Association Football

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 104, 28 June 1902, Page 19

Association Football

FootbalU'is must consider themselves vejy tortunate to have obtained a fine afternoon to indulge in their respective games, considering the very unpropitious condition of the w eather up to Satuidav afternoon Whilst the Miramai grounds weie dry enough to admit of games being played thereon, the state of the grounds (senior and junior) at Petone pi eel tided any matches taking place there. And for the second consecutive Saturday those matches were postponed Queen's Park suffered a ciushmg defeat At the hands of Shifts, and Diamonds secured a win over Marist Old Boys The scoie of six goals to nil is a \eiy creditable performance for Swifts, and moic so agaanst the team who were considered well m the runnrae; for the senioi championship Bv the defeat of Marist Old Boys Diamond ascends the ladder two points, making them even with three other clubs in number of points The winner of the championship cannot yet be picked. In my opinion. Petone and Queen's Park are now r out of it and even odds can be put on any of the other teams Swifts are sailing steadih , and ma] effect a surprise at the finish. Queen's Paik included m its ranks two old players, m the peisons of Rose and Giaham. Diamond played Lowe and Robertfe, of the Oriental Rugby Club, against Old Boys Love was not. brilliant, but Roberts played a, cool and pretty passing game It is Himoured that Charlie Laurence played Ins best game of football la&t Satin da\ He is to retire horn the football arena and intends to follow up the oneious and t hankies* duties of refeiee The w armest time the Diamond team expei lenced for many a day was at the close of the second half aeainst Manat Old Bo\s on Saturday. Captain Clark, of the Parks, does not desen c congratulations for playing against the wind on Saturday after winning the toss On such a day as Saturday it was an imprudent move Out ot toui protests lcceived by the "Wellington Football Association this season, so fai , three of them are based on dnect charges agains<t the decisions of the lespective referees If the Wellington Football Association w ant to- re>tain the sei\ ices of men who voluntaril\ de\ote their leisure time to taking chaige of football matches, they will have to stand bv them in their decisions to a considerable extent, save where the gvaiitv of tihe error is so glaring as to warrant investigation and reprisal * * Footballers will regret to learn of a sei ious acoide-it which befel the popular ex-Diamond goalkeeper, Mr. D. Collins, famihai ly known as "General." His services were lost to local football some two years ago, when he received an appointment on the Government railways. Whilst doing service in that capacity, he had the misfortune to have his hand badly crushed, with the result that one of his fingers had to be amputated Duiuig the examination of witnesses in connection with a protest from the Kaivar.a Club against the Pearls, at the meeting ot the Management Committee last "week, an allusion was made to the game m the Kanvaira district, wheieuyxm a witness from the doughty little suburb letorted that's where you get Micl: Fitz and Smith from." The esteem in which these two players are held b-s their fellow -suburbanites oausa ripple of laughter amongst the delegates piesent including a hearty laugh from the Marist Old Boys' delegate to which club the two players mentioned belong The announcement that Mr J J Roberts ha% re-considered and withdrawn his resignation, as selector of the lepie^entatne team and honorary treaMiier ot the Wellington Football Association will be received with pleasure and satisfaction bv all who have the Association game at heait The W F A. ha\e an energetic and populai officer in Mr C A Laurence He is at the present time his club's (Queen's Park) delegate on the Management Committee, and is secretary to the Saturrla\ evening social re-unions He has lust been elected to the onerous position of secretary of the Referees' Association, vice Mr. Salmon resigned In an aiticle on "Association Football," bv Mi. R. M. Chadwick, of Dunedin. in the June issue of the ' Young lien's Magazine," which is the organ of the St. John's Bible-class tl ere appears some very useful information The article is well written but ilias a tendency to introduce an undue comparison of the sister game. Rugby