Association Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 73, 23 November 1901, Page 19

Association Football.

Referring to the efforts of Mr. A. E. Gibbs, at present m the Old Country, to arrange for a visit to the colonies of a team of English amateur "socker" players, the "Athletic News" says. — "We can assure our readers that Mr. Gibbs, who is the treasurer of the New Zealand Association, is not bkely to return to Wellington at the end of next November without having accomplished something to develop the dribbling game in the land which he has made his home. Mr. Gibbs, as an old player, made a remark full of meaning in proposing The Visitors," when he declared that the\ bad seen pure football by the professionals, an exhibition! of very clever footwork, which showed how magnificently they could play the game, without resorting to any of the trickery that he had seen in the only two league matches he had been able to watch during his visit to England. Without presuming to preach, he asked amateurs and professionals alike to let their motto be — 'Play the game.' Mr Gibbs is sanguine tlhat an amateur team will vet visit New Zealand and Australia. We must say that we ieallv do not see why the Football Association should not accomplish what the Rugby Union has done." A w eek later the same paper contained the following — 'We are pleased to learn that our paragraphs relating to the visit of Mr. A. E. Gibbs and his mission w ith reference to Association football in New Zealand and Australia, are likely to bear fruit, as a, London gentleman has a.lread-v manifested his desire to take a team of amateurs out to Greater Britain Moreover, a schoolmaster assures us of his willingness to emigrate as a coacli