Out Door Sports And Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 107, 19 July 1902, Page 18

Out Door Sports And Pastimes

By Touchline.

tive football, recalls many dought> deeds oa the football field, but the tendency to gossip thereon must be lestrained. One fine showing by Kelly, though, I must mention. The 1899 AucklandWcllmgton match, played on the Athletic Park when we were defeated b\ 14 points to 3, is the game I lefer to After the match the general trend of the conversation was, How many points would Wellington have been beaten b> if the five-eighths had changed places ? " The Aueklander in that position was weak but Kelly was, bariinqr no one the best back on the giouncl. his defensive phu particular 1\ being of a very high older However, 'Hen" is leaving us now, and after playing in fifty-one of Wellington's matches, there is still plenty of football in him, and, whatever club he dons the jersey tor in the Noithein cit\ will benefit by his inclusion in then team Apart horn Jus nlav Kelly is one who helps the game b-\ his connection with it a,nd it has alw ays been a fond hope of mine that when he had aivon the game up as an active nlaver the Rugby "Union would have secured the benefit of his experience and allround sportsmanlike qualities on its Management Committee That hone seems now to be doomed, and in wishing; him furthei successes m his nrofession I have to extend to him similar wishes from the footballing fraternity of Wellington, with a recommendation to all Auckland friends Before closing this notice, let me detail the fifty-one matches in which Kelly has played for Wellington -- Otago ."> Thames 1, Queensland 1, Wanganui 1 Canteirbun 7 Manawatu 3 Taranaki 6, Auckland b, Hawke's Bay > Wanaiapa 8, Southland 4 Nelson 2 New South Wales- 1. And the first tune he played for Wellington was in 180r, At the time of writing the tiouble between the Athletic Park Company and the Rugby Union appears to be happily ended. It was a small matter, but, in the opinion of the Management Committee, the principle involved was such that a firm stand should be taken by them. Many people thought the Committee were asking better teims from the Company — that was not the trouble, though a deputation from the Union earlier m the season having ieceived a definite and conclusive answ er to that request. The Rugby Union's business is all done between the months of April and September in each year — that being the extent of the football season. That, by the way, but it is the main point of the rupture. By direction of the Committee, the secretary of the Union had written on various matters, to the Company and repeated requests for replies failed even to bring acknowledgments. Hence the Committee decided that if replies to the communications sent were not received by mid-day on Friday they would play no matches on! the succeeding Saturday on the Athletic Park A reply was forwarded, but it was to the effeot > that communications had been received, and would receive the attention of the directors of the company at their next meeting. This was not the reply the Committee wanted and at a meeting shortly after mid-day on Friday they decided to play the matches at Pet one, instead of at the Atheletio Park. * • * A correspondent writes to the effect that a comment in my notes of a fortnight aoro "is an instance where reputation sticks to a recognised good player." Walsh is credited with playing well in a certain match, whereas his place was taken that day by Ba\ field, a promoted junior. My correspondent will admit I think, that, viewing the match fiom outside the fence round the playing field, as I did on that occasion it would haie been pietty hard to distinguish betw een Bayfield and Walsh at that distance, especially as I was not aware that Walsh was standing down I am prepared, however, to give Ba-s field a good word. In a junior match in which I saw him playing, he appeared to me to be a coming player, and I thought then that he would soon find a place in his club's senior team. That he played well in the match reviewed in my comment is not open to doubt for it was the pivot of the Wellington scrummage on that occasion that did a lot of the good work. » ♦ * Dan Toohill has put up a bit of a lecord In Monday's paper his name appeared among the Wairarapa representatives to play against Wellington, and in the A team of Wellington's junior representative practice match j J. Reynolds, who should be by this ' time in Wellington, was presented with ' a purse substantially lined with gold before leaving Southland. If he is in ' town I would like to have a yarn with him, if he drops a line where he can be found. (Continued >»i pnqe 21 )