Association Football.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 259, 17 June 1905, Page 20

Association Football.

All League matches were postponed last Saturday for the purpose of allowing the New Zealand team, which left on a tour of New South Wales the same eventing, to play a matoh agam&t the Wellington representatives, on tihe Athletic Park. It is* a singular thing that every time a big "soccer" match is played here it usually rains, and it was no exception to the rule last Saturday. Rain fell right up to the morning of the game, and, as a result, the ground was in a very sodden condition, but, for all that, a very good game was witnessed by the five or s'x hundred spectators who' attended. In. glancing round, I must say that at appealed 1 to me that the Association had not by any meams been at all well studied by its players, as most of the faces were unfamdiar to me. This is not as it should be, and! the Assoc ation could very well do without those lukewairm enthusiasts who stayed away. I will grant that the matoh was not well advertised 1 , which, by the way, was not the fault of the Wellington. Football Association, or yet hardly of the New Zealand Fcotbiill Association, as the latter body was not sure that the Sydney boa,t would be put off, and therefore did not oaire to go in for what might have been, unnecessary advertising,, vet it was, of course, well-known that the match was to take place. However, they did not attend, and 1 1 suppose that that is an end to the maitter. ♦ * * The Wellington, team was an exceedingly strong one, and the adverse criticisms passed by would-be selectors, who all had their fancy players for the different places to be filled, fell to naught, as the three selectors of the Wellington Football Association gained a great triumph by theoir team winning the game by five goaJs to three. I was greatly amused with the remarks of one winter, who had a lot to say about the way the selectors had shifted their men about compared to the places they are played in by their clubs. Admitting that they were shifted about, and I suppose that the selectors had very good reasons for playing the men in the places they did, surely they are good enough judges to be able to tell in what positions players are likely to play good games. Wellington has been singularly unfortunate of late years in mot having a decent centre-forward, and I take it that that is the reason Hathaway, a wing-forward, was chosen for the position, as one who was likely to do credit to the position. Again, W. Mouat, left-wing for his club, was shifted over to the right-wing, and played 1 a splendid combined game with Sharkey. This was evidently done so as to allow A. Mouat and Reddy to combine together. And what was the result? Why, a more effective combination has not been seen for many a long day. To a certain extent the opposing wing halves were weak, yet I am quite sure that had the halves been stronger the two forwards would .have adopted another style of play which would have had just as successful an issue. Perhaps the player who came in for most criticism was Sharkey, who is a member of the Queen's Park dub. The general talk was that either Cotes or F. Williams should have been given a place in preference to this 1 player, yet is there anyone who will now say that either of the two mentioned would have played' a better game than that played by the player picked? Why, his foot-work stood out as one of the prominent features of the game, and tame after time he beat hi® opponents easily, dribbling forward all the time. To my mind, when he has masteredl the art of shooting he will make a gjreat player, and I should suggest to his club the advisability of trying him in the centre. In watching the play of Waddell, who acted as skipper to the Wellington team, one could not but wish fihat this fine player had found a place in the touring team. Both on the attack and defence his play was brilliant and time after time with a twist of his foot, he aimply placed the ball wbereever he wanted it to go. Of course 1 , the two wing-halves suffered in comparison with Waddell, yet both, who were making their first appearance in a representative team, played sterling games. Of the backs, Renai was the worst, and probably; has never played such a bad game before. He seemed all at sea in the mud, and was unable to get going at any time. Peter Roberts played as only he can play, and! his defence was perfect. To Webster, the goal-keeper, too much praise cannot be given. I had an idlea that he was going to be a frost, especially as he allowed a very soft goal to be scored). However, he "kept" splendidly in the second spell, his punching the ball out being a special feature of his play.

11l turiims; to the New Zealand team, one of course could hardly expect to see much combination in their play, especially as they had 1 not played together before, but the individual play wao there right enough, and, to a great extent, it was brilliant, although, of course, this style of play is never hkelv to win matcnee. However, as soon as they manage to get the combination among the forwards they will be a very hard lot to beat indeed In Maw son Bissett, Fore&h/aw, and Ussher they have four of the finest shots in tihe colony, and all are great players. Pea 'haps, I was more struck with the play of Useher than I was with the others, for the reason that he is only a lad yet, but if the swelled head does not appear (and 1 I don't think it will) he- is goanig to be one of the best players New Zealand has yet pi educed. One shot of bis was a clinker, just hittajug the crosS-ba,r, and dropping back into play, and it fairly scared Webster, who watched specially foi those shots after that. Tihe ereatest fault with the forward line was the tendency they had to play off-side, and the referee (Mr. A. Williams) informed me that he. had not acted in a match before were so miuch off-side play was shown. He included the Wellington team as well, although not. so much as the New Zealand team. On two occasions he ruled off-side when the ball was banged into the net, and although the team did not Hike his decision in these cases, yet, nn my opinion, they were perfectly fair ones, as I was standing in an excellent position at the time the offence occurred. Taylor, at centre-half, ha® played many better games, but probably the cares of skipper stopped him to a great extent. Jones did nothing out of the ordinary, but I am inclined to tbmk that Forrest will yet prove his worth in the team, and, probably if he js given a trial ait full-back he will prove it. I have seen Clapham play many better games, still, as he was suffering from chiillblainsi, it was not to be expected that he would be able to play up> to his reputation. Of the play of Jimmy Harrison nothing but praise can be given, as he saved his side time and again without number. My own opinion is that he should be kept m the full-back position, and not shifted to half, where rumour states the Selection Committee intend to place him. Mick Fitzgerald! suffered in comparison with Webster, but when he gets a bit of practice given, to him he will undoubtedly show that form with which he delighted us the season before last. In summing-up the New Zealand team, I am sure that all will consider it to be a very strong combination, and well able to uphold the honour of New Zealand, and its doings on the "other side" will be watched with very great interest. That it may return to tihese shores with a large number of victories is the widh I know of all soocer players throughout the colony.