during.,Easter, and the : .nistch'&csuited in Athletic'. winning by : ,]2 points' to"6. The Morivale Club in-, h tendediinyithig- team > to visiti VChristchuirch-tins - coming Easter,' but R owing 'to the present disorganised state [ of affairs the visit has been postponed. honours have been gain- : <>d by members during the past iseason 1; as follow:—New Zealand;- team: . E, t.-Roberts and A. "Wilson. ' Wellington ' representative teams: W. Bell, A. Cun- ! ninghame, A. Eveiisen, D. \V. Madden, f R. J. Pato'ii, ;E.'.Roberts, J. Robinson,' : A. ;S.\[Wilson. v The ,club' S is again indebted'to;Mr. W. J.;Spencer - f for his ■'continued interest in the train- : Jjng of the teams. It is with 'extreme ,re- ! gret that tho 'committee has to note the. death of Mr. 0. Ponman, whioh opl;: ciirred' during the past year. Mier..two. offshoots of the club—the i !'Athletic "Football. Sports Club and the j- ''Athletic Cricket Club—which cater 'for !:. members during the summer months, ; still continue to.thrive and keep.memr hers in iouch' during the whole year. I 'Members of the Sports Club were suc- ; cessful in winning championships at ' botli the Wellington Provincial;' and f 'New Zealand A.A. Championship-Meeir 1 ings. The balance-sheet shows a, t credit S ;of £33 18s. Bd., the balance of:-assets i' over liabilities being £483 3s. 2d.

SELWYJN 7 CLUB'S REPORT.

t liik- thirteenth annual report.,of the ! Selwyn Football . .Club, .congratulates h members on the most "successful-,sea.-, i' .son in .tie history of the..;cluK. : The ! club won two champinoships from three i J teams entered. The active membership stands at 60, -against 52 last.year, ana i 27 honorary members, against 21 the ' previous >;ear." The junior', team -iron | the championship, playing nine matches and winning all of them, and scored ■126 points against 17. Six members of ■ the team—W. Lomas,,A. De Clifton, H. ; Trico. Fred Cooper, N. M-Thee,. and R. : M'Donald—gained representative honi ours- Three of these members—W. Loi jnas ■A. De Clifton, and N. M'Phee — i also played against the Marlborough The fourth.grade also won the championship. They played eight matches and won them all, scoring 125 i points against',l2. This team was comI posed of very-young players, including . several of), the previous , year's fifths. ' Tlie fifth class team, although beaten | ,iii the majority'of imatches, liad ali ' ways tor be reckoned with. The thanks i of tho members are due to Messrs. B. Murray and -F;' Cooper for the way they coached and looked!'■ after this team. ■ Two of. this team—Watson and G.';Tierxiey—plaj'ed in ,the fifth. class ,representative match against-'Canfcerbiiry. - The ; !points scored by the club are'29s for > :'and 122 against. Trophies were'award«d. as .'follow:—Mr. N. -Austin, juii.?s h medal\to-/Fred.' Cooper for most, im- ■ proved iian' Jn "junior team:'• medal- to' J. Sheareiy"most,;improved fourth-class i mail. Trophies were awarded to the fifth team;'by'Messrs: "W. -Hornig (2),' P. Geoghan (l),B.Murray (2), V'Flack and" 8.-Ackerman (l), and were, ■won by'r C. .Ridgley,- A: Flack, : Cham-; . kberlin, Ticrney, Sendall,' and ,Pegley. ' ftrhe thanks of the 'club for/donations,' i; .\and trophies are due to Messrs. N.Aus-, i tin,, jyn., W. Horhig," P.' Geoghan, ;B. Murray,fiV^.F-lack,B. Ackermaii, Macguirei™9Vt;Faulk'nor," T." Burke, B. - . p . Hol)€rtsp-A-.--Siioarer,' A.'.Stott; "W. 'Aston, J.TafeJ'F. BraidJ.aiid J. -M'Guire. ,' Tho cltijußasjieen.lwell represented-in : the Exjfgditionarj'c-Forces, twenty.;mem-. ; hers having already joined;. The pros- ; p.ects for the-corning- season are considered '"exceedingly bright. " The question of 'jyhether a senior teaiu will; be i enteredfis to be idiscnssed at the annual" | meeting., ... ~u - . ,

