Association Football.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 42, 20 April 1901, Page 21

Association Football.

The senior ranks this season will consist of five teams — Diamond, Rovers, Swifts, Petone, and Red Cross. It was anticipated that the Queen's Park Club would resurrect an eleven for the senior championship, but general regret will be felt in senior ranks at their non-appearance in the list of competitors tor that championship. Red Cross is by far the youngest club that has promoted an eleven to senior ranks, so that unusual interest is attached to this tournament. For their persistency in play, and pluck to attempt such high honours, I wish them a season's good luck. It is almost certain that the Wellington Football Association have secured the use of the grounds at the entrance to Miramar, on the right-hand side. This is a wise step in the right direction, as it is a better arena, by far, than the present playing grounds, and is within convenient distance of the ferry wharf. Whilst on the subject of the ferry wharf, I might make reference to the proposed procedure of the service during the football season. The service would be beneficial if the players were solely Thorndonites, but to meet the wishes of the Te Aro people it is proposed to start the service from Jervois Quay, near the boating sheds, and tnat the time of departure shall be altered from 2.15 to 2.30 p.m. The ferry service company, with thennew and welcome means of locomotion to Miramar, have placed themselves in an awkward position as to the proposed starting point. Jervois Quay is as inconvenient to Thorndon as the present ferry wharf is to Te Aro^ and, to my mind, the proposed removal of the starting point is not warranted, and is questionable, judging by the relative numbers of passengers who travel from Te Aro and Thorndon. It is beyond reason to think that the Newtown players, who form a goodly proportion of the whole, will travel by the ferry service, so that a club wiil have to study the conveyance of these players, if a portion of that club choose to travel by steamer. It is possible a number of clubs will report to the former method of conveyance, viz., brakes, where, on the route, players can be picked up practically at their own doors at exactly the same cost as the steamer fare. A method of suiting all parties may be arrived at this way — That the ferry steamer leave the ferry wharf at 2.15 p.m., and leave Jervois Quay at 2.30 p m , thus enabling the Thorndon and Te Aro players to embark, and, by reciprocity of the various clubs, players, in Newtown, who preferred carriage to walking, would be found accommodation m brakes.