Association Football. (Continued from lastweek.)

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 277, 21 October 1905, Page 20

Association Football. (Continued from lastweek.)

Queen's Park also hadl a very satisfactory season, but, with only one team in the field, I fail to see how the club can keep on going, and 1 , even, so, I am afraid that they are more than likely to go to the wall, as I am informed, on good authority, that a team somposed of English players will be formed next season. As it was, the Parks wene seldom able to put a full team am the field, and, as a result, they were pastmasters at the art of playing the onebaok gam? — a game which, although perfectly legitimate, yet caused a vast amount of off-side to be played 1 by the opponents of the team. In Clapham they have at the present time a full-back who is probably the beet player in New Zealand in this position, and, those who were fortunate enough to witness the- display given by Mm against St. John's during the eecond round' of the championship games, will, lam sure, quite agree with my statement. In the Clark brothers, the club had a trio of halves who were more than, useful, but it appeared to me that the eldest, Bert, who has represented tie city on many occasions, showed signs of falling off. Towards the end of the season, Jones, who wa& one of the two Canterbury players to gain bis New Zealand! cap, threw in his lot with this club, and turned; out to be one of the best winghalves that we had. Mawson was by far the best of the forward line, and in also gaining his New Zealand cap only received his just due. Others very useful to the sidle were : McArdle, Sharkey, and) Davidson. <* • • In taking the St. John's next, it must be at once stated that they had a very poor time compared! to that enjoyed in previous seasons. However, they were most unfortunate in losing the services of so many of tiheir prominent players. Just take their names, and the loss suffered by the yellows will be seen at once. Amies, a moral for a plaice in the New Zealand team, only played! in the first match, and Brodie, through being injured, also did likewise. Again, towards the end of the season, andl on his return from the New South Wales tour, Bissett shifted his quarters to Ghristchurch, and another heavy blow was the loss sustained through goal-keeper Irons having to undergo an operation. Several of the other players, too, appeared to be falling off, and, until the club officials fully recognise that the junior talent must be encouraged, I fail to see how they axe going to regain the high position they have usually held in the championsip tables. Some time ago I had a talk with. *'Bob" Maokay, the popular secretary of the club, and he informedl me that he did not consider any of the juniors could take a senior position, but I cannot believe this, as Tintdl a player is given a chance, and a fair chance at that, of showing his worth, there is no knowing how good he may turn out to be. To give an instance, I will mention Japp. To my mind, this player did not get altogether a fair trial, yet Bissett informed me at one time that if the player mentioned could only show the form he played in in Scotland there was no full-back in the colony to come up to him. Very high praise this, yet, knowing Bissett as I do to be of such an "unassuming disposition, I see no reason to doubt his statement in any way. The club were very fortunate in getting the services of Sparrow, a Duinedin player, and he turned) out to be one of the best wing-halves that he had playing, doing an immense amount of good work. Andy Mbuat is still on© of the best forwards playing, and on occasions played some very brilliant games. His brother did not seem to play continually up to his best form, but G. Williams and Millar were always useful. McWhannel played most of the season as centre-forward, but I do not consider that he was in any way a success in this position. * * * * If I had been asked at the start of the season for a tip for the championship, I should have said straight out, Swifts. The season was started with so many new players that there was no other course open but to enter two teams for the Shield 1 , and doing this was ultimately -their undoing so far as gaining the senior position was concerned. There was no excuse for the way several players slipped the teams up without notifying the secretary of their intension of doing so, and consequently, through having to change their men about, it was a long time before the "A" team could) get going in anything like a satisfactory manner. However, that the team did pull itself together is shown by the fact that they played off with Diamonds for the Charily Cup, and, although beaten by a

goal to nil, were not by any means disgraced. The junior team had a very successful season, not losing a single game, but, as against the Diamond juniors only having one drawn game, they . two and this lost them their chance for the 'junior oup. Several of this team received a trial with the seniors, and, as the result was more than satisfactory, there is 'no reason why the club Should not yet gain the coveted top position. In Woodham®, the club have a very cool and unassuming "keeper," and he was of very great use to his sad© right throughout the season. Len- White, the popular skipper of the club, was not in ibis best form at the commencement of the season, but towards the finish was playing in quite his old form. In Duff, the team had a back who has improved wonderfully on previous seasons, and he played some very fine games indeed. He can also play a rattling good game at forward' as well. In Frank Waddell, the club are fortunate in having the best centre-half in the colony, and in this position he stands alone. His play night throughout the season was of a very high order, and his "heady" play and tricky footwork was always a treat to witness. Originally playing as a professional for the St. Bernard Club, he became reinstated as an amateur, and played for St. Johns, both Glasgow clubs. He went to New South Wales ia 1902, and in 1904 captained the Granville Club, touring New • Zealand the same season as a member of the New South Wales team, and, on making his home here, captained' Wellington against New Zealand. Of the Swifts' forward-line, Cotes played better than he had ever done before, while Anker and Muir also worked very hard. Dan Twdhill played in "the later matches, and' turned out such a success that it is to be hoped he will now consider that soccer is the proper gam© for him to play. • * * Of the V.M.C.A. Club very little cam be said for a first season, but there is no reason why the club should not ultimately turn out a success, seeing the large number of members who belong to the club. The team was, however, changed' about far too m/uoh, amd this helped to militate against success. In Burns, they have a goal-keeper who is one of our best, and, considering that until he joined! this club he had not played for four seasons, it will be seen at once how well he has kept his form when the selectors considered him good enough to play against Taranaki. In concluding my remarks now for thia season, I should just like to say that at times I have had) to dlisagree with players, some of them personal friends of my own, and' I trust that any complaints I have made ihave been taken in the spirit that I have meant them to be taken in, and not as personal ill-feeling against any player in any way whatever.