?), : ASSOCIATION

I. W.F.A.'S; ANN UAL REPORT. •.- .The_ twontjt-fourtliannual'. :repori': of' the Wellington Football Association ro- ; raarks„upon tho splendid results obtainr ed during; season! . v Large eii-: tries;were-received for the various com-'- ; ' petitions which excited keen interest : among: .players and spectators alike. _ Tho play shown was of a high starid- ' 'Srd. Particularly was this noticeable :. in the fourth) fifth, and sixth, : and schols grades. ■ "An increasing knowledge arid interest is, being shown in ! -the game.' by" the public.. Owing to .so ■ many players bqing required towards tho. end of the season for defence duty, I ■ it was found-impossible to play matches lor tho Henderson Cup, and this competition had to be abandoned. Twelve .-teams entered for the schools competition. It is hoped that further schools will participate in the forthcoming" ; matches. ; It has become" necessary tnat several of the rules dealing with ?this class,of football should be altered, arid this will receive atten-tioii-beforo the start of games this sca- | son. -;"A further effort was made to run' j. a Wednesday competition, but although . -at oiie time it seemed as if tho efforts • -of tho committee would bo successful, !■ -oftor a few games, it was reluctantly ! decided to abandon the project. ;' ' Several benefit matches were played !;• during the season. The proceeds hand- < -ed over amounted to the following:— i ;.Upper Hutt Disaster, £24 65.: His . .Worship the Mayor's War Fund, £32 12s. 6d.; and Huntly Mine. Disaster, £16 Is. 6d. The committee has in- ' . structed tho boys' and schools' sub- ; , committeesto make-iurther suggestions ■' for tho encouragement of boys' foot- ; s ball,. and tho advisability of seriously. ; . considering any proposals brought fo'rf' ward'is earnestly recommended to the i incoming committee, so that tho welfare of theso grades may bo still further promoted. The accident insurance scheme was brought into force, and fully '■ justified its existence. This fund | is in' credit to start tho forthcoming i .season. It is regretted that lowerj grade players have not availed _ them- ! selves of tho opportunity of joining ! tho scheme as they should do. A pleasing feature was that tho city reserves grounds allotted to the W.F.A. ! "were available l'or use right throughout the season. The committee has !, - iecn- greatly indebted to the Cifcj' ikmncil officials for their courtesy on 1; many, occasions. Ai} -w&9- anticipated,

the new football park, situated at South | Kilbirnie, was available, and two foot--ball 'grounds' were in use throughout the season. Much yet remains to be done to make the ground perfect. A sonior representative tour .of the South Island Jad to be abandoned on account ?of tho,wai\ A'suggestion'-is.made K to ■the incoming committee to try to promoto tho tour this season. -At tho present time, football .must be considered only a secondary consideration; iiiid. although it is intended-to go on with future competitions, as far as possible, yet all'those able to do so should mako an oarnesb endeavour to" offer their' services, • .

THE ISLAND BAY CLUB.

' The annual report to bo presented at the annual meeting of . the Island Bay Football Club' states that the past' season has been the best experienced yet.;. The -Fourth Division team canie' sixth . in their competition and had the hour o'ir of [carrying off the junior nve-aside gold medals',;, in which sonio • fifteen teams, ;from the Third and Fourth Divisions,' competed. In .representative matches H.' gained a place in the Fourth Division, and W.' jones in tho Sixth. A most enjoyable social was held at the end .of the season,- when medals were presented, to W.; Jones (best back), and E. Jeffreys (best forword) in the Sixth Division, and the medals won in the junior five-aside competition : were, .presented -to Messrs.; H. .Wilson, L. Myers, J. Roberts, L. Coilder, and F. Swiney by the chairman of the Wellington Football Association, 'Mr.' A. E. Wells. " The thanks of the club.are due to Messrs.' W-. Gleave, E. Hollis, and- Myers for donations.