GREAT EXPECTATIONS?

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 14

GREAT EXPECTATIONS?

Auckland Might Have Many Soccer Challenges

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.)

WITH half the season gone, the Soccer world has awakened to the fact that there is now a possibility of some interprovincial games being seen before the season closes.

THIS hope arises from the fact that Otago and Wellington have shown

an inclination to challenge for the English trophy.

The strange part of the business is that they are anxious to come to grips with Auckland, although the New Zealand Council has not succeeded m extracting a solution of the goal average mystery from the parent body. in England. •

Auckland is not too covetous of rep. matches for the Soccer premiership this season, owing to the rift m the lute over the Thistle trouble whichstill exists. Should they bo forced to meet . southern foes, however, they should be able to scrape, a team that might, with training and coaching aplenty do all that was asked of it. An eleven from 7 Auckland, - chosen this season, would be minus many well-knawn faces, but, at the -same time, many players of ability could be included,, for, under the English trophy rules, Auckland means the top half of the North Island. . South Auckland, Huntley, Waihi and Whangarei have footballers of -.more than ordinary ability and there is a likelihood of their best being seen m action by the Auckland selector. SHOULD BE IN IT Meantime, m local club games, Batty, of. Tramways, who travelled with the Auckland reps, m their tour last season,, is showing consistently good form and it is very improbable that he would be overlooked should there be occasion to select a' rep. team. Backs are not too outstanding m the city. Whowell, of Onehunga, a player who has been m the game for many winters, has, this season, rather distinguished himself. Vrime was when Whowell would not have been among the first ten . backs, but on form to date,, he could not fairly be overlooked. His partner on the left is likely to be Simpson,, of Tramways, .who, last season, played against Canterbury at Christchurch. He is a strong tackier and his tactics are fearless and determined. , The half-back line of Auckland used to contain two of. the Thistle Club .players, but under the changed!conditions, Gilmore, a sailor who assists North Shore and has been playing sound football m the middle division will, no doubt, be available. Tinkler, formerly of Thistle, but now of Tramways, and who was taken all the way to Dunedin to show his paces against the Canadians for New Zealand, should be chosen to take over the. centre-half berth, while the evergreen Dan Jones, also many times an All Black, would be sure to be left half. On the right wing, Bob Innes, known, throughout the length and breadth of the land as a player of ability, Would be sure of his place, but his partner, may; be m doubt. - However, a youth, by ; the name: of Hamilton, who hasT just arrived from

Home and was on the books of the Hibernians, Edinburgh, has settled m the north and shows a flne c.onception of the game.. His strong point is m making openings for the forwards and he does this by tricky, elusive play. He is certainly one of the best inside forwards here at the present N and deserves a trial, for he has an experience/of which few local players can boast. -. ' ' j • The centre T forward berth would lie between Humphreys, of Y.M., also formerly of Thistle and a last season's rep., and Spencer who went south on tour last year and was given two games m the All Black side against the Canadians. There is nothing to choose between the players and both are dangerous m front of goal. CONSISTENT CHALMERS Sole Selector Phil. Neesham has, m the past, striven for. club formations as much as possible and on this basis, Grant, another recent arrival from Scotland, and a clubmate of Chalmers, may be given his place m any rep. team chosen to carry the blue-and-white this season. Taken all over arid only considering the players m the city competitions, it will be seen that Auckland has a fair choice and could not be taken too cheaply. ' , This week. Thistle held another meeting of their supporters and friends and decided to take the initial steps to form a breakaway association. They applied for the use of a ground from the Rugby League, but the latter body, after a discussion m camera, turned down the request. However, the Scots are persisting and holding another meeting this week. What the New Zealand. Council will do when the time comes to consider affiliation of the new body is a moot point, but if it decides that a new association should be formed, not only will it deliver a crushing blow to the prestige and authority of the duly- constituted body m Auckland, but will shatter for all time, any attempt at .dis- ■'• cipline. Thistle Club withdrew, from the A.FA. because they cohsidered one of their players had been harshly treated m being sentenced to. two weeks' suspension. They ignored their constitutional remedy — appeal- to the New Zealand Council— and it- appears that the "most urikindest cut of all" was when the A.F.A. accepted their withdrawal. The N.Z. Council ..last week decided .to call for a report from the A.F.A. m spite of the fact 7 that -they had been kept posted m all the events per medium of Press ; clippings, and also after they had corifirmetJ the action of the Auckland body m its suspension of Kay.