THE FOOTBALL MATCH.

Evening Star, Issue 3924, 21 September 1875, Page 3

THE FOOTBALL MATCH.

To the Editor.

Sir,—l re id on Saturday evening, with very undisguised expressions of disgust, the letter on the appioaching footbUl match which appeared in your paper under the signature of " Admirer of the Game." I also am an admirer of the game, and, as I am a member of neither club, perhaps I am a more impartial admirer than y«»ur correspondent. Perhaps your correspondent intends his letter as a " funny " one, but the "fun," if any, is sn cunningingly hidden under the mass of malicious mis-statements with which his letter abounds that I, for one, have been' unable to discern it. In almost his first paragraph he states that the of one team . has no claim to that position, and to fortify himself in this statement he says that Mr Smith has no stay. Now. anyone who has seen Mr Smith playing knows how false this statement of his is. Again, " Admirer " has a fling at Mr Samson, and says that he is only an average player. I appeal to your readers if this be so. They have seen Mr Samson play, and they know that wanting him our team would be minus one of its best—perhaps its best—playerß. And then, a little farther on, Messrs Cleverdon and M'Kinnon and their qualifications are sneered at in the most repul-ive manner ; for I think it is pretty apparent that the praise with which they are bespattered is meant ironically. Cleverdon and M'Kinnon are both good players, and I am sure would have wished that their names had been left out of your correspondent's letter. With the disputes, if any, t etweeu the Dunedin Club and the Union Club I have nothing to do, and I know nothing about them. This much I will say, that so far as my recollection extends, I had thought that matches between the Dunedin and the Union were drawn, and did not result in each case in a victory for the Union, as your correspondent says. I must apologise for inflicting th s long letter upon you ; but as a true admirer of the game of fooi.ball, snd a well-wisher to our team, I cou'd not allow the somewhat transparent attempt of ''Admirer" to sow discord a ■ on? one team on the eve of an important match to p:i',s unnoticed.—l am, &e.

•AIEXANELP. T. SXPAKL

Dunedin, September ;iO. P.S.—Has " Admirer" the pluck to disclose h's name ? I very much question it. But he is not by any moans a Juniux